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Strollerderby
Does Barbie Look Different to You?
Mattel’s latest Barbie line is called the “Barbie Basic Collection” and features 12 dolls dressed in something many women couldn’t live without: The little black dress. But one of these dolls appears to be sporting something else women have grown quite fond of: Breast implants.
The Barbie in question is Model No. 10, featuring “African American skin tone, a striking Little Black Dress with a plunging neckline, and long sleek hair.” Her face we’ve seen before – it’s called the Desiree sculpt and first appeared on Barbie dolls back in 2002. But we are fairly sure would have remembered if we’d seen that cleavage before. Did Barbie get breast implants?
Like large breasts tend to do, this so-called “busty Barbie” has drawn some unwanted attention. Some parents want to know if a doll with a plunging-neckline revealing what looks like bolted-on gumballs is appropriate for little girls.
To determine if perhaps I, and others, were seeing things, I showed my 9-year-old the photo above and asked her what she thought. She pointed to the doll’s cleavage and said, “That doesn’t look right.” When pressed, she said the neckline is too low and the “boobs look weird.”
So then we went to the Barbie storage bin and grabbed some random dolls from her extensive collection. We draped some fabric over their chests to mimic what this doll is wearing and compared. There was no comparison. No matter how we dressed or draped them, we could not recreate the rounded look of Model No. 10′s cleavage.
Mattel hasn’t commented on Barbie’s new, fuller look and if they do, I am sure they will claim we are making something out of nothing. But I live near the live near the Jersey Shore and I know breast implants when I see them. These look like they were modeled after the real, fake thing.
What do you think?
Image: Getty
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5 Comments
[...] Does Barbie Look Different to You? [...]
Teens and Tanning Beds: A Deadly Combination | Strollerderby commented on May 28 10 at 2:21 pmBREANNA commented on May 29 10 at 12:52 pmYES BARBIR LOOKS UGLY LIKE THAT.
Jenn commented on Jun 01 10 at 11:43 amIn all fairness that Barbie is from a line that is marketed toward collectors, not children (much the same as cat burgler Barbie and the new Goddess Athena Barbie). You can’t even access Little Black Dress Barbies from the online shop for kids, you have to redirect to the collectors page.
It’s possible that they’ve altered the thumbnail photo or changed their production model quick fast and in a hurry- but the bust on the doll featured at the sight look nothing like the ones pictured above. They look the same as any other barbie, not not a little more modest.
Marie commented on Jul 22 11 at 8:16 amYup breast implants FOR SURE. I am a nurse & very familiar with human anatomy & of course this looks very unnatural. Breast implants are always so weird – & the breasts look so SEPARATED & unnaturally round & that’s how I can tell right away. My friend is African American & has breast implants & this is a ditto shape of waht she looks like. What’s up with that Mattel?? Must have been designed by a male with a fetish for breast implants. I guess the designer never saw a NATURAL woman without implants. Definitely not for little girls!
Linda commented on Jan 03 12 at 3:28 pmOf course they’re not implants – Barbie isn’t real and there’s nothing to implant. These dolls are based on what’s called the “Model-Muse” body, originally used on collector Barbies to emulate high-fashion models and dolls like Bob Mackie’s “Muse” series (hence the name). They are ultra-skinny, and yet chesty, with well-defined collarbones, throats, and even definition in the abs and thigh muscles. And their feet are smaller than Barbie’s usual miniscule feet. This body sculpt has become the favorite for the adult collector lines because it is very sleek. It provides the look of high-fashion conceptual drawings in 3-D form and can wear bulkier fabrics without looking “fat”, as well as looking like a mature woman and not a high-schooler. It is not generally found in the play line, which is marketed towards children. Barbie Basics, which are found with little black dresses, little red dresses, and jeans/tank tops are aimed at adults. That doesn’t mean children won’t play with them and aren’t attracted to them, but the clothing choices are definitely limited, since play line clothes won’t fit. As to whether they look natural – well, when has Mattel ever gotten Barbie’s breasts to look like those of a real woman?!
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