With the United States placing sanction in Iran on everything from the countries central banking system to the export of oil from the country officials in Iran have decided to fight back by attacking a symbol of American commerce, Mattel’s Barbie Doll collection.

In 1996 officials in the country placed a ban on Barbie dolls and now with the country at odds with the United States the country’s morality police have been enforcing the ban because of the doll’s  ”destructive cultural and social consequences.”

According to Reuters Barbie dolls remained stocked on Tehran shops after the ban was enacted but over the last three weeks have been removed. According to one store owner the “morality police came to our shop, asking us to remove all the Barbies.”

In an attempt to continue selling the American dolls some shop owners have simply tucked them behind other toys rather then removing them as demand continues to rise with a ban being carefully monitored.

In 2002 the Iranian government approved two dolls named “Sara” and “Dara” but they have failed to catch on. According to one Iranian mother her daughter doesn’t like the government dollars because they are ” ugly and fat.”

In the meantime Iran’s government is attempting to sell more violent toys like a replica of the mini RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone (pictured above with Barbie), a U.S. spy plane that went down in Iran last month. The drone will come in at a cost of $4.

Barbie has been receiving a lot of press this week, you may recall that a Facebook page was setup to support Mattel’s creation of a bald Barbie for girls who may have lost their hair to cancer or other illnesses.

Do you think the Iranian band on Barbie Dolls is a bit silly given the real problems the country is currently facing?

Iran Bans “American Symbol” By Cracking Down On Barbie Doll Sales is a post from: The Inquisitr

Last year, Mattel created a one-of-a-kind bald Barbie doll for a four-year-old girl who lost her hair due to cancer. An online campaign has now started urging the toy maker to mass produce the doll for girls who suffer from hair loss.

The Facebook Group, “Beautiful and Bald Barbie! Let’s see if we can get it made,” has more than 13,000 likes. The group writes:

“We would like to see a Beautiful and Bald Barbie made to help young girls who suffer from hair loss due to cancer treatments, Alopecia or Trichotillomania . Also, for young girls who are having trouble coping with their mother’s hair loss from chemo. Many children have some difficulty accepting their mother, sister, aunt, grandparent or friend going from a long haired to a bald.”

The group says that in addition to the bald Barbie, Mattel could also offer accessories like head scarves and hats.

Tracey Kidd, whose four-year-old daughter Ruby is being treated for cancer, told the Digital Journal:

“There’s so much emphasis, especially on little girls, on their hair and how they (cancer kids) look. It’s important for them to feel good, especially in hospital.”

Mattel recently created a Katy Perry barbie doll and a Nicki Minaj barbie doll to benefit various charities. The toy company also created a tattoo barbie doll to appeal to a new generation of more progressive girls. Asking for a bald barbie doesn’t seem to be asking all that much.

Do you think Mattel will create a bald barbie? Should they?

Bald Barbie Coming Soon? Campaign Urges Mattel to Mass Produce Doll For Cancer Patients is a post from: The Inquisitr

The latest Barbie doll comes with tattoos across her left arm, neck and chest, something that has apparently prompted an outrage amongst parents. Because hey, Barbie was always such an amazing role model for young girls.

The new, limited edition Barbie is the work of Mattel and Italy-based brand Tokidoki and sells for $50. She sports a pink bob, leopard print leggings, a dog called ‘Bastardino’ and tattoos. Supposedly, this has invited the wrath of parents across the land.

Yet are the irate parents really out there, or are they a media fabrication?

Well, they do exist. But this Daily Mail piece resorts to hunting around obscure websites for “tweenage” girls, just to locate a negative opinion about Barbie’s new body art. None of the usual ‘experts’ are wheeled out to offer an opinion, and that’s probably because – like the rest of us – they don’t see this as A Big Deal.

This greater acceptance of an inked Barbie is probably down to the fact Mattel has already manufactured a tatted Barbie. In 1999, Butterfly Art Barbie was withdrawn from stores after parents complained. In 2009, the company released Totally Stylin’ Tattoos Barbie, a doll with removable sticker tattoos that some people found a tittersome use for. When people complained about the latter, Mattel stuck to its guns.

In the case of 2009 Barbie, the Mail at least trotted out a so-called expert who droned a bit about how childrens’ play habits were becoming sexualized. But in 2011, nobody with a brain still located on Earth seriously believes a doll with tattoos is an issue.

Barbie Tattoos Lead to Predictable Media Hysteria, World to End Soon is a post from: The Inquisitr

Know as the Tim McGraw and Faith Hill Doll Gift Set the dolls arrive in September for $69.99 at BarbieCollector.com.

EW spoke with designer Linda Kyaw who said the pair were very involved in the creation of the dolls:

“Tim and Faith sent us photos of every detail” while she added, “including Tim’s complete suit, piece-by-piece; and Faith’s dress, make-up, and clear shots of her hair preference. The couple knew exactly what they wanted to see in doll form, and they helped us achieve the best possible results.”

The prototype for the dolls took two months to create and they really do offer a close likeness to the pair unlike some characters I’ve seen lately, notably the Twilight characters featured on their own creepy looking Christmas ornament at Hallmark stores, although McGraw’s doll definitely matches a closer resemblance.

Are you ready to run out and pick up your own Mattel country creations? Given the success of both singers I wouldn’t be surprised if these particular barbie dolls are the company’s big special edition hits of the holiday buying season.

In the meantime, Ken may be a little bit jealous that the Faith Hill barbie is married to Tim McGraw barbie and not him and who could blame him at least her proportions are more real to life than Barbie’s physique.

