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Barbie Fail


epic fail photos - Barbie Fail

Picture by: Frankie Calkins Submitted by: allienicolebarr via Fail Uploader

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» 303 Failures in Communication

  1. Andrew says:

    I want one so bad!!!

  2. Andrew says:

    And yes, I am a guy.

  3. Phil says:

    I don’t get it. Her name is Clearance?

  4. zillie says:

    Once you go black, you never….pay full price for Barbie dollls?

  5. Silverhand says:

    Phil,

    There was a controversy a whiles back about a Wal-mart putting the dark-skinned Barbie on clearance while keeping the light-skinned ones at normal cost. Lots of people thought it was racist, though there was never anything to indicate intent. Personally, I’m not bothered by it–it probably encouraged many families to buy the cheaper doll, resulting in a net positive result for interracial relationships…

    • Octavio says:

      oh I didn’t understand till i saw your comment, thank you!

    • hmm says:

      “A whiles back?”

      Well then this failblog item FAILs before being so late.

    • Someone says:

      If anything, it’s racist towards white people. After all, I assume girls want a Barbie having the same skin color than them. Black people get a good deal, and white people get ripped off.

        • loler27 says:

          It’s racist toward blacks more, because it is saying that they are worth less. And I never said that they were, to all you trolls out there.

          • Outback Jon says:

            Well, that doesn’t make sense. It used to be, in this country, you could buy a black person. But you couldn’t buy a white person. Obviously, therefore, black people were worth more.

            • EvilDave says:

              Um, no. Please go check American history again. There have in fact been white slaves in the United States of America and there were Black slave owners.

          • Someone says:

            No no no, completely wrong. What you’re basically saying is “don’t give black people anything: that’s racist. They can buy stuff themselves”.

            Just imagine if a story had sales, but those sales are only for white people. Who would be offended? White people because it shows “black people can afford the normal price unlike white people”? No, if anything, black people would be offended because they’re left out.

          • Free my willy says:

            Supply and demand… if the “market” – that would be a metaphor for the US, @Pun-isher – is saturated with white people, that makes them worth less, not more. Usually when there’s more of one thing than another, the thing there’s more of is worth less because it’s common and easily available.

            Maybe that’s why the white barbies are all dressed like tramps?

            • EvilDave says:

              You fail to understand supply and demand.

              If there are more white people, and children prefer to play with dolls that look like themselves, then there will be a greater demand for white dolls than black dolls, resulting in a higher price for white dolls.

              Obviously, this store, or maybe WalMart as a whole, overestimated the demand for this black Barbie doll, or black Barbies in general, and so they have an excess supply of them. So, the black Barbie dolls are put on sale or clearance and the demand for the black Barbie dolls is increased as it is seen as a better value.

              Please go read a few basic economics books. Economics For Dummies seems to be a good place for you to start.

              • Daphne says:

                It actually looks like a excess supply of white dolls. Two of the racks are full of the same doll.

              • B says:

                The assumption that children prefer to play with dolls that look like themselves is not strictly correct. I’m sure some kids do, but many black children also prefer white dolls, due to having been bombarded with messages from media, society, etc., that white is better. This was probably first discovered a long time ago in a study now simply known as “The Clark Doll Study,” and has recently been repeated in a more mainstream way by Anderson Cooper for a special CNN called “Black or White: Kids on Race”

                Look it up if you don’t believe me.

          • Shane says:

            If thereis more, wouldn’t that make them less rare, therefore LESS valuable? Think about it…

    • me says:

      Too bad that clearance sticker is from Target.

    • digit says:

      Indeed. Clearances are sometimes marketing but generally are based on sales logarithms and aren’t always checked for political correctness. It’s no doubt the black barbie at that said walmart is purchased less then the white ones so the company motivates the consumer to purchase more by reducing the price.

      And yes, the net effect is probably positive (as a white parent of 3 children, 2 of which are girls) i have made my own personal effort to purchase dolls across different ethnicities. This may inspire others to do the same. It’s a kids win though the reason for it happening is indeed a fail.

    • Viola says:

      Thank you for explaining this so well! I think everyone should learn from you Silverhand! : )

    • D.M. says:

      Well, Barbie isn’t black. Can you blame people for not wanting to buy it?

