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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

OUTLAWED: Iran Bans Barbie!

As the US tries to crack down on Iran, Iran is doing some cracking down of its own—on that oh-so-American symbol, the Barbie doll. The country's morality police have begun enforcing a Barbie ban issued in 1996. (Authorities blasted the doll's "destructive cultural and social consequences" at the time.) Reuters reports that the doll had been stocked on Tehran shops' shelves all the same, until about three weeks ago, when the morality police "came to our shop, asking us to remove all the Barbies," says one shop owner.

Of course, some Barbies are being tucked behind other toys, rather than removed all together, to keep up with demand. If seems that Sara and Dara, two government-OKed dolls released in 2002, haven't grabbed the hearts and minds of Iranian children. One mother says her daughter "prefers Barbies. She says Sara and Dara are ugly and fat." (Barbie, clearly, to the rescue.) But what should obedient parents buy for their kiddies instead? How about a toy soon to hit shelves: a mini RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone ... a replica of the one that went down in Iran last month. The AP notes that the manufacturer plans to send the US one of the models, in response to Washington's demand that the drone be returned. Iranian kids can get theirs for about $4.

Friday, August 5, 2011

It's 'Barbie' WAR: Mattel Out $310M After Losing Bratz Spat!

The final bell has been rung in the long-running Mattel-MGA Entertainment court battle over Bratz—and Barbie's makers have taken a hell of a beating. A federal judge has ordered Mattel to pay MGA, the makers of Bratz dolls, a total of $310 million in punitive damages and lawyers fees, and rejected Mattel's request for a new trial, reports the Los Angeles Times.

A jury decided earlier this year that MGA hadn't infringed on Mattel's copyright or stolen trade secrets. Mattel argued that the designer who thought up the bratty, big-headed dolls broke his contract with the company when he took the idea to MGA. The judge's ruling leaves Mattel little room for appeal, although a second fight is looming: MGA says the Mattel lawsuit has damaged the Bratz brand to the tune of $1 billion and it intends to recoup the loss through a separate lawsuit.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

GROSS: Controversial Breastfeeding Doll Hitting US Toy Stores!

A new baby doll that little girls "breast feed" is giving parents heart palpitations. The doll, created in Spain, is now heading to US toy stores. Creators of the "Breast Milk Baby" insist the $90 toy triggers a perfectly natural pretend-play process that teaches girls the very valuable lesson that they should nurse their babies when they become moms. Some outraged parents say it's creepy and obscene watching little girls clutching the babies to their chests for a noisy suck session. The doll set comes with small vest girls wear with two breast-positioned "flowers" where the doll's lips move to "suck."

The dolls also suck pacifiers, cry, and burp. Children "have played 'parent' with dolls for centuries," one child psychologist tells ABC News. "But I'm always a little disturbed by products that have the impact of accelerating childhood identification with being a full-blown adult." The medical director of a California mothers milk bank hailed "anything that reminds young girls that their bodies are something more than sex objects. On the other hand, encouraging young girls to want to have babies at a very young age may not be so great," he adds. A representative of toy maker Berjuan calls breast-feeding "completely natural," and says the toy allows girls to imitate their moms, which is "part of growing up.

More After the Jump!