Revealed: All the bizarre and discontinued Mattel dolls from Sugar Daddy Ken to a Barbie with inflatable breasts
- FEMAIL looks at the various, and bizarre, discontinued Mattel dolls
- READ MORE: How Kate Middleton has channelled Barbie in her royal wardrobe
The new smash hit Barbie movie features many variants of the famous Mattel doll.
From Margot Robbie’s ‘stereotypical Barbie’ to Issa Rae’s ‘president Barbie’ there are many different looks and professions living harmoniously in Barbie land.
There’s also various Kens. In the lead is Ryan Gosling’s ‘Surf Ken’ while there is also Simu Liu’s Tourist Ken and Kingsley Ben-Adir as Basketball Ken.
And notably, there’s cameos from various Barbies, Kens and their friends that have been discontinued by Mattel.
Among the more eyebrow raising dolls is ‘Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken’ (played by Rob Brydon) and Growing Up Skipper, a doll who turned from a little girl into a teenager.
Here, FEMAIL looks at the various, and bizarre, discontinued Mattel dolls…
Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken
Sugar Daddy Ken, which amazingly was released in 2009 not the sixties, lasted three years before being taken off shelves
Sugar Daddy Ken, which amazingly was released in 2009 not the sixties, lasted three years before being taken off shelves.
The doll was released as part of Barbie’s ‘Palm Beach’ line, and features a Ken doll in full Floridian chic, including a green suit and floral swim trunks.
He also comes with a West Highland Terrier puppy – which (after backlash over the doll Mattel later revealed was named ‘Sugar’.
‘He’s Sugar’s daddy, as a reference to the dog,’ a spokeswoman told the New York Post in 2009.
Growing Up Skipper
In the seventies, deciding it was time for Skipper to grow up, they made a special doll whose breast grew when he arm was lifted
Definitely among the more bizarre Mattel dolls was skipper.
Skipper was first created in 1964 as Barbie’s younger sister, after a demand from fans for Barbie to have a child.
She was first launched as an eight-year-old, but was later turned into a teenager, in quite a bizarre way.
In the seventies, deciding it was time for Skipper to grow up, they made a special doll whose breast grew when he arm was lifted.
Want to take her back to be a little girl again? Turn her arm back the other way and puberty is reversed.
Mattel was slammed for sexualising a teenage girls and it was dropped after three years.
Teen Talk Barbie
In what was considered cutting edge technology at the time, in the nineties Mattel brought out ‘Teen Talk Barbie’ who could say a variety of phrases. While there was nothing wrong with the concept, the phrases raised many eyebrows among parents
In what was considered cutting edge technology at the time, in the nineties Mattel brought out ‘Teen Talk Barbie’ who could say a variety of phrases.
While there was nothing wrong with the concept, the phrases raised many eyebrows among parents.
Among them were ‘Let’s plan our dream wedding’ and ‘Will we ever have enough clothes’.
But the ultimate downfall was ‘Math class is tough’.
Many argued the phrases pushed harmful stereotypes and discouraged girls from studying maths and science.
The American National Council of Teachers of Mathematics complained and three months later the doll was taken of shelves and replaced with one with less controversial phrases.
Tanner the Dog
Unlike many of the others the dog – who came with plastic pieces of poop and a pooper scooper – wasn’t discontinued for political reasons but because of health and safety
Among the most adorable cameos in the film is Tanner the Labrador, another throwback to real life doll from the Mattel vault.
Unlike many of the others the dog – who came with plastic pieces of poop and a pooper scooper – wasn’t discontinued for political reasons but because of health and safety.
The tiny pieces of plastic were deemed a choking hazard.
Not all was lost for dog lovers though as he was later replaced by Taffy, another yellow Labrador.
Video Girl Barbie
The Barbie was marketed towards ‘budding filmmakers’ and came with a necklace that recorded footage. She even had a video screen built into her back – that played back the footage. But the FBI warned it could be used to make child pornography
Perhaps one of the strongest warnings against Video Girl Barbie – launched in 2010 – came form the FBI, who were concerned about the doll as she came with a built in camera.
The Barbie was marketed towards ‘budding filmmakers’ and came with a necklace that recorded footage.
She even had a video screen built into her back – that played back the footage.
But the FBI warned it could be used to make child pornography.
It was discontinued two years later.
Pregnant Midge
Margaret ‘Midge’ Hadley Sherwood – was marketed as Barbie’s best friend. Mattel never wanted to make Barbie pregnant or have children, do gave her a pregnant pal instead
Most creepily, the doll came complete with a removable stomach – with a baby inside
Margaret ‘Midge’ Hadley Sherwood – was marketed as Barbie’s best friend.
Mattel never wanted to make Barbie pregnant or have children, do gave her a pregnant pal instead.
Most creepily, the doll came complete with a removable stomach – with a baby inside.
Midge – who was first marketing in 1963 – was a ‘girl next door’ type, less glamorous and more toned down than Barbie.
She came back again in the 1980s and stayed popular until 2002, when she came back as a pregnant doll.
Parents were creeped out by the toy, some claiming it promoted teen pregnancy. She is played by Emerald Fennell in the film.
Allan
Barbie collectors are selling ‘Allan’ dolls for up to $300 on eBay – after Michael Cera popularised the discontinued toy in the blockbuster movie
The Allan doll was named after Barbie creator Ruth Handler’s son-in-law and was on store shelves for just two years before being discontinued
The Allan doll was named after Barbie creator Ruth Handler’s son-in-law and was on store shelves for just two years before being discontinued.
However, since being played by Michael Cera in the film, there’s been a huge demand for the doll in second hand markets, with it selling for up £300 on eBay.
He was first introduced in 1964 as ‘Ken’s best friend’ and the husband of Barbie’s friend Midge.
Unfortunately, Allan never got the same popularity as Ken and stopped being made in 2014.
Magic Earring Ken
Dressed in ‘rave’ gear that was popular at the time, the doll was designed to appeal to younger audiences but unintentionally became a gay icon by wearing an earring in his left ear
To match Magic Earring Barbie, Magic Earring Ken was released in 1995.
Dressed in ‘rave’ gear that was popular at the time, the doll was designed to appeal to younger audiences but unintentionally became a gay icon by wearing an earring in his left ear.
At the time, this was a code for gay men to identify one another.
Some also thought his necklace appeared like a sex toy – combined with a lavender mesh shirt and pleather vest, some eyebrows were certainly raised.
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