A major bonding moment with a college friend of mine was over stories about Barbies. She said, "yeah, and as I got older and older, Barbie started to have more and more sex." My reaction was relieved delight as I stated, "oh my god, me too!" Kids are rather perverted, regardless of their chromosomes or toy choices.

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According to Wikipedia, the US Barbie doll concept came from a woman
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie_doll). Ryan, who worked for Mattel, had only claimed to be the inventor of the Barbie Doll (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Ryan_(designer)).

Anybody have the real facts on this?

Until this is cleared up, I'll assume that this article is a convenient story for the PC/feminists to tell when looking down their nose at a plastic doll which has been popular among young girls for a long time.

Even if the inventor of Barbie was a creep, so what? Many inventions and marketing successes have strange beginnings. According to the Wikipedia entry, Barbie was based on a German doll, Lilli, who was apparently a gold-digging, sharp-witted slut, Mae West style (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild_Lilli_doll). Same difference, I guess...But again: so what?

This article wasn't particularly good, but it did lead to some interesting trivia, and hopefully will start an interesting discussion.

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She, and her parents, had no idea the creator was a perv and really didn't care. My kids love the houses, horses and corvette as well as all the really cool outfits which aren't really slutish like you would have us believe.

This is a plastic toy and you just made it a sordid sexual things so you had something to write about.

I suppose next you will kill P,P&M's Puff the Magic Dragon song because of the overt drug references to pot smoking right.

Ruin your own childhood, but leave my kids alone.

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What the fuck are you talking about?

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Does Alternet have a quota for frivolous sex-themed articles, and is that why you feature even the bad ones?

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OK my parents were the type who believed that Barbie was the epitome of sexualized evil and guess what - once I got to be old enough for my own pocket money (8 or 9) I bought my own Barbie. But I couldn't afford clothes or accessories; I always felt like a bit of a loser compared to other girls but at least I had my own Barbie to bring over.

Somewhat reluctantly I let my own daughters pursue their own fascination with Barbie, who seems to be everywhere, even on non-commercial tv. No corvettes but Barbie has her own horse (and so do the girls!).

My thought is that Barbie poses no psychological threat to my own girls because they can actually expect to grow up tall, blonde and beautiful. Heaven help those pudgy frizzy-haired girls forever stigmatized by the unattainable beauty standards of Barbie (including myself but I did get over it eventually).

More along the lines of NEWS, Scholastic Books has dropped the line of Bratz books - mostly because of the parental outcry which makes it a good example of the power of public opposition - is there a redeeming feature to Bratz? At least Barbie is a grown-up fashion figure who is often depicted as having a career, however impractical. Bratz are girl dolls who have no motivation or function beyond dressing up and "partying" (always amazes me that this is considered a verb as if this were an actual activity).

Scholastic drops Bratz books

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Ever look at a Ken doll between his legs? At least little boys never wanted to grow up looking like Ken (ouch)!

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I really hope that this story doesn't actually surprise anyone. Feminists realized the Barbie-Sex Toy link years ago.

I am surprised, however, that some aren't bothered by their children playing with a toy inspired by a man's unapologetic objectification of women.

Knowing the inspiration of Barbie, it sends the message that young girls - while aiming to be astronauts and business women - shouldn't mind being treated like or resembling a blow-up doll. In fact, it cements the paradigm that women can be successful professionally, as long as they remain submissive in the heterosexist, misogynist confines of American society.

While I also heard that Barbie was created by a mother, this story begs some questions that need to be examined. Consider the ramifications if it really is true. Intentions go a long way...

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In the picture of Barbie riding Ken that accompanies the article, she has a small waist, fairly small hips and a large chest, not just boobs but rib cage, too; in other words, a "Power Vee." Could it be that Barbie is really "Bob," a secret transsexual?

As for Ken, he's looking off in another direction and smiling ... perhaps at another "Ken?"

I think there may be way more going on here than anybody realizes ....

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He is a real PIG

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When my third little daughter was about 3 or 4, Barbie dolls were new! A well-meaning girlfriend gave her a Barbie doll. I still remember being
very annoyed and unhappy about it. I am no prude but in these tender years, little girls love to play with BABY dolls. They play "Mommy" and nurture the wee babydoll, coo and cuddle it and learn to be little mommies.
Barbie distracted & transported her to other thoughts no doubt, yet Mother Nature to the rescue:
That child is a grown woman now with 2 teenagers who were cuddled, loved, and are fine young people. Maybe no harm was done. Peer pressure is a big commitment to satisfy.

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Here's a joke:

A little girl climbs onto Santa's lap and tells him what she wants for Christmas: A Barbie doll and a G.I. Joe action figure.

"Little girl," says Santa, "I think you want Ken. Barbie comes with Ken."

"No, Santa," she said. "Barbie fakes it with Ken. She comes with G.I. Joe."

******** Like many jokes, this one alludes to something truthful. Barbie is quite sexual and this is not lost on children. Did you see the Boston Legal episode in which Alan Shore unsuccessfully argues to remove little trollop dolls from stores? It elucidates many facets of this issue.

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After reading the article, one wonders if the author wears a chastity belt.

:P

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This has got to be the most inane pointless article ever to make it into my mailbox. WTF?! Is this new information? Is this supposed to be an introduction for the book? What? I am truly perplexed here.

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Ruth Handler, the founder of Mattel toys, actually created Barbie. Ryan was her head of Research and Design and she had him take a prototype doll (a German sex toy called "Lilli") to Japan to manufacture the first Barbies.
Read more Handler, who became a convicted felon in the 1970's and the inventor of a prosthetic breast after her own bout with breast cancer, in "BARBIE AND RUTH" (Harper/Collins) the first biography of Handler coming out next month!

