The ever changing life of a Barbie doll

Welcome to the 21st century Barbie. Once a childhood favorite, the makers of Barbie created a special edition, Tokidoki Barbie doll. The Tokidoki Barbie doll "went under the ink" to show off a "cutting edge" new look. Tokidoki Barbie, as a special edition, rocks a short pink bob, an off the shoulder t-shirt, leopard leggings, and multiple tattoos. While Barbie has gone through many transformations in her lifetime, none have ever gone this far. She has had all the jobs little girls dream of such as a teacher, veterinarian, or model, and she had the best boyfriend ever, Ken! The creators of the new, radical Barbie geared the model to adult doll collectors and were not planning for children to be interested. The newest Barbie has a very mature look to her and is probably not the best doll for your children. 


Tokidoki Barbie is just another phase Barbie is going through and hopefully she will grow out of it soon. The article, by Mary Elizabeth Williams presents both sides of the arguments, with quotes from parents both for and against the newest Barbie doll. One parent who feels that the Tokidoki Barbie is appropriate for young children said, “I think the pink hair and tattoos are fine. The objectionable things about Barbie are the tiny feet and gigantic fake boobs.” However, a parent opposed to Tokidoki responded with, "If I was a mother I wouldn’t buy one for my daughter. This seems to be sending out the wrong message.” Personally, I agree with the second comment and that if I were a mother, I would not want my daughter to be playing with a tattoo Barbie doll. I do not feel that passionately about tattoos but I think that young children should not be exposed to them in their toys. While I admit to not liking to play with dolls when I was younger, I do remember being "influenced" by my toys. If I did play with Barbie, I would idolize her perfect lifestyle and hope to be like her one day. However, lets keep in mind that our Barbie dolls were not trashy looking. I agree with the author in that tattoo Barbies should not offered to children at such a young age because of the level of maturity in the tattoos. However, I do praise Barbie and her creators for breaking away from the "perfect blonde" to embrace all types of beauty. Hopefully the current trend of Barbie will remain only as ephemeral and not drag on. 


Barbie gets a tattoo makeover
http://www.salon.com/2011/10/19/barbie_gets_a_tattoo_makeover/