For the record, I think Tim McGraw would prefer if his doll was referred to as an “action figure.”

Faith Hill Barbie Doll Arrives, Tim McGraw Doll Joins Her is a post from: The Inquisitr

It was only a matter of time before Barbie entered the 21st century and that time is now with Mattel finally debuting Computer Engineer Barbie.

The new Barbie offers a pink laptop with it’s very own proprietary Barbie operating system and she even carries her own iPhone, after all who doesn’t carry an iPhone these days.

With the new Barbie “I Can Be” iPhone app also available it appears this new model has arrived just in time for a tie-in.

Computer Engineer Barbie will cost you $12.99 at major retails around the U.S.

Computer Engineer Barbie Gets Connected, But Not Really is a post from: The Inquisitr

She’s been a “stewardess,” a “pet vet,” an Olympic athlete, astronaut, politician, UNICEF ambassador, surgeon, TV anchor and a hair salon proprietress.

Now Barbie’s got a tech credit on her resume with the announcement of her new career in computer engineering at the Toy Fair in New York City and illustrated in a statement by Mattel. In the 18 years since Barbie drew criticism for saying math was “hard,” the former flame of Ken has apparently had a geek change of heart, now sporting a binary shirt and a sparkly pink laptop as well as a Bluetooth headset.

Barbie’s new career direction was selected in part via voting on Facebook and Twitter, and Computer Engineer Barbie® will debut in Winter 2010. (Mattel is currently taking pre-orders if you think your kid will still be into Barbie in a year.) Other inspiring careers in the “I can be” series of Barbies before her new job in tech were “bride,” “babysitter,” “rock star” and “ballerina.” So is this a step up for Barbie or a step down for girls pursuing tech careers?

Full text of Barbie’s new job description, below:

The Vote Is In: Barbie® Unveils Her 125th and 126th Careers

For the first time ever, Barbie® asked the world to help her select her next career. Over the past few months Barbie® did research around the world and also conducted an online voting campaign, calling upon the world to vote for her doll’s next career – Barbie® has asked her Twitter followers and fans on Facebook to help her with this important career decision.

But that’s not all! Consumers loudly campaigned for another Barbie® career. The winner of the popular vote is Computer Engineer. Computer Engineer Barbie®, debuting in Winter 2010, inspires a new generation of girls to explore this important high-tech industry, which continues to grow and need future female leaders.

“All the girls who imagine their futures through Barbie will learn that engineers — like girls — are free to explore infinite possibilities, limited only by their imagination,” says Nora Lin, President, Society of Women Engineers. “As a computer engineer, Barbie will show girls that women can turn their ideas into realities that have a direct and positive impact on people’s everyday lives in this exciting and rewarding career.”

To create an authentic look, Barbie® designers worked closely with the Society of Women Engineers and the National Academy of Engineering to develop the wardrobe and accessories for Computer Engineer Barbie®. Wearing a binary code patterned tee and equipped with all the latest gadgets including a smart phone, Bluetooth headset, and laptop travel bag, Computer Engineer Barbie® is geek chic.

Always a trailblazer, Barbie® continues her impressive career path in 2010 and throughout the new decade as she takes on these two new aspirational careers. Both News Anchor Barbie® and Computer Engineer Barbie® are currently available for pre-order exclusively at www.MattelShop.com.

Barbie unveils “Geek Chic” Computer Engineer doll is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mattel has launched a new range of Barbies that allow little girls to add tattoos to their dolls.

The new Barbie dolls are part of Mattel’s “Totally Tattoos” range, and include tattoos of hearts, flowers, stars, rabbits, butterflies, and a Barbie silhouette. One tattoo though includes a heart and Ken’s name, and is perfectly sized as a tramp stamp on the lower back, as per the picture above.

The Daily Mail reports that not everyone is happy with the move, with one expert claiming that it further sexualizes children’s play. Mattel argues that “This type of open-ended, creative play is a healthy form of self expression that Barbie brings to girls.”

(Img: Daily Mail)

New from Mattel: Tramp Stamp Barbie is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Tattooed Barbie Debate

Barbie-maker Mattel has said the tattooed Barbie provides a way for kids to “be creative” with the doll. Some parents, naturally, see it differently, suggesting that a “Totally Pierced Barbie” or a “Divorce Barbie” could come next.

Barbie has been inked before: Back in 1999, Mattel released a Butterfly Art Barbie that came with a permanent tattoo on Barbie’s stomach.

Hey, at least it’s not pregnant Barbie (which was actually her friend Midge, not Barbie herself). The doll with the removable baby belly caused a far greater outcry from concerned parents and was eventually discontinued.

As for the tattooed Barbie, Mattel says it’s selling better than expected and there are no plans to pull it from the product lineup.

Tattooed Barbie Stirs Up Controversy is a post from: The Inquisitr

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt’s quest for domination continues: they somehow managed to convince Mattel that they’re good people to immortalize in doll form. Heidi’s makes more sense, since she’s already cut to the chase and embraced a little plastic herself, but family-hating Spencer must have worked some kind of magic:

“Spencer revealed that he and Heidi have talked to Mattel stating, ‘We just talked to Mattel yesterday, and we are already working on our own Ken and Barbie.’”

Why would a kid want to play with this? Do kids know what The Hills is? Surely there aren’t enough collectors out there. . . right?

Image: WireImage

Oldie-but-Goody: Heidi’s “Barbie” to Wear Heidiwood? is a post from: The Inquisitr