This was supposed to be a simple Toy Review of a Barbie Stardoll Fashion Pack–which we went shopping for after seeing the product showing up on a few Hot Toy lists. Specifically, it was the Barbie Stardoll Fallen Angel Fashion Pack. As it turns out, we ended up shopping fora Barbie product that may be a little too hot for most moms to handle.
Maybe we should’ve already known that the big idea behind the Stardoll line is to bring an online fashion-game community to the real world. Then we wouldn’t have had to be brought over to the fainting couch after checking out these Barbie outfits and accessories. The fashion pack comes with a purple knee length dress, a red semi-transparent handbag, a stopwatch necklace, two pairs of high-heeled boots (one black, one red), and a bustier–along with some other items (including a gift card for an online Superstar membership).
Other than the dress and handbags, the items in this pack can be safely said to be inappropriate for any young Barbie collector. Mothers can disagree, of course, but check out these outfits and then note that the manufacturer’s recommended age group for this collection is 9 to 14. These clothes seem a little (or a lot) too suggestive for that age group. We can only be hoping that the real intended demographic here is for adult Barbie collectors. Even then, we’d rather not think about what kind of adult collectors Mattel has in mind.
We won’t pretend that this Stardoll line has become a big controversy, and we’re not trying to fan our outrage into some kind of movement. It’s just sad to see Barbie even associated with the Stardoll line. Mattel has already had enough problems in the past with their Barbie empire. The company doesn’t need to be dragging the poor gal into the mud again. We’re not looking to rat out Barbie, but don’t be surprised if you turn on the television some day and see somebody invoking the Barbie Stardoll Fashion Pack as a proper scandal.
