14 Disturbing Facts About Barbies

You have probably had at least 1 Barbie in your life, or at least a knock off version. Barbie has been all the rage with little girls (and also boys) since she was first launched in 1959. That is a lot of years for a company to keep up a story line and maintain the brand of such an influential character. There were bound to be lapses in judgement, mistakes, and spin offs of the famous girl and her many friends and family members. But some… some are just too creepy to share with the kids.

14 What's in a name? (A bit of incest?)

Barbie is named after Barbara, the daughter of the woman who invented Barbie (Ruth Handler). While a touching tribute to the person who was the inspiration for the doll, which was completely different from any of those on the market, it does get a bit creepy when you find out that 'Ken'- Barbie's boyfriend- is named after Kenneth- Ruth's son, and Barbara's brother.

13 An inspiration… for plastic surgery addicts everywhere

Barbie's not always an inspiration for the right reasons. While Barbie has had numerous careers, including astronaut, teacher, and doctor, she's not always inspiring girls to pursue all of their dreams. She's inspiring them to pursue an insane body image, which several people have gone to extremes to achieve, through numerous plastic surgeries. Take Justin Jedlica, who has had more than 100 surgeries to look like Ken, and Sarah Burge who had her first surgery at 7, has admitted to being addicted to surgery, and has given her own underage daughter vouchers for surgery.

12 The time Barbie's friend Midge got pregnant

This wouldn't be that creepy if there was ever a true sense that these dolls aged on some source of chronological scale, but since they really don't, pregnant Midge- Barbie's best friend- was thought by some to be promoting, or at least condoning, teen pregnancy. The creepy part was also just the fact that you physically opened up her stomach to reveal a little baby, and then just popped her stomach back on. So realistic.

11 Skipper grew up… physically

There have been some attempts to give a sense of age to the dolls (besides pregnant Midge, or shaving fun Ken), but maybe some went in a bit of a weird direction… like when Skipper went through puberty, and not just by adjusting her age. Growing Up Skipper went through puberty very physically (and very quickly), growing breasts and shrinking her waist, which was achieved by rotating her arms. You can also reverse these changes, ensuring that Skipper is stuck in the awkward stage of puberty forever.

10 Slumber Party Barbie had the catchphrase 'Don't Eat!'

Given that Slumber Party Barbie came out in 1965, you can almost sort-of understand how this happened, (just picture the misogyny in Mad Men and you've got some idea), although that was also the year Barbie first became an astronaut and went to the moon, 4 years before the first actual moonwalk. Slumber Party Barbie came with a scale set to 110 pounds, a 'How to Lose Weight' diet book that just said 'Don't Eat!', and a mirror. Not only is this terribly unhealthy advice (which shows up in other early Barbies, with a babysitting Barbie also reading this title), it also sounds like the worst slumber party ever.

9 Barbie's always watching and listening

Video Barbie is always watching. She came with a real working camera disguised as her necklace, and video was projected onto her back. The issue here is that it could record up to 30 mins of video, and even the FBI became worried about what this children's toy could be used for. Hello Barbie, on the other hand, is always listening, happy to record your conversations, and send that data via wifi to Mattel.

8 Barbie has a very large family

When you stop and think about it, Barbie has a very large family. She has 6 siblings, ranging from infant Krissy to much older Skipper. Skipper, Tutti, Todd, Stacie, Kelly, and Krissy have slowly joined the family over the years, although apparently with little thought by Barbie's parents, George and Margaret, and some haven't been seen or heard from in years, and some of whom have alternate names. Barbie, and then next eldest Skipper, have been stuck with a lot of responsibility and babysitting over the years, with their parents nowhere in sight, not just of siblings, but of cousins and other younger children too. Note to Mattel, maybe try expanding Barbie's world in other ways, and let her catch a break.

7 Barbie's a bit of a cougar (sort of)

When Barbie was launched in 1959, she was billed as a 17 year old fashion model. Ken wasn't released for another two years, which technically makes him two years younger- hardly a teen at 15 years old. Or was he also 17, and Barbie was now 19, meaning Ken was underage, and Barbie was an adult? Or is Barbie perennially 17, and ageless? Whatever the case, it looks like Barbie has never been afraid to date a little younger.

6 Barbie's rebound boyfriend

Maybe this isn't creepy just so much as a bit weird to think about. Do you ever picture Ken and Barbie separated from one another? Well, you may have missed it, (or maybe you didn't, as it was literally news breaking), but they took a hiatus for a few years, getting back together in 2011 after 7 years' apart, on Valentine's Day (of course). In the meantime, Barbie had a rebound boyfriend- an Australian surfer named Blaine.

5 Multiple personalities?

While some might say Barbie is a highly accomplished and creative individual with over 180 careers, numerous incarnations as goddesses, mythological beings, and aliens, and innumerable outfit changes, others might start wondering if Barbie suffers from multiple personalities. Or if she's a secret twin (or triplet?). Or maybe she's managed to clone herself… Barbie has been a scientist, and there are wild theories online that Midge's baby was actually Barbie's clone. Or maybe it's Ken who's cloned Barbie, since she hardly has time for him in between all of those careers, as in 'Life in the Dreamhouse- Send in the Clones'

4 Barbie has her own fan… women and men

There are certain limited edition dolls meant to be collector's items, but some people really love their Barbies. Mattel estimates that there are over 100,000 serious collectors worldwide, and some of these people have taken their collections to the extreme. Bettina Dorfmann, from Germany, has more than 15,000 dolls, amassed since 1993, and holds the Guiness World Record for largest collection, which she first received in 2011. Stanley Colorite, from Florida, has more than 2000 Barbies, and 1000 Ken dolls, over 3000 outfits, and Barbie themes merchandise from mouth wash and band aids, to Barbie's Dreamhouse.

3 Teen Talk Barbie was possibly destined to be a Stepford Wife

Blonde, and good looking, if not a bit plastic, a Stepford Wife is the perfect, submissive woman for her husband. While not quite going that far, Teen Talk Barbie of course had Barbie's good looks, but it was what she said that was a bit controversial. Instead of talking of her many career aspirations, Teen Talk Barbie gossiped, asked about your crushes, and said 'I love shopping!' and 'Math Class is Tough!' Who needs to know about math when you're just going to be trophy wife, right? These Barbies were recalled pretty quickly. Barbie may love shopping, but she must also love math at least a little bit, since she's been a scientist, astronaut, teacher…

2 Forever 17

Barbie will turn 57 this year, although her skin is as flawless as the day she launched her fashion career and stepped out onto the scene in 1959. Despite her numerous careers, relationships, and the sometimes addition of new siblings, there really seems to be no established timeline for Barbie and her friends suggesting that they've grown up or aged at all, and certainly not chronologically if they have. None of them come close to looking like they're 57.

1 Barbie sometimes inspires creepiness

From unofficial dolls that… fans… have created, like zombie Barbie to Amy Winehouse Barbie to serial killer Barbie (all complete with 'appropriate' accessories like drugs, bloody knives, and body parts), to Paris Hilton dressed as naughty Barbie for a photo shoot, to some interesting art pieces involving dismembered or melted dolls, people aren't afraid to take Barbie and mould her for their own. It can all get a bit reminiscent of Sid's creepy creations in Toy Story.