Parents Angry at Tattoo Barbie

by Jordan Yerman | March 5, 2009 at 08:38 am

1993 views | 49 Recommendations | 20 comments

Mattel released Totally Stylin' Tattoo Barbie, and parents are, perhaps predictably, not amused.

The frighteningly tall plastic princess comes with clothes, a sheet of stick-on tattoos, and a little purple tattoo gun to apply the stickers to wherever you want to ink your Barbie.
Is this the sort of thing we want to be teaching our little girls? Perhaps a larger question is, why are tattoos "bad"?

It's also worth pointing out that Barbie is an adult character, and has been everything from a vet to an astronaut, and is dating a guy with no you-know-what. So there we are.

Mattel’s Totally Stylin' Tattoo Barbie has hit the shelves, and not very many parents are happy about it. The tattoo gun can be used to stamp tattoos on skin and clothing. The same thing happened in 1999 when Butterfly Art Barbie hit the shelves complete with her very own permanent tattoo on her belly. Parents were outraged. Although Mattel didn’t recall the Barbie, plans to include more of Barbie’s friends with tattoos and even nose rings were scrapped.

Are nose rings really such a big deal? Surely Barbie's alien proportions are more worthy of concern.

And those eyes... those dead, dead eyes. Actually, is that what Brian Johnson was talking about when he sang "She got the sightless eyes/ tellin' me no lies" in You Shook Me All Night Long?

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jazzyzazzy

at 08:57 on March 5th, 2009

Barbie with tatoos have you saw the Bratz dolls along with loads of disgusting alien babies that happen to look like a fetus they even come packaged inside an egg. No Barbie is our modern day Paris Hilton,The rich bitch with the dead eyes, Who spends her time dressing up her little doggies usually in pink just like Barbie. Solution! forget the tattoo,s for Barbie just bring back her boyfriend Ken and they can tattoo him till their little hearts are content.

generaldecay

at 09:56 on March 5th, 2009

Flamin' heck! What next? I agree that Barbie is more dangerous in her representation of 'the perfect woman' and that a nose ring isn't important in the scheme of things, but it's all part of the same offensive, really quite sickening philosophy to me.

eastvanray

at 10:05 on March 5th, 2009

With all these whiney EMO kids the next Barbie should be "I like to cut myself Barbie" and "I want to die Barbie".

Rhonda J Mangus

at 13:32 on March 5th, 2009

Thanks for this, Jordan!

Blue Crush

at 15:44 on March 5th, 2009

Barbie's proportions? They were 39-18-33 in her prime. But she's gonna be 50 next week ... I think tattoos are fine as long as they're removeable, kids jsut love them.

Amy Judd

at 16:26 on March 5th, 2009

I think tattoos are fine - I mean, self-expression can't be a bad thing right?

mtammas

at 20:39 on March 5th, 2009

An inked and pierced Barbie is bothering people!? Parents, get a grip!

Note Blue Crush's comment regarding Barbie's vital stats. The original doll's proportions were outrageously "Playboy", and today's are not that much more realistic, yet most still don't have a problem with that?!

I find the tits much more disturbing than a tat.

Blue Crush

at 22:16 on March 5th, 2009

That's for sure! Anyone that knows the history of Barbie, knows that she was copied from the post-war, sassy and ambitious Bild Lilli doll, which was originally a cartoon for a German newspaper.

Paschen

at 20:47 on March 5th, 2009

I went through the Tattoo issue with my kids and even with my nephews and always told them that they could get a tattoo, but that I would pay for it and shows a clean reputable parlour as well as be their with them to make sure that all is well and healthy. Further I told them that it may be a good idea if I get one as well wile we where at it.

None of them ever wanted a tattoo again nor does any of them have one.

Josh Roxxx (not verified)

at 23:07 on March 5th, 2009

As someone who has worked in the Body Mod community, Tattoos are a wonderful expression and can be used as both rites of passage and mile markers in life. It is NEVER a good idea for a youngster to get a tattoo besides the obvious reason of will i still think this design fits a grown up? The major reason is the fact that the body is still growing so a tattoo at 15 will look very ugly and marred as the body grows.

Talk to your kids as adults when you approach both Tattoos and Piercings, set aside any bad nontions you may have and read up. A few things to keep in mind, anyone set up at a flea market or home is creating a dangerous area. There is no clean room or dirty room or bathroom.

Ask LOTS of questions if the tattoo artist or piercer looks annoyed take your business elsewhere.

I find teenagers are the best to pierce (with the parents there of course) they listen to follow up care instructions and have factors like a good diet and sleep which help factor in the immune system that aren't high on college students.

JeffHuang

at 12:52 on March 6th, 2009

At first I thought this was pretty outrageous. But when you think about it, I guess there is nothing wrong with it. Cypresso's comment on they selling fake tattoo to kids won the argument for me.

polethor21 (not verified)

at 16:22 on March 6th, 2009

Barbie and tatoo is not a big deal. C'mon, it's like birthday party and face painting... Barbie is like a celebration for children and adult collector... And tattoo,we all know it;s fake tatto, it's just like paint being sticked on... that can be washed away in the shower...

Fierce (not verified)

at 18:36 on March 7th, 2009

Crazy Prudes. If you don't want them don't buy them. It's as simple as that. MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. You guys are hypocrites. I'm much more scared of those people with placards chanting down with this and down with that. They're NUTS.

MySceneFan (not verified)

at 18:49 on March 8th, 2009

Hopefully this doll is getting Mattel all the free publicity they wanted it to. This doll comes with several plain shirts, a pair of jeans and a skirt so you can use the decals on her clothing. The tattoo on clothing look is very in right now. Do a google search for "Ed Hardy". I've even seen canvas sneakers with tatto like designs on them. Barbie is, as always, just keeping with the times. If this was Make Your Own T-shirt Barbie, but the decals just happened to have barbed wire or flames, there wouldn't be one discussion about it. Although, if the critics think this is bad... they really don't want to see the 2009 Harley Davidson Barbie...

Ferris Kitchen

at 22:59 on March 11th, 2009

Ferris Kitchen has contributed a photo to this story.

Ferris Kitchen

at 23:20 on March 11th, 2009

I just love barbie cause they're cute and very stylist , so if they put any tattos on it...hmmm...Maybe I just skip for that one

Barry Artiste

at 06:32 on March 13th, 2009

I hear Mattel in keeping up with the times in the dating world is also coming out with "Cougar Barbie"

Rashellic

at 23:12 on March 15th, 2009

I do not see anything wrong with the tattoo of the dolls. dolls - are small people

Spacey Casey (not verified)

at 08:13 on March 17th, 2009

I KNOW WHY YOU ARE ALL SO PISSED OFF!

Walmart and your grocery stores sell fake tattoos at the door to your children, but once you put them on a trashy lookin blonde w/ no clothes, it makes the "slutty" look even more appealing to your children and that's what is really pissing parents off!

Here's a thought. DONT BUY BARBIE AT ALL! She's a plastic surgery lookin anorexic makeup and hair bleach fiend. Her veneered smile alone is enough to make a child w/ no dental insurance feel like a freak in her own bedroom.

esconenardg@aol.com (not verified)

at 04:51 on April 30th, 2009

What is the big deal? This ain't the first time. My son has a lot of wrestling figuers with tattoos all over and i never heard one person cry over it. If you don't like it, then don't buy it for you child.