Mattel’s iconic doll has been through a lot since she was first introduced to the world in 1959. Along with their fame, Barbie dolls have also been the receiving end of backlash whenever Mattel’s creations didn’t agree with the public. In case you didn’t know, here are some of the controversial and discontinued Barbie dolls (some of which are part of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie).

Pregnant Midge

ICYDK, Barbie had a BFF once named Midge who lived a different kind of life than her Stereotypical friend and, as a result, was discontinued. Midge was first introduced in 1963 but she got caught in controversy in 2002 when she was released as Pregnant Midge completed with a detachable belly where a small baby doll pops out. This caught a ton of backlash from conservatives who were convinced it would promote teen pregnancy. Mattel fought back and said that it could “help parents teach kids about babies.” But eventually, Midge got pulled out of store shelves for good and became one of the more famous discontinued Barbie dolls.

Allan

Those who’ve already watched Barbie might be confused about the existence of Allan, played by Michael Cera. He was first introduced in 1964 as Midge’s boyfriend and, later, her husband. His main selling point is that he’s Ken’s bestie — he can even fit in Ken’s clothes! But the doll had a short run and was discontinued in 1966, which is why there’s only one Allan in the movie.

He did make a comeback in 2002 with the Happy Family line of dolls where Allan and Midge were introduced with their kids Ryan, Nikki, and Cassandra. However, Allan’s fate was closely tied to Midge’s and when she got caught up in the “pregnant doll” controversy and had to be discontinued, that spelled the end for him.

Sugar Daddy Ken

the fact that there used to be an official Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken Doll 😭 pic.twitter.com/eU2ylMoDSP

— cc (@bossbratbimbo) July 21, 2023

Yep, Sugar Daddy Ken actually existed. But it’s not what it looks like. In 2009, Mattel released a Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken doll as part of its 50th anniversary. He was Ken, but older, with a green printed blazer and pressed pants. The doll came with a West Highland Terrier dog whose name is — get this — Sugar. So technically, he’s Sugar’s Daddy. But the double entendre didn’t sit well with the public, so he had to be discontinued.

Growing Up Skipper

Since they were in the biz of shaping young girls to grow into wonderful career-oriented women, Mattel thought they could take it a step further and wade into the murky waters of puberty. Enter Growing Up Skipper, a doll that was introduced in 1975. She’s Barbie’s younger sister, intended to teach little girls about puberty. When you rotate one of her hands, she would grow taller and her chest would expand. One can already see why this would cause a ruckus. In 1977, Growing Up Skipper was added to the list of discontinued Barbie dolls.

Video Girl Barbie

Mette Towley plays Video Girl Barbie in Gerwig’s movie. She represented Mattel’s 2010 doll that included a functional video camera capable of recording up to 30 minutes and uploading it to a computer. However, the FBI believed the doll could pose a risk for child pornography since it featured a hidden camera in its necklace. Even though no such incident happened, Mattel shelved it in 2012.

Blaine

In 2004, Mattel announced that plastic doll power couple Barbie and Ken were parting ways after decades of dating. Barbie’s new beau? Australian surfer Blaine who was reportedly a fan of hip-hop. He appeared on shelves late June 2004 and became so popular, he even defeated Ken in an official Barbie online poll. Eventually, Mattel brought Ken back into the picture in early 2006 with an “updated, more modern image,” and Blaine faded into the shadows.

Earring Magic Ken

When Mattel attempted to create a “cooler” Ken, they were met with backlash. In 1993, they introduced Earring Magic Ken, a doll wearing a lilac mesh shirt, waistcoat, high waist pants, platinum blond hair, and his signature earrings. The public dubbed him as “Gay Ken,” prompting jokes about the doll coming out of his Barbieland closet. Eventually, he was discontinued and pulled out of shelves.

Barbie and Tanner

In 2007, Mattel came out with a Barbie who had a pet dog named Tanner. The pair came with a poop scooper to gather the dog’s small plastic feces. But when parents complained that Tanner’s dump could be a choking hazard, Mattel had no choice but to recall and discontinue Tanner. There were also complaints of the poop scooper magnet being loose which added to further accusations of the toy being a choking hazard.

Do you think Mattel should bring back any of these discontinued dolls? Share your thoughts with us below!

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