Iran Blasts "Barbie"

Tehran Renews Campaign Against Popular U.S. Doll, Other Western Toys

(AP)  A top Iranian judiciary official is warning against the "destructive" cultural and social consequences of importing Barbie dolls and other Western toys.

In the latest salvo in a more than decade-old government campaign against Barbie, Prosecutor General Ghorban Ali Dori Najafabadi said in an official letter to Vice President Parviz Davoudi that the doll and other Western toys are a "danger" that need to be stopped.

"The irregular importation of such toys, which unfortunately arrive through unofficial sources and smuggling, is destructive culturally and a social danger," said the letter, a copy of which was made available to The Associated Press.

Iranian markets have been inundated with smuggled Western toys in recent years partly due to a dramatic rise in purchasing power as a result of increased oil revenues.

While importing the toys is not necessarily illegal, it is discouraged by a government that seeks to protect Iranians from what it calls the negative effects of Western culture.

Najafabadi said the increasing visibility of Western dolls has alarmed authorities and they are considering intervening.

"The displays of personalities such as Barbie, Batman, Spiderman and Harry Potter ... as well as the irregular importation of unsanctioned computer games and movies are all warning bells to the officials in the cultural arena," his letter said.

Najafabadi said Iran is the world's third biggest importer of toys and warned that smuggled imports pose a threat to the "identity" of the new generation.

"Undoubtedly, the personality and identity of the new generation and our children, as a result of unrestricted importation of toys, has been put at risk and caused irreparable damages," he said.

Mattel Inc., the maker of Barbie, had no immediate comment on the Iranian letter.

Barbie is sold wearing swimsuits and miniskirts in a society where women must wear head scarves in public and men and women are not allowed to swim together.

In 1996, the head of a government-backed children's agency called Barbie a "Trojan horse" sneaking in Western influences such as makeup and revealing clothes.

Authorities launched a campaign of confiscating Barbies from toy shops in 2002, denouncing the un-Islamic sensibilities of the iconic American doll. But the campaign was eventually dropped.

Also in 2002, Iran introduced its own competing dolls - the twins Dara and Sara - who were designed to promote traditional values with their modest clothing and pro-family stories. But the dolls proved unable to stem the Barbie tide.

[algoresarse]

May be it is time to pull the troops out.. This over a doll..crazy..the want to live a sheltered life..PULL THE TROOPS OUT..

Posted by MichelleM99 at 03:25 AM : May 01, 2008
+ report abuse

***********

michelle..you are of course being your over-dramatic liberal self again..ITS NOT THE DOLL ..it is more about WHAT THE DOLL REPRESENT..meaning the liberal lisfestyle they dont like..

[tbweb]

Once again Iran is showing its discrimination against women, blasting Barbie but not a word about Barbie''s boyfriend Ken!

[speakinup]

guy_hero - you gonna invade America if you run out of food ?

[speakinup]

Dang - don''t you just hate it when we force other countries to take our toys!

Sounds to me like the Iranian people want the toys, otherwise, why would they be there ?

Nah, there ain''t no stinkin Imam''s forcing folks to live the way they want them to. It''s all a myth.

[speakinup]

guy_hero - don''t hold back, son - tell us how you really feel, ok.

[eroosevelt08]

How amazing that "Barbie" is at the top of their list of what to worry about. Sounds like a side-step away from the real humanitarian issues facing the Iranian people.

[michellem99-2009]

May be it is time to pull the troops out.. This over a doll..crazy..the want to live a sheltered life..PULL THE TROOPS OUT..

[downsteamjim]

Why wasn''t the godfather of modern day Iran [Jimmy Carter] asked for a comment?

[ianlou]

How come all the ****-advocating libs are also fans of Ahmagonnajihad? don''''t they know he would rather cut their heads off than debate same *** marriages?
Posted by noseonurface

****-advocating Ahmagonnajihad loving libs?
Never heard of that group, The HAALL?
do they have a web site?

[dmhphils]

It''s not Barbie that needs to watch out.....It''s Ken. There are no homosexuals in Iran.....remember the words of Ahmagonnajihad?

How come all the ****-advocating libs are also fans of Ahmagonnajihad? don''t they know he would rather cut their heads off than debate same *** marriages?

[ianlou]

It''s OK they don''t like Barbie Dolls.
As for me, I don''t like Diaper Heads.

[inventagod2]

OMG - THAT''S IT!!!!

Nuke ''em!

[mollydtt]

I''ve never wanted to own a Barbie, my daughter has never wanted one, none of her friends ever had one, so she definitely isn''t for everyone. But I had to laugh about the Iranian substitute--Dara and Sara with their modest clothing that somehow just wasn''t successful. What does that say about Iranian taste. Hmmmm....

[d33pthroat1]

The American culure is very seductive.

American culure''s emphasis on hedonism, ***, car-chases, bling and rock and roll is attractive to young people worldwide - no matter what their background.

So, the orthodox Iran elders are fighting a losing battle trying to prevent its influence. American elders were also against this kind of *** and rock and roll but they lost. Remember there was a time when some people calling Elvis'' *** dance moves as that of the devil. In time, the Iranian oldtimers will give up as well.

Is government-sanctioned stifling of such western influenes censorship and opression?

Absolutely.

But given the great seductiveness of western culture, it is an opression the young Iranians will find a means to liberate themselves from.

The West should not try to "expedite" this process through war. Then, it seems we are imposing our culture on them.

[questionnews]

I wonder how they feel about Barbara Eden as Jennie. In the show she was Arab, called her man "Master", always obedient and eager to please. Came from a powerful family. She was the perfect women by Arab standards.

[sgtrds]

Lots of Americans aren''''t so keen on Barbie either. She represents the human equivalent of a 16 inch waist and a 40 inch bustline, which no woman can measure up to.

Posted by timberagain at 02:23 PM : Apr 30, 2008

She never did anything for me either. To me she was like Ginger, when Mary Ann was way hotter!

[talkingham]

This story is a lot like the beginning of the press run-up to war with Iraq. At least two or three negative stories about Iran every day- this one is really a great piece- is this supposed to upset our tweens so they''ll be ready to fight Iran in a few years. Barbie is little more than a plastic harlot anyway, it just makes me so mad that Iran is opposed to Barbie, Batman and Spidey, gee this makes me just want to nuke these fanatics!

[timberagain]

Lots of Americans aren''t so keen on Barbie either. She represents the human equivalent of a 16 inch waist and a 40 inch bustline, which no woman can measure up to.

[ghwab1949]

Some stupid people have such stupid beliefs it is almost frightening. They could live in their ignorant little stone age except for the fact that they have now learned enough of Western technology to kill large numbers of us through hijacking airplanes or blowing themselves up and taking a group of us "infidels" with them. Hopefully, the world will come to see these morons as the morons they are and stop trying to "tolerate" people who are just plain murderous idiots.

[johnshaft4]

To desecrate Barbie is certainly grounds for war. We must defend our babes against the Iranian dogs.