      • Lizard King says:

        Why? It’s true! If he had said ‘Ferrari’s aren’t blue’ it would be right! Of course there are blue Ferraris, but almost every single model is red, so I get his point.

        Now feed me, if there is anything left from D.M.

    • Raine says:

      I hate to put it this way, but judging by the labels, I can guess the store, and I don’t think it’s walmart. From what I know of said store… If a certain size/color/style of an item isn’t selling as well as the others, they do put them on clearance. It’s fairly common at the one near me to see minority dolls and extra large or extra small sizes of ladies clothes on clearance because they just don’t sell at the rate they are stocked… but they still stock a bunch of them, because they want to have them in stock if someone is looking for them. That said, I know they are not trying to make any sort of statement about larger ladies, smaller ladies, or people who buy minority dolls. They are just trying to have at least a couple of each size/color/style of an item available.

      So basically, in an attempt to NOT be racist, the store stocks more minority dolls (or extra small clothes) than they know they can sell, to make sure that they do have enough of the minority dolls. Then, if those dolls (or clothes, or anything else) do not sell, they get marked down, sometimes independently of the other colors/sizes.

      I got my favorite belt on clearance because I needed a really small one. XD

    • AYE says:

      Just what we needed, freakin’ affirmative action for Barbies…

    • IgnisDeus says:

      Um….That’s not a pic from a Walmart.

  6. Elana says:

    The Fail is on the part of the consumers which preferentially bought the white dolls and left the retail store with overstock of dark-skinned dolls. Not really a fail

    • Jules ♂ ♪ says:

      Supply and demand.

    • Joe says:

      Actually, since African Americans only make up about 14% of the US Population and the store has chosen to devote 25% of their “Barbie Basics” shelf space to the African American Barbie, this looks like an inventory management fail or product selection fail for the retailer. This assumes, of course, that children want to buy Barbies that are the same skin color as they are, which may not be accurate. :)

      • Heidi says:

        You’re right. They should have cut off 11% of the black Barbie and added 2.75% to the white ones.

      • S14 says:

        Bravo, Joe!!! Glad to see we have at least one intelligent person on this site.

      • EvilDave says:

        Actually, while you do not have the source, what you said is accurate. Children want to play with dolls that look like themselves and their families. It isn’t racism, just self-identification. It happens across all races. It is also why girls will have 10+ Barbie dolls, and only 1 or 2 Ken dolls. Ken is just an accessory like the Corvette or the House.

        • B says:

          Wrong. I actually replied to your earlier comment, saying that it isn’t at all as simple as “children want to play with dolls that look like themselves and their families.” Children of ALL races are unfortunately absorbing subconscious messages that white is better, more beautiful, nicer, etc. I gave a couple of things to look for above, but would also like to suggest the short film “A Girl Like Me” (also widely available for free on the Internet).

          That is why, if you ask me, it’s so important to avoid situations like the one pictured in this Fail, even if it means going against the rules of supply and demand.

          • Kati says:

            Actually YOUR wrong these days being colored is thought as being more beautiful and nicer alot of white people get tans to be darker many famous people these days are black and spanish so really being white is that big a deal
            and yes im white

        • rexifelis says:

          haha, Ken, an “accessory” … hahahahaha…. i should stop laughing now… im at work and people are looking at me strangely… hahahahaha

  7. blueollie says:

    This is more of a society fail…either in preferences, on who is poorer, etc.

    • S14 says:

      Society? Not really. Perhaps culture fail. Blacks can do anything they want if they put their mind to it… even be president!

  8. Little Girl Blue >ZAP!< Dot Org says:

    *sign.sign pass*

  9. Wrap star says:

    Using logic the top left doll is clearly the one standing out having a long skirt. Fashion is towards short skirts and I’m all for that.

  10. NogStomper says:

    This is a WIN!!!

  11. dijital101 says:

    If you’ve ever worked in a toy department you would know that this isn’t a fail, this is in fact the norm. White dolls sell exponentially more that black or hispanic dolls. It’s not just because white parents buy more dolls, black and hispanic families more often than not will buy the white doll over their own cultural reciprocal.

