In my super materialistic buy-everything-that-resembles-a-Power-Ranger years, my Sunday morning ritual before I had even given my good morning grunt to my parents, would be throwing myself on top of the Sunday newspaper. I would first pick out the TV Guide and then I would wrap my fingers around the glossy Toys R Us catalog like it were the one of the holy scriptures.

Besides being really into toys in general, I was a Barbie fanatic too. Taking me to Toy R Us would mean having to drag me out by my fingernails from the Barbie section. At that time in my life, playing with dolls was like living another life. I had a huge (pink) house, a camper, a Ferrari and an insanely lavish wardrobe. I think it’s hard for any girl to not feel sort of drawn into the Barbie madness when they’re little.

I suppose this sort of thinking plays into why the Iranian government has deemed western toy products like Barbie as ‘destructive’.

Costly, maybe; a little inaccurate as to how a majority of women look today– but destructive? We are talking about Barbie – right?

I’ll be the first say that the perception of Barbie isn’t all that great. She’s been criticized for having a body that is impossible for any woman to have, which gives young girls unrealistic views of their own body. OK, yes, this makes sense for why Barbie may not be welcomed to any beach house parties in Iran anytime soon.

The Iranian government pointed out several other popular western products that are being imported illegal into the country are seen as “threat to the identity of the new generation”.

My theory is that the reason Barbie got singled out is not because of her ‘destructive force’ (unless she can turn into the monster from Cloverfield) but because of her break up with her boyfriend Ken, of 43 years, in 2004. I bet the girl has been doing a lot of traveling since her breakup. Trying to figure out what she wants. She’s been going to different countries. Checking out the other fish in the sea.

Any government would get a little nervous with a twelve-inch tall, plastic, blonde bombshell driving around town in her flaming pink Mini-Cooper.
—Eming Piansay