Crazy World: Barbie

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BARBIE DOLL

April 2012

Most little girls grow up playing with Barbie dolls. Some even want to look like them. Valeria Lukynaova has become one. The 21-year-old woman is an internet sensation around the world. She is the closest than anyone’s ever come to looking like a real live Barbie Doll.

In fact, her figure is much like that of a Barbie doll. Her tiny waist and large breasts, she bears such a resemblance to the famed plastic doll that it is hard to tell the difference. Her bright blue eyes and long blonde hair are almost identical to that Barbie. Even her home looks like Barbie's Dream House.

But is the real-life Barbie beautiful or creepy?

On the other side of the world, Iran is the only country that has banned Barbie.

Ban the Barbie:

Iran removes Barbie doll from shelves.

Iran led a crack down on Barbie to protect the public from harmful culture. Iranian government has banned sales of the barbie doll. Police have closed dozens of shops selling what clained was a, immoral western role model for girls. In early 2009, Iranian authorities declared that the Barbie doll tends to lead to destructive and cultural consequences. Attorney General Ayatollah Dori Najafabadi urged President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to stop imports of Barbie dolls into Iran. Barbie was immediately sanctioned by the Islamic Republic. Iran declared that God and Barbie do not get along. The doll posed a threat to the “personality and identity” of the youth. The unrestrained entry of this plastic "doll will bring destructive cultural and social consequences" in their wake. Iran's Cultural Deparment replaced the decadent western doll. Iranian Government brought fourth pious dolls, Sara and Dara, as the Islamic alternatives to western doll. Sara and Dara were brother and sister. Sara was in Hijab. Islamic dolls were in stark contrast to "naked Barbie and her boyfriend Ken".

Police in Iran were ordered to shut down toy shops selling the U.S. doll in latest crackdown on "corrupt western culture".

Barbie dolls wear swimsuits and miniskirts. Iranian dolls wear headscarfs and long dresses. Local dolls Sara and Dara were designed to promote traditional values with modest clothing and pro-family stories. Whereas Barbie was immoral and corrupting the family values. Iran called Barbie a "Trojan horse sneaking in Western influences like makeup and revealing clothes". Iranian law enforces wearing of headscarf in contract to France, Italy, Germany and many other western countries where females are forced to remove the head covering. Both fine or jail violators of the law.

No longer in stock and out of business: Iranian shopkeeper Hamid Reza Delband displays a doll at his toy shop, in Tehran, but now police have shut down his shop for selling the American doll.