    • clarabell says:

      And this is something I find rather unfortunate, as it shows how effed up our standards of beauty are. In one study, black girls tended to find white dolls prettier than black dolls. When asked which looked bad, they’d usually pick the black doll. When prompted to point out which one looked like them, they’d often first go for the white doll, and then end up picking the black one.

      It’s not the fault of stores as much as a symptom of a larger problem.

      • Oh says:

        Well that model (forgot her name) wore blackface make-up for Vogue and black people got all offended that a black woman was featured as a model in a magazine. They were all complaining it made black women look like objects etc.
        So no wonder white women are believed by many to be the standard of beauty if black people won’t let magazines feature black models. Can’t have your watermelon and eat it.

  12. zillie says:

    …& her outfit is winter time-ish, when it’s clearly the time of year for Barbies to be sportin’ their summer gear.

  13. Meh says:

    This is a win. IMO, it’s my fave out the four and you get a cool doll on the cheap. Would you complain if your fave car was on sale? Nooooo. Same logic applies here.

  14. Crystal says:

    Since when are Barbie’s $20!?!?!

  15. Kinseth says:

    You misunderstand: She’s on sale because her outfit isn’t slutty enough.

  16. Shipoopi says:

    so, nobody wants to buy the one with the conservative business woman outfit?

  17. KwanzaaFonz says:

    Price ain’t nothin’ but a number. It would have been shoplifted anyway.

  18. Scarethem says:

    Hahaha ‘crazy Russians’ = win.

  19. John says:

    RACISM KILLED THE CAT

  20. Dylan says:

    O Andrew. You crazy Russians.

  21. frangi says:

    jah, andrew is a gay…

    • Andrew says:

      I am 11. So learn to talk with an 11-year-old, you piece of s**t.

      • ~M~ says:

        If you are seriously 11, I feel kind of bad for your parents. Shouldn’t you be doing your homework instead of swearing at total strangers on the internet? Just a thought…

      • wanny says:

        creativity is required

      • MelONyx says:

        You spoke like that to a complete stranger? No, don’t you start with me…I honestly don’t care if he did insult you. If you have to answer every insult or perceived insult in the world you’ll spend your life doing it. Add to that that you have a brain, and there are thousands of far more intelligent comebacks, and I am very upset with your handling of this situation.

        Go to your room, mister! You are grounded for at least a week. If I catch you on the computer, phone, or t.v., you have had it. Clear?

  22. Zod says:

    Suspicion of racism fail.

    If the store was racially motivated, why would they even sell it? And at a discount?

  23. Jack says:

    i think the fail is the price of the other three barbie dolls…

  24. 17R3W says:

    I assume this Barbie is discounted for a legitimate reason. Maybe it wasn’t selling well, maybe they are over stalked.

  25. Wtf!? says:

    Is it just me, or do I not see a fail here?

    • Esprix says:

      It’s just you.

    • S14 says:

      I don’t see the fail, either. I cannot recall the last time I saw a black child playing with a black doll. It is part of their culture I guess? But the toy companies are forced to make them anyway for fear of lawsuits (by the very people who wouldn’t buy them anyway). Now THAT is fail!!!

      • B says:

        Yeah, I’m sure Mattel’s profit margins are really hurting…

        PS- If anyone is “forcing” them to make these dolls, I am sure those people WOULD buy them. Black people aren’t some homogenous mob who all act the same, dummy.

  26. chloe says:

    Andrew the russian actually made this funnier than teh actuall fail XD

    thanks Andrew

    • derp says:

      i totally agree XD

      (im russian myself)

    • Andrew says:

      And the best bit is that I am actually 11-years-old of age! LOL!!!

      • loler27 says:

        AND YOU HAVE A FREAKIN’ GUN!?!?!? SOMEONE SEND THE COPS!!!

        And I’m actually 13, by the way. Not much older than you. And I bet my 10 year old brother is crazier than you, with your shooting people out of AK-47′s. That is pretty insane. And by the way, what is your victim count? Just wondering.

        • chibiwiccan says:

          Andrew, i laughed so hard at your comments and i give you tremendous kudos for that. but it isnt a very good idea to post your age online. *looks around shiftily* you never know who’s reading.

