Barbies and Kens have long been mocked for their smooth downstairs bits, which don’t really bear much resemblance to the dangly, varied parts found on actual human beings.
And if you are one of those people who have long wanted to see more realistic genitals on dolls, today is your lucky day.
Parents rushing to buy their kids the much-coveted LOL Surprise dolls for Christmas morning have certainly had a Surprise with a capital S after taking a peek down their pants.
Rather than a sexless bump of plastic, the male LOL Surprise dolls are sporting a startlingly intricate set of private parts. Lol Surprise, indeed.
As can be seen in many outraged Facebook posts, these toys have both a penis and testicles, as well as a urethral opening. And some mums feel this is way too ‘detailed AF’ for their impressionable youngsters.
One shocked mum raged:
Why the f*ck do the male LOL Surprise dolls have male genitals!?!? And detailed AF too!?!?
Another declared:
Considering the majority of your consumers are little girls, I suggest this change IMMEDIATELY. Such a HUGE fail; please keep the genital area FLAT.
Responding to the backlash on social media, toy manufacturer MGA Entertainment defended its design, stating ‘boys will be excited to have a doll that looks like them’:
With the introduction of the ultra-rare Punk Bois the brand will now be universally gender-inclusive for both girls and boys.
For many years the toy industry has been moving towards dolls that are more ‘real’ and anatomically correct.
We believe this trend is here to stay and we will continue to lead the charge in toys becoming more gender-inclusive.
We think boys will be excited to have a doll that looks like them. Also, many of our girl fans have brothers of their own and will be excited their LOL Surprise dolls have a ‘real’ brother, just like they do.
Absolutely fair play to it, I guess. And this isn’t the only topic where MGA Entertainment is working towards becoming a forward-thinking brand.
Addressing the issue of plastic pollution – with toy manufacturers being big culprits here – MGA Entertainment is working towards creating a new biodegradable plastic for 2020, as reported by CNN Business. The company is also planning to swap plastic for paper for the inner packaging of all their toys.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.