Yes, it's true. Midge is one very early, lesser-known member of Barbieland, who shows up in Barbie as a pregnant woman (played by Emerald Fennell), along with her husband Allan (played by Michael Cera).
“Pregnant Barbie” is actually Margaret Hadley Sherwood, or Midge, as her friends call her. Midge was created to be a less glam, more relatable Barbie, per Buzzfeed News. The doll was launched in 1963 as Barbie's bestie. She had freckles and red hair, and she wore less makeup than Barbie did.
What is the controversy with Midge Barbie pregnant?
Midge was sold "pregnant" with Nikki, who was a tiny baby inside Midge's magnetic removable womb. This led to some controversy with some consumers saying that the doll was inappropriate for children, or that it promoted teen pregnancy.
In Barbie lore, Allan was actually the father of pregnant Midge's unborn baby. Michael Cera as Allan in "Barbie." Warner Bros. In "Barbie," Allan appears as a kind but lonely man who just wants to hang out with the Kens and Barbies. He didn't interact with Midge in the movie.
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Was Midge always pregnant?
Pregnant Midge
While Midge was first introduced in 1963 as Barbie's best friend, the doll eventually had a Wedding Day version in 1991 and, by 2003, was pregnant, as part of the Happy Family line.
Some suggestive references are present in the movie, which were a big contributor to the movie's PG-13 rating. These include the characters' discussion about Barbie and Ken dolls' lack of genitalia, though there is no nudity or sex in the movie.
Ken (short for Kenneth Carson) hit the toy aisle as Barbie's buyable boyfriend two years after her 1959 debut. He was available in two styles — blond or brunette hair, made of hard plastic — and came dressed in very short red swim trunks.
Mattel didn't have a strong case for copyright infringement, since the "Barbie Girl" video doesn't contain any actual Barbie dolls or images, but the company sued over the use of the trademarked word “Barbie” and the use of “Barbie pink,” a trademarked color.
Many real-life parents worried that Midge would promote teen pregnancy, or even single motherhood — Allan and the couple's other child, Ryan, were sold separately from Midge. According to the Associated Press, Wal-Mart pulled pregnant Midge from shelves by December 2002 due to the controversy.
Though the film could often feel like it was persistently limited, this ending is about Barbara embracing her own body and self without anything to hold her back. That is, at least until the Mattel corporation ultimately ends up deciding to box her back up for a Barbie sequel.
In the early years, Midge was a teenager, the same age as Barbie, but during her multiple comebacks, it was led to believe that she was more of a young adult, around twenty-five years old, when marrying Alan, then having children. The first was Ryan, who came as a small child in the Happy Family series.
In the early 2000s, Mattel received backlash for releasing a version of Midge who was pregnant. After that, she and Alan kept a lower profile. However, a 2023 Barbie movie rekindled interest in Barbie and Ken's original best friends by featuring actors Michael Cera as Allan and Emerald Fennell as pregnant Midge.
Sugar Daddy Ken is a satirical knock-off doll that made a hilarious cameo appearance in the movie Barbie, poking fun at the legacy of the iconic doll. Released in 2009 as a special edition for adult collectors, Sugar Daddy Ken was quickly discontinued due to controversy surrounding its suggestive name and appearance.
Although the doll was part of a 'Happy Family' line of dolls, there was backlash at the time for endorsing 'teenage pregnancy', so the road towards endorsing a liberating world through Barbie dolls has admittedly not always been smooth. Regardless, for Ruth the idea was to keep Barbie single and child free.
Malibu Ken, the first African-American Ken doll, came along in 1982. Growing up, my parents didn't buy me Barbie dolls because they didn't look like me.
And while the two are boyfriend and girlfriend in the movie, Barbie doesn't seem to feel the same way for Ken as he does for her. Warner Bros. This could be explained by the fact that Barbie and Ken are dolls, and they don't really have a "sexual" attraction to each other.
While the film does not dive into trans identity, Barbie still manages to touch upon LGBTQ+ issues without naming them as such. In fact, the film features several openly LGBTQ+ actors, like Hari Nef, Kate McKinnon, Alexandra Shipp, and Scott Evans.
By advocating for women's rights, Christians can contribute to a more compassionate and just world. A world where women's voices are heard, talents are valued, and the Church's mission of love and hope is extended to all, regardless of gender. This is one more reason that Christians should see the new Barbie movie.
But if you haven't heard, the Motion Picture Association actually gave Barbie, Ken, and the gang a PG-13 rating! It never once crossed my mind that perhaps Barbie might be inappropriate for my 8-year-old daughter. First of all, the movie is being marketed to girls well under 13.
"When I conceived Barbie, I believed it was important to a little girl's self-esteem to play with a doll that has breasts," Handler once said, per The New York Times. "Now I find it even more important to return that self-esteem to women who have lost theirs.”
I later learned that in 1989 Barbie's proportions were altered including a breast reduction. Barbie has been evolving all along, but until now it's been incremental (#TheDollEvolves).
And it's true that, in 2016 – 57 years after Barbie's birth – Mattel finally released a 'curvy' Barbie doll in its 'Fashionistas' range. It even earned the brand a Time magazine cover.