  27. NenaKai says:

    Unless I am mistaken that is a Target store clearance sticker. Maybe has something to do with that AK-47 that guy was talking about.

    Dunno, but I am still amused. Clearly an overstock, and nothing to do with season, as it is a basic look they are going for, may be in a predominantly “white” neighborhood, and race is a factor, but no ill intent on the part of the store. Simple logistics.

  28. rachelcakes says:

    ya know what andrew, i really think that failblog should post this on failblog. wait, isnt this failblog???!! ;) lol

  29. Sparkles the whale says:

    Clearance Barbie looks like a black Gwyneth Paltrow. I’d hit it… With a repulsor beam

  30. jayell says:

    I think this is a troll. For one, “clearance” items at Target are usually on an endcap, not mixed in with regular-price merchandise.

    Second, that is not a regular Target clearance sticker (which are orange and have no white band). That’s the “open/returned” item sticker, indicating that not all the Black Barbies were on clearance, but this particular one was returned to the store for some reason and could not be sold at full price. Someone could easily have taken a “clearance” tag off a nearby shelf and put it over the price on the rack to make it look like Target is being racist here.

    Know your facts, people. Take it from an experienced Target clearance shopper, this is a setup if I’ve ever seen one.

    • NenaKai28 says:

      *high five* to a fellow clearance shopper…

      lol

    • Dan says:

      Except for the part where you’re wrong, because ‘Clearance’ can be read on the tag, and as a current Target employee I can guarantee you that is the style tag we currently use for clearance, as is, and online only items. And clearance items are generally only moved to endcaps if there is too much backroom stock to fit in the home, or if the plano the item was on has already been reset. It’s quite common for clearance items to remain in the original home for at least a week or two.

      Your point about the ticket switching is correct, though. It’s entirely possible that someone removed a clearance tag from another item…however, it’s unlikely in this case, given that they’d also have had to switch the clearance peg label.

      Given that the set looks like my store’s current set, I’d guess it was a temporary clearance to sell through overstock after a reset, or possibly after a remodel move, if it’s one of the locations being refit for produce. It’s also possible that the one on clearance was discontinued to make room for a newer design.

      On a humorous note, I’ve come to the conclusion that my company is racist, given the segregation of the colored dolls from the white dolls. Separate but equally priced is not equal!

      • NenaKai28 says:

        Oh yeah, and the way they separate the “black” hair care items from the “white” hair care items. How dare they!

      • jayell says:

        I’ve seen items in my local store with this style of tag, also clearly marked “clearance,” that are clearly open/returned and the only item of their kind that has been marked down.

        Is the red and white tag a recent change? My local store (as of last week) is also still using the orange tags, though the store I was at in another state had the red and white ones last month, and I thought it was weird.

        • Dan says:

          I’ve seen the old orange tags, but it’s been at least a year since the switch was made to the red tags. Using one sticker for multiple purposes instead of having a special sticker requiring a different printer for the clearance tags was determined to be the smarter way to go. The red and whites are easier to read and can be printed with a barcode. I’d imagine many stores still have leftover tags that had yet to be used, and are working through those to avoid wasting money by throwing them out.

          And yes, if an item is returned in good condition, even if opened, it will often be reshelved, and if it is on clearance it will be marked with a clearance tag, and if it’s the last of that particular dpci it’s going to generally be found on a clearance endcap.

      • EvilDave says:

        And, exactly how old is this picture?

    • La says:

      Jayell-
      Drat, Dan beat me to it, but you’re totally wrong about clearance items only on endcaps and the stickers being orange. I hunt out clearance items all the time at Target and the endcaps are the best place to find them, but mark-downs and clearance stuff has always been mixed in with regular items as well. And every clearance sticker I’ve seen is orange (or red perhaps) and white, not solid orange.
      Apparently, YOU need to know your facts before you call setup.

      Best fail comment on here: over stalked

    • np says:

      I am an experienced Target clearance shopper, too. Clearance items can be found ANYWHERE. Also, there are several different types of clearance stickers, all of which can usually be found in a single store. Also, I’d expect this type of toy colorism from Wal-Mart (hell), but not from Target (heaven-there’s a starbucks!). Also, the black doll is easily the hottest, sexiest one. Also, I have to go do something.

