Barbie’s got a bad new look.
Though you might not recognize the iconic doll at first, Mattel has released a $50 limited edition collector’s item Barbie. Brought to you by the Italian-based, Japanese-inspired brand Tokidoki, this new edgy Barbie has a chin-length pink bob, punk-style clothing and tattoos running down her arm and around her collarbone.
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And, perhaps unsurprisingly, there are parents out there who are unhappy with Barbie’s new look. The Daily Mail reports that the comment section on a parenting website for teens was already filled with complaints. Failing to appreciate that the doll was a limited edition item and not your run of the mill childhood toy, parents were quick to condemn the inked up look.
“I think it is horrible and sends the wrong message to young people. In no way should a tattoo be honored,” read one message on the site Twixt, while others likened tattoos to behavior that’s illegal for children. “Encouraging children that tattoos are cool is wrong, wrong, wrong. Mattel why not put a cigarette and a beer bottle in her hand while you’re at it!”
Sure, parents, pretend that Barbie’s scarily-skinny waist and pin-up proportions aren’t sending a bad message. Focus on the perfectly legal and low-risk tattoos instead.
This isn’t the first time that Barbie’s gotten ink: in 1999, Butterfly Art Barbie received so many complaints from parents that Mattel pulled her from the shelves. And in 2009, Totally Stylin’ Tattoos Barbie, also faced some backlash, but high sales kept her from being pulled.
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