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But sometimes you can't fight every battle. I refused to allow Barbie in our house because in my view Barbie dolls tell young children - boys as well as girls - that girls have one function that is more important than all other functions - they MUST have bodies like anorexic fourteen year old boys, but with breasts like nursing mothers - and, they must have enough hair to knit an afghan for a king-sized bed (which, presumably will be where they do their most important work, satisfying Ken).

However, my opinions not withstanding, my loving sister gave my older daughter, Molly, a Barbie for her fourth birthday. Molly was thrilled - all her friends had them, and she didn't appreciate my lectures on why I didn't want them in our house. Molly and my sister won, Molly soon had the dream house, the pool, the corvette and thousands of articles of clothing. The deal was she could have them, but I would not pay for them nor would I play with them with her. This was no problem for Molly until one afternoon she couldn't get Barbie's tights on and asked for help. When I refused, Molly yelled at me in frustration: "I don't want to BE a Barbie, I just want to PLAY with them!"

Molly is now in her mid-twenties. She does not think her primary value is sexual, nor does she feel she must have mounds of hair, humongous breasts or legs that stretch from the floor to the ceiling. And although Molly is beautiful, she does not feel her physical characteristics define her as a human being.

So, I don't know if I lost the battle or not, But I am glad I made sure that Molly saw what Barbie really was - a male dominated society's idea of what a sexy woman should look like. I am glad that I made sure Molly was very well aware of the fact that, Dolly Parton not withstanding, 99.9% of females do not look like Barbie, nor should they.

Great song, by the way, by the band "Aqua" is "Barbie Girl." It pretty much sums up what Barbie dolls say to me. Some of the words are:

Male Voice: - Hi Barbie!
Female Voice: - Hi Ken!
Male: - You wanna go for a ride?
Female: - Sure, Ken!
Male: - Jump in!
- Ha ha ha ha!

Female: I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation

Male: Come on, Barbie, let's go party...

Female: I'm a blonde, single girl in the fantasy world, Dress me up, take your time, I'm your dollie

Male: You're my doll, rock and roll, feel the glamour and pain, Kiss me here, touch me there, hanky-panky

Female: You can touch, you can play
You can say I'm always yours, oooh whoa...

Female: Make me walk, make me talk, do whatever you please
I can act like a star, I can beg on my knees

Male: Come jump in, be my friend, let us do it again, Hit the town, fool around, let's go party

Female: You can touch, you can play
You can say I'm always yours...

Male: Come on, Barbie, let's go party, ha ha ha, yeah...

Female: I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation

Male: Come on, Barbie, let's go party, ha ha ha, yeah...

Female: - Oh, I'm having so much fun!
Male: - Well, Barbie, we're just getting started!
Female: - Oh, I love you Ken!

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If you have sons, do they play with GI Joes? And are you thinking maybe they'll be encouraged to enlist in the military when they finish high school - possibly to become canon fodder? You need to think about how toys shape your children's ideas about who they are or who they should be.

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We would be reading about how progressive she was for making bawdy comments about sex and empowering women through her many sexual escapades...

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...Captain Renault replied, "I am shocked, shocked to find that little girls play make-believe sex games with an innocent little girl's doll such as Barbie. I would be equally shocked to find that little boys play sex games with their sisters' Barbies!"

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OMG, would you people give it up already? I had toy guns and other war toys, like every other boy I knew. Neither I or any of my friends grew up to be violent or obsessed with weapons. My sisters had Barbies, like millions of other little girls. They didn't grow up to be excessively image conscious, anorexic or hyper-sexualized. Why do so many people assume that the current generation of children are all idiotic blobs of clay, waiting to be molded by evil commercialism? How many of you had toy guns or Barbies? Did you grow up to be violent psychopaths or bulimic nymphomaniacs?

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The alleged designer must have been a capable guy. Wasn't Barbie designed in the 50's?? He was a swinger? Isn't that what feminism's about? Sexual choice? Surrounded himself with Barbie look alikes? You mean California surfer babes?.......most of us could only dream......he must have been a great guy with a pleasing personality.

BUT WAIT !! NOT ONE DIRECT QUOTE BY THIS WRITER FROM ANYONE WHO KNEW THE MAN!! Amazing, truly.

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Did you know that Barbie and Ken
do not have sexual relations?
That's right. Ken comes in a different box.

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she comes with all of Ken's stuff !!

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To keep her ears warm !! yukyuk

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What is it, a slow day in the sex biz? Is that really possible?

I've defended articles others accused of being trivial, but I think this one really is.

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She never had kids.

Gotta look on the bright side...

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Can you believe this article, or blog post, or whatever it is, generatedd 53 comments? Uh, correct that. 54 comments

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This story seemed pathetically inclined to rally "feminists" against the evil Barbie once again.

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Manufacture a militant feminist doll called Babe, who has plenty of leg and underarm hair and almost no tits. Make her fifteen to twenty pounds overweight with a very slight, barely noticeable, moustache. Supply outfits of baggy-ass pants, t-shirts, work boots, and men's work shirts. And then, let's see what the little girls want.

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Check out these hilarious photographs by Denver artist Sarah Haney

Barbie And Ken: Amateur Porn Stars

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I hate Barbie. With all going on in our world, the last thing I need to see is Barbie! Pls desist.

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Have you people not heard the news?

Every year, in the Black Rock Desert, Suicide Barbie Camp (or whatever the heck it's called), presents a Barbie Hell that is simply unsurpassed.

Get with it.

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