  31. sniknej says:

    Maybe whoever took the picture set it up to look that way.

  32. UKSponge360 says:

    it took me a while to get this fail… this means i fail :-(

    • Zod says:

      No, it means you don’t see racism where it’s not.

      • NenaKai28 says:

        I *heart* double negatives. I also *heart* when ignorant people don’t get them. It amuses me. Just saying to be saying.

      • B says:

        Or perhaps it doesn’t mean either, and simply means UKSponge360 isn’t aware of the original controversy over this at Walmart, which, a brief Google search shows me happened back in March.

        You know, the best thing I ever heard about that was on Sociological Images. Failblog usually doesn’t allow link posting, so just Google it if you want to find it, but here’s the paragraphs that hit the nail on the head:

        “Walmart claimed that the doll was priced less because they were trying to move inventory (ABC News). It’s possible that the doll wasn’t selling (low demand) or they had ordered more than they could sell (high supply) and so the doll went on sale. In fact, we know that people of all colors tend to absorb a color hierarchy in which whiteness is nicer, more beautiful, and more valuable (test your unconscious preferences here), so maybe the white doll WAS outselling the non-white doll because both white and non-white people were buying it, but not the darker-skinned doll. Walmart, in this case, would only be following the market so as to maximize profits.

        Walmart, however, could have chosen, in this case, to opt out of profit maximization. The market isn’t physics; a company doesn’t have to follow its laws. Walmart could have said, “You know, putting the dark-skinned doll on sale symbolically values whiteness higher than blackness. Perpetuating that stereotype isn’t worth the money.” That is, they could have decided that anti-racism trumped profits.

        But they didn’t.”

  33. Aingeal says:

    I think Barbies just jealous cuz she doesn’t look like a ho….

  34. pois says:

    ia tendo sono

  35. Charles says:

    This was my experience with my little girls (who are now adults) too: they wanted their barbies to be sluts.

  36. lilly1185 says:

    Has no one else noticed black Barbie’s boobs are hanging out?

    More so than the other dolls?
    That aside- I see no fail. Looks to me like someone returned it, and they’re attempting to make a profit on it.

  37. Spike Page says:

    You’d be amazed at how often this happens in a toy department..and not just with Barbie, but with dolls in general.

    What always bothered me is that Mattel felt the need to name the non-white Barbie and Ken dolls Barbie and Ken also…as to imply that the non-white people are in their own separate but equal world instead of it being possible that Ken and Barbie have non-white friends.

    • Aris says:

      They used to have different names for all of their different dolls. Skipper and Midge and such. But they found that most people didn’t want Skipper, they wanted Barbie. So the different naming system fell out of use so that everyone, no matter their race, could have the title doll.

  38. tim says:

    Just like in real life..no one ones a black chick.

    • NenaKai28 says:

      Now THAT’S racist.

      • --- says:

        sharp, I almost mist it

      • S14 says:

        Is it really? How many black guys do you see with blond girls, as opposed to their own? You have to admit that the statistics are notable!

        • EvilDave says:

          I see that a lot, actually. And, not just blondes but women who are brunettes, redheads, etc. And not just white women, but also hispanic and asian women.

          In fact, there was a recent book encouraging black women to date men of other races because of the lack of available quality black men.

          See, there is this double standard in the black community. It is OK for black man, especially a successful black man, to date women of other races, especially white women. It is considered a status symbol.

          But, black women are looked down upon if they date any men other than black men, especially white men. It is considered being a race traitor.

  39. Dude says:

    GET IT NOW FOR ONLY $19.99

  40. kikora says:

    The black Barbie probably just wasn’t selling as well and they had too much stock of it. But really I like that one the best XD She looks like a businesswoman in a suit, ready to conquer the world… The other three look like cheap sluts.

    For the record, I’ve seen a lot more blacks racist towards white toys than the other way around, when I decorated cakes. Whites would take the black toy most of the time without batting an eyelash… But I can’t tell you how many times people asked for a “Black Tinkerbell” or if another Disney character came in black. :S For goodness sake, there is no black Snow White…

    • CatsnDogs says:

      People ask you to make black versions of characters?

