Opinion: Barbie returns to her roots

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As though girls haven’t drawn tattoo-like designs on their Barbies for years--in fact, one is famously decorated toward the end of Toy Story 2--parents are upset about a new version of the wasp-waisted doll that comes with tattoo stickers that can be attached to her plastic skin, and a tattoo gun that kids can use to put a temporary design on themselves as well.

‘Barbie’s going trampy!’ is the cry from parents who think it’s straight from here to an illicit visit to a parlor for a Hell’s Angels design or worse. Actually, for a couple of decades now, temporary tattoos from colored stickers have been a popular party favor for even very nice children. Time to remember that parents are not actually forced to buy their children toys they think are inappropriate.

Besides, maybe Barbie’s just going traditionalist--for her. She was modeled on a German doll for adults, and the earliest model featured hooded, come-hither eyes a la Marlene Dietrich along with her zebra-striped strapless swimsuit. It seems a little late to worry about her innocence.