Top 10 Most Unhinged Barbies

In the late ‘70s, Mattel decided to introduce “the doll who kisses and leaves her mark”. While most Barbies’ heads are made to be at least somewhat rigid, this doll includes a mechanism that lets her leave a peck on a target of choice. When you press the button on her upper back, it creates a creaky, smooching sound and causes her chin to jut forward. Along with a bouquet of flowers, the doll comes with a tube of lipstick, which seems to basically be a stamp ink that can be applied onto her lips to leave kiss marks. Although this Barbie was seemingly intended to show her love, it’s a bit unsettling to create a doll whose main thing is kissing.

Since Barbie’s conception, parents around the world have been concerned about her influence on their children. So the response this tattooed Barbie received from some was perhaps inevitable. In 2009, the same year the doll turned 50, Totally Stylin’ Tattoos Barbie was released, and the set included over 40 temporary tattoos of things like flowers, butterflies, and hearts, as well as a tattoo “gun”-style stamper for easy application. Worried about the toy’s promotion of permanent ink and body modification, some parents took to the Internet to express their frustration. This didn’t deter Mattel from creating special Tokidoki Barbies in 2010 and again in 2015, which featured the doll with colorful, full sleeve tattoos.

This Ken doll allows children to learn about the magic of facial hair. The doll’s beard can be “shaved” and grown back repeatedly due to the color-changing properties of the plastic. A spongy “razor” dipped in warm water will make Ken’s whiskers vanish, but the beard can reappear so you can play repeatedly. Would you believe that this wasn’t the first time Mattel came up with the idea to shave Ken? Indeed, Sport & Shave Ken and Shaving Fun Ken were released prior to Cool Shavin’ Ken, so it seems kids could not get enough of beard care playsets.

In 1992, the world heard what Barbie had to say. Each Teen Talk doll included a voice box that was preset with four random phrases selected from 270 options, such as “Wanna have a pizza party?” and “I’m studying to be a doctor.” However, the sentence “Math class is tough” was criticized by educational associations, namely the American Association of University Women. This ultimately led Mattel to issue an apology and reportedly remove that phrase from the doll. Due to her not-so-positive impact, Teen Talk Barbie inspired the season five episode of “The Simpsons” titled "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy." The animated sitcom took the sexist remarks to a new level, including a number of problematic phrases in the doll parody.

Having owned over 40 different pets over the years, Barbie was bound to be a responsible dog mom. Kids can feed Tanner some delicious dog treats, and when the adorable creature is ready to go to the bathroom, a push of the tail causes the pellets to fall out. Don’t worry, this set comes with a pooper scooper that magnetically picks up Tanner’s mess. Oddly enough, it wasn’t discontinued for its weird concept. Instead, Mattel recalled the toy in 2007, roughly a year after its release, due to the magnets coming loose, and eventually discontinued it altogether. Fear not though, we later got the magnet-free Barbie Walk & Potty Pup Set.

Many have criticized Barbie’s impact on childrens’ body image, especially in the doll’s earlier days. This 1965 Slumber Party set didn’t help her case. We can’t imagine this Barbie being released today. Most of her accessories are appropriate enough for a sleepover with friends: the playset comes with things like pajamas and a bathrobe. Unfortunately, the Barbie is also accompanied by a bathroom scale set at 110 pounds and a diet book with the horrible instructions, “don’t eat!” With concepts like this one, we can understand the widespread concern about Barbie’s promotion of unrealistic beauty standards. Thankfully, more recent iterations of the doll’s sleepover themes have not included weight loss accessories.

Skipper, who was conceived as Barbie’s younger sister, underwent a transformation when Mattel decided she should be aged up from an eight-year-old. However, the way the company chose to portray this doll’s entrance into her teenage years in 1975 was unsettling, to say the least. A simple rotation of her left arm causes Growing Up Skipper to grow substantially taller and her chest to protrude. And yes, turning her arm back makes her revert to her eight-year-old self. Although Mattel created Skipper as a beloved addition to Barbie’s family, showing her development into a teenager in this way was arguably less than necessary.

One of the many careers Barbie has had is veterinarian. So perhaps it’s no surprise that she would bring some of her work home with her. Just when you thought her dog mom era couldn’t get any weirder, Mattel released the Newborn Pups playset. Instead of popping out dog treat pellets, this set sees Barbie’s dog give birth to three adorable puppies when you push down on her back. Of course, it wouldn’t be a weird playset without a color-changing feature! When each puppy is “washed” with cold water, a birthmark is unveiled on their backside. That’s certainly one way to let children witness the miracle of life!

From “Star Wars” to “Legally Blonde”, many films have been honored with Barbies based on fan-favorite characters. Sometimes, these collectible dolls aren’t exactly meant for child’s play. In 2008, Mattel released a Barbie in honor of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”. Decked out in Melanie Daniels’ classic pale green suit, this doll tentatively smiles as she’s attacked by birds in this iconic scene of natural horror. You’re probably thinking that few kids would understand this reference, much less want to own a toy that’s depicting something so unsettling. But Mattel seemingly knew that. Indeed, “The Birds” Barbie was part of the Black Label collection, meaning it was specifically produced “for the adult collector.”

Barbie has had many pals. But her bestie Midge — first introduced in 1963 — has a history many might prefer to forget. There’s been different Midge dolls, but the one from the “Happy Family” playset, complete with boyfriend-turned-husband Alan and kid Ryan (sold separately), caused a stir. Indeed, 2002 saw the arrival of a pregnant Midge with a detachable belly containing her second child, baby Nikki. Some parents were concerned that Midge was too young to have kids, even though she was partly marketed as an educational way to help “families anticipating the arrival of a new sibling”. Eventually, enough complaints caused Walmart to stop selling the toy, and since 2013, concerns about the doll’s pregnancy have seemingly ceased with Mattel’s rebranded, single, and child-free Midge.