      • kikora says:

        They asked me to put black versions of characters on the cake. It’s a figurine, so it’s not like I could have just used a different shade of icing. ^^;;

        But yes, it happened constantly. :S

  41. KayboSasuke says:

    Hey, if something doesn’t sell, it goes on clearance. This is more of a reflection of the consumer population rather than the store selling these.

  42. Bill says:

    Obviously an overstocked product priced to move. You can scare companies into buying equal amounts of black and white barbies with the Podium and AL Sharpton. However, you will never be able to scare the public into being politically correct in their purchasing habits. In America, we do most of our voting with the almighty greenback. Go ahead and be politically correct yourself, just don’t shove it down everyone else’s throats. Andrew, you’re posts have definitely made this thread funny.

  43. thrashcan says:

    That particular Barbie had generated some stupid parental controversy for her low cut top. She’s on clearance because of her cleavage.

  44. Ema1987 says:

    It is on clearance because it doesn’t sell because the dress is very low cut. Who is going to buy an ultra slutty Barbie for their kids.

    • Sara says:

      Sigh. I look forward to the day when low cut and slutty aren’t interchangeable. Put her in all spandex and 9″ heels, then sure, but boobs are not a crime! jeeeeez

  45. Rachel211 says:

    This particular Barbie is on clearance because this a a collectors line that they found inappropriate for kids because not only does he have a large chest – but they made her appear to have the oversize fake cleavage on purpose as part of the fashion statement of the outfit. The whole line is actually made for Barbie collectors (why they are $20 instead of the $6 for the normal barbies) Obviously people were not thrilled with the design and they decided to phase it out. If this person were smart – they would have bought up all of these since they will be worth $$$$ a few years from now.

  46. Adam says:

    OMG?!>! barbies cost $20! Holy s**t. I’m going to be poor when my daughter gets little older.

  47. Whatcamallit says:

    Don’t understand… Where’s the fail?

    • alfora says:

      The fail is that many american people are still very biased about anything remotely related to “black” and that they also don’t understand anything about “supply and demand”.

      • B says:

        Your fail is that many people are so dedicated to ignoring racial inequalities in America, they’ll defend anything, ANYTHING that someone call “racist.”

        As I said in a comment above, the rules of supply and demand may have suggested that the doll be marked down, but don’t MANDATE it. And given the fact that EVERYONE in America does absorb a subconscious preference for white, and a subconscious equating of black with bad or “less than,” it would have been prudent for the store to ignore the rules of supply and demand in this case.

        PS- For research exposing this preference, Google “video black children doll preference” and look at the first couple of CNN article. See also the short film “A Girl Like Me.” You’ll find it easily many places on the Internet.

        • alfora says:

          That’s what I said: many american people are still very biased about anything remotely related to “black”

          Which is more or less equal to what you said: EVERYONE in America does absorb a subconscious preference for white, and a subconscious equating of black with bad

  48. Matrika says:

    There is no fail.. There s just one barbie on sale… Like there always will be… Some people have to uch imagination… seeying fails everywhere.

    • agie says:

      LoL perfect proof of what B. and alfora said above. Racism is so pertinent in American society, people, can’t imagine beginning to unclog their minds from it.

  49. nic says:

    I am pleased to see this on FAIL. I have seen these barbies and was less than impressed. And actually my LEAST favorite is the black barbie because while the picture does not show it well, the cleavage is practically down to the belly button and shows WAY too much boob. NOT something I want to purchase for my 8-year old daughter!!!
    And lay off of andrew, guys. He’s just a kid. :)

    • alfora says:

      Sorry to interrupt but you know that you can UNDRESS Barbie dolls to show EVEN MORE BOOB. *gasp*

      BTW, I can assure you that a “cleavage near the belly button” is not the only anatomical madness of Barbie dolls.

    • La says:

      If Andrew is really an 11 year old kid, he should stop beating this subject to death and cursing at his elders.
      All Barbies have the same body structure and do not have different size boobs. I babysit 2 young girls and there are always naked Barbies laying around, they’re identical except for their skin color. BTW the 2 white girls choose black and white Barbies on their own. Granted, they have more white ones, but that’s pretty much equal to their local population.
      Everyone has their panties in a bunch about non-existent racism at Target. Chill…

  50. Artist says:

    Did anyone notice that the black barbie has only one leg?

