Vietnam: Before the film premiered, officials in Vietnam announced they were banning Barbie over a scene that included a map that appeared to show China's contested territorial claims in the South China Sea—Warner Bros. disputed the claim, describing the drawing as “child-like.”
Russia's culture ministry is not amused. Last month it concluded that the Barbie movie was "not in line with the aims and goals laid out by our president for preserving and strengthening traditional Russian moral and spiritual values."
Elsewhere, censors delayed the release, with the key markets of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates holding it until mid-August and Lebanon initially banning it outright because—in the words of Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada—it “promotes homosexuality and transsexuality...
Algeria has banned the popular Barbie film three weeks after its release in the mainly Muslim North African nation. The culture ministry has asked cinemas to withdraw the Hollywood blockbuster immediately.
This section discusses the way in which Barbie's hyper-sexualized physique directly defied Indian cultural norms regarding sexuality and gender, ultimately leading to Mattel removing the Barbie doll from the Indian mass market.
Pakistan is not the only Muslim country to ban the film. Other Islamic nations like UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Iran and Saudi Arabia have banned the film as most Islamic nations don't view pro-LGBTQ content with enthusiasm.
However, a source at the Censorship on Artistic Works, the official body which assigns ratings to artworks and monitors adherence to societal morals and values, told Ahram Online that Barbie is officially rated 12+ in Egypt. Worldwide, the film is rated at PG 13 (Parental Guidance if under 13).
A court has barred sales in Mexico of a controversial Frida Kahlo Barbie doll, ruling that members of her family own the sole rights to her image. The toy company Mattel launched a range of new Barbie dolls based on "inspiring women" - artist Frida Kahlo among them.
In real life, Pregnant Midge didn't last long on the shelves - and was cancelled by parents over teen pregnancy fears. Midge was first designed in the 1960s as a sidekick for Barbie.
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.
movie “Barbie” has apologized for its U.S. parent company's reaction to social media posts about the “Barbenheimer” blitz that combined images of Barbie and a mushroom cloud. The memes triggered criticisms in Japan for what many described as minimizing the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The ban was issued by the nation's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Cinema Department, which cited the movie's depiction of what appears to be “the illicit 'nine-dash line' that China uses to illegally claim its sovereignty over most of the East Vietnam Sea,” according to Tuổi Trẻ.
The doll, however, was reportedly recalled. It was a collaboration that went awry. Mattel partnered with OREO-maker Nabisco to create an “OREO”-themed Barbie in the 1990s. The doll, however, was reportedly recalled after criticism that the word “Oreo” can also have an offensive connotation to people of color.
Iran's religious rulers first declared Barbie, made by U.S. company Mattel Inc, un-Islamic in 1996, citing its "destructive cultural and social consequences." Despite the ban, the doll has until recently been openly on sale in Tehran shops.
Ultimately, most analysts chalk up the failure of Barbie Shanghai as a case of a company doing too much, too fast. They invested in the idea that Barbie could become a cultural symbol in China without doing much to test that hypothesis before dropping millions of dollars.
Lebanon's culture minister moved to ban the film Barbie proclaiming it “promoted homosexuality” and violated religious beliefs. This was only Wednesday. We saw this coming because of the controversy it has caused in the region since its worldwide release on the 21st of July.
Punjab Information Secretary Ali Nawaz Malik clarified on Friday that 'Barbie' movie was not banned in Punjab, but its screening was not being allowed for now as an approval from the censor board was awaited. Barbie's box-office debut began in parts of Asia, including Pakistan, on July 21 (today).
“The UAE Media Council has granted the Barbie movie the approval to be screened in the UAE's licensed cinemas after completing the necessary procedures in line with the standards of media content and the UAE age classification,” the authority clarified. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.
“The most commonly identified reason for not wanting to play with the curvy doll was her larger size,” Dr Harriger said. Curvy Barbie is similar in height to petite Barbie, but has a more rounded stomach, thicker legs and no gap between her thighs. She is still larger than the average woman.
Did 'Barbie' Ever Release in Vietnam? No, Barbie is still banned in Vietnam and was never released in the country. But in an interesting turn of events, despite initially planning to follow in Vietnam's footsteps, the Philippines changed their outlook on the film.
Society maintains rules about children's behavior. Some rules dictate the toys a child should play with based on gender. Retailers market baby dolls to girls and toy cars to boys. The reason is that young children must be taught which roles they are expected to play.
