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The Knocked Up Barbie
When you think of a standard everyday doll you probably conjure up visions of Malibu Barbie, Raggedy Ann or a Cabbage Patch Kid. But all dolls, they are not made the same. Some break the mold and veer into territories that are far odder, creepier and stranger.
Many of these dolls illustrate a very human experience, from childbirth, to menstruation to breastfeeding to urination. Others pay homage to human organs, pan handling and a knife wielding murder. Yup, an eclectic array for sure.
Check out our list of the 16 most odd, unusual, creepy and strange dolls ever right here!
(to left: The infamous pregnant Midge doll – Barbie’s best friend – was produced in 2002 and was very short lived because it was seen as being too controversial).
Also check out 17 Creepy Celebrity Dolls – Not Even Their Kids Would Want to Play With
Is this doll a clue to her owner's future?
Before I had a daughter, I was in denial about the overwhelming power of the American Girl franchise. When my daughter got one as a gift, I experienced a brief and mild mourning period for my ability to stem the tide. Then I discovered that American Girl is not just a doll. She is, for better or worse (definitely worse for the wallet) the cultural currency of the female 4-8 set. I’ve seen the relief on girls faces when they discover their mutual bond: You have one. You get it. You’re one of us. As skeptical as I am about “must-have” marketing pressure and the idea of commodities having emotional value, I have to admit I see the good side of this much more clearly than I thought I would.
With their characters and stories, American Girl dolls have meaning beyond the generic doll. They also lend themselves to that taxonomy thing girls like to do, the one that’s at the root of all those women’s magazine quizzes: Which type are you?
Do you let Barbie into your house?
Last year, “Santa” brought my kids the thing they most wanted in all the world: a complete set of Disney Princess Barbie Dolls. Of course, Santa had help in this project from me, the feminist mom who once swore I’d never let one of those busty dolls cross the threshold of my home. Santa might have gotten the kids’ letter asking for them, but it was me who bought them off eBay, wrapped them up, and stuck them under the tree with a pretty bow on them.
Clearly, I am not the mom I thought I’d be before I had kids. Nor am I as committed to my ideals as the mom who wrote in to Motherlode asking for advice on how to keep Barbie out of her three-year-old’s hands.
Bratz dolls redefine demure
Barbie did her best to get rid of her rivals, but the Bratz dolls are back and coming to a store near you.
If you are the parent of a young girl, you probably already know the story, but let’s recap: In 2008, a jury ruled that Bratz maker MGA Entertainment had essentially stolen the concept for Bratz dolls from Mattel. After that, the dolls we love to hate pretty much disappeared from the toy store shelves. But in July, a federal appeals court overturned that earlier ruling and cleared the way for MGA to resume manufacturing the dolls. Continue reading »
If your little girl thinks Barbie is boring and the Moxie Girlz are too mainstream, perhaps she would prefer something a little edgier. No, not Bratz. Those girls may be making a comeback soon, but there are some new dolls in town that make those pouty-lipped ladies look positively preppy. They are Draculaura, Clawdeen Wolf and Frankie Stein, the girls of Monster High. Continue reading »
When did you stop playing with dolls? Back in the day, my friends and I played with our Barbie dolls well into what is now called the tween years. When we were five, we had Barbie playing mom and schoolteacher in our make-believe worlds. But was we got older, Barbie got younger and started going to parties and on romantic dates with Ken. Barbie was versatile that way and therefore the prefect plaything for a maturing girl.
But these days, with so many other forms of entertainment vying for the attention of young girls, Barbie and other dolls are getting left behind at a much earlier age. Continue reading »
One of the first American Girl dolls ever sold is being retired from the collection. Considering her story dates back to 1854, it’s no wonder Kirsten was getting a little long in the tooth.
She’s now following another one of her fellow trendsetters – Samantha Parkington who helped start the collection was axed last year – into the “archives.” Continue reading »
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Wendy Michaels 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
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