All of the fame and riches didn't come without a little controversy. And Mattel's own girl next door was at the center of it all.

Unrealistic Body Image

Parents didn't like their little girls owning a doll with so much sex appeal. And the way she represented body proportions didn't help either. According to Mattel's size scale, if Barbie were a real person, she would be/have:

5'9" tall

36" chest

18" waist

33" hips

110 pounds

BMI of 16.24

A "real-life Barbie" would fit the criteria of an anorexic, and wouldn't even have enough body fat to menstruate. In 1963, Mattel released a Barbie that came with a book titled "How To Lose Weight," with the only advice being "Don't eat!" In another Barbie released in 1965, a scale was included that was permanently set at 110 pounds.

Racism and Prejudice

In 1997, Mattel teamed up with Nabisco and introduced Oreo Fun Barbie. Mattel made both a white and a black version, which had become customary with new releases. Protesters in the African American community voiced the opinion that "oreo" was a derogatory slur used to describe a person who was black on the outside, but white on the inside, much like the popular cookie. The doll failed miserably, and the unsold stock was recalled by Mattel.