  51. hadronization says:

    Product fail: weave sold separately.

  52. Mr Obvious says:

    Yeah! Who wants a black intelligent businesswoman, when you can have white trash in short skirts!?

    • Shipoopi says:

      not me, but i’m not shopping around either

    • JimmyZ says:

      Agreed, the black one looks far more intelligent, confident, and comfortable with herself than the other three. Too bad America sees feminine curves and screams “whore!” reflexively.

  53. Pesky says:

    Way back upstream, somebody known as “Digit” noted in a long, learned exposition that clearances are based on “sales logarithms”. AND NON OF YOU GENIUSES NOTICED!!!!!

    Try “sales algorithms”, which is a three dollar phrase meaning “they ain’t selling, so get rid of them”.

  54. oaokal says:

    despite her cleavage. oboi

  55. Oh says:

    This is racist. Why do white girls need to pay more to get a doll??

  56. Riddle Box says:

    If Barbie is so popular, then why do you have to buy her friends?

  57. Frankie says:

    I am so ridiculously sick of reading about the media and society shoving this message that white people are better down our throats. I don’t believe this and have not seen it. What people do is make observations based on the majority and for simplicity’s sake attribute these observations to the whole. It may be bigoted or stereotypical, but it’s the truth. If you look at statistics, just facts, there is a race in America that commits more crimes than the other. Cities that are made up predominately of this race are more poverty-stricken, and face bigger problems with drugs, murder, rape, and other crimes. I don’t understand how facts can be racist, it just is what it is, you can decide what you want to do with it. The Anderson Cooper special was ridiculous, I turned it off as soon as the black man started talking about cop shows making black men look bad because more often than not they were the ones being taken away in the cars. Of course, the show is out to get the black man, and it has nothing to do with the severity of the crime committed or the behavior of the individual.

    • agie says:

      You’re a MORON. Black people do not commit more crime than white people, they just get arrested for it more. So get your facts straight.

  58. LabelMe says:

    This thread is…ridiculous. All the in depth analysis of this ONE black barbie doll (a collectors item, I might add, not intended for children) being sold as clearance means nothing to your average little girl. Those mentioning the Doll Study, very interesting, but you make it sound like the media intentionally glorifies white people over black ALL THE TIME and it warps their minds. I agree that exposure to media can change a girls preference of dolls, if a girl idolizes more white females they see in media and around them stands to reason they will see that as an ideal aesthetic for a doll they wish to play with. But that’s just dolls guys, girls don’t associate dolls with reality as much as you seem to assume they do. I would like to see the results of a study of kids asked to show what kind of REAL woman they think is prettiest and take more in to account than just the skin color they pick.
    Media doesn’t change how a person thinks of themselves in terms of race and sex as much as how people in real life treat them. No where near as much.

  59. PresentTense says:

    Not a fail. A legitimate overstock situation. It just means they have a couple boxes of them in back that don’t fit on the hook. Get over it.

  60. Kr!ss says:

    I asked my little sister (who’s five) what Barbies she wanted from the picture. She said “I want that one and that one.” while pointing to the two bottom ones. So I asked her “What about this one?” pointing to the black one and she said “No – wait! Is that Beyoncé? Yeah, I want Beyoncé.” She only wanted her because she thought it was Beyoncé, LOL! :)

  61. Louie says:

    dass rassis!@!!

  62. N. Ranger says:

    Back in the day blacks were only worth 3/5′s of a person….

  63. Your alcoholic phather says:

    Racist!!!

  64. sgmage says:

    Where exactly is the fail here? These are all legit Barbie doll products. Fail Blog fails again.

  65. C says:

    I actually had a sociology lecture on this photo.

  66. Pepijn says:

    Is the fail supposed to be that she only has one leg? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure her other leg is behind the first one.

    Fail fail?

  67. dave says:

    300TH! YYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!

  68. heheh says:

    everybody hate mondays!

  69. channahc says:

    Okay then.. I’m confused.. Does everyone else not notice that she only has one leg?

  70. Helpful info. Lucky me I discovered your site accidentally, and I’m shocked why this coincidence did not took place earlier! I bookmarked it.


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