These five Barbie doll controversies will blow your mind

Video Girl Barbie was released in 2010, and it feels light years ahead of its time now in terms of technological advances. The doll had a camera inside her, and could record 30 minutes of video and stream it to a computer.

Kind of hilariously, and definitely interestingly, the doll’s existence was picked up by none other than the FBI, the US’s intelligence and security service. Parents got a little bit worried when they found out that the FBI had sent out a memo warning that the doll could “record pornography or other inappropriate material”.

The FBI was then forced to clarify in a statement that the doll was not necessarily a danger, but shouldn’t be overlooked: “the alert’s intent was to ensure law enforcement agencies were aware that the doll, like any other video-capable equipment, could contain evidence and to not disregard such an item during a search.”

5. Share-a-Smile Becky

In what should have been a huge step forward for inclusivity in Barbie world, Share-a-Smile Becky was released in 1997 – Barbie’s first friend to use a wheelchair.

However, the problem was the doll couldn’t fit through the doors of the Barbie Dream House, scuppering the dream for many disabled people who wanted to see their lives reflected in the Barbie universe. At the time, Mattel reported they were looking into the accessibility of Barbie’s accessories, but in the end Share-a-Smile Becky was discontinued after ten years of failure to make her fit.

According to Karin Hitselberger, a wheelchair user and blogger with cerebral palsy, “a lot of the talk about why Becky doesn’t exist anymore in any iteration is that it was too complicated to redesign Barbie world to fit Becky, so they just got rid of her”.

GLAMOUR has contacted Mattel for comment and is awaiting response.