A Barbie doll’s packaging has sparked controversy online after a shopper claimed that illustrations of spectators in the background appeared to show Nazi salutes.
It all started after a TikTok content creator, Ana Elizabeth, shared a video showing a gymnastics-themed Barbie from Mattel’s “You Can Do Anything” collection. She said that she spotted the doll while browsing a CVS pharmacy in the US.
At first glance, the doll appears innocent enough - dressed in a gymnastics leotard and holding ribbons and batons. The packaging also appears to depict a crowd watching a gymnastics performance. However, Elizabeth pointed out several blue-coloured figures in the background whose raised arms, she claimed, resembled the infamous Nazi salute.
In the TikTok video, she zoomed in on the illustrations and questioned how the imagery had made its way onto packaging for a children’s toy. She also added what sounded like a German marching song to the clip and joked in the caption that Barbie’s coach would be “heil-y disappointed” if she failed to win the Olympics.
Barbie packaging sparks boycott calls
The video triggered a debate online, with some users accusing Mattel of failing to catch potentially offensive imagery before the product reached store shelves.
{{/usCountry}}The video triggered a debate online, with some users accusing Mattel of failing to catch potentially offensive imagery before the product reached store shelves.
{{/usCountry}}“Literally what else could that be? That’s crazy,” one commenter wrote.
Another user called for a boycott, writing, “ooop….. so we’re 100% boycotting Mattel.”
A third user questioned the positioning of the figures’ arms, saying, “If they were cheering they would have both arms up. WHAT IN THE LITERAL HELL.”
“And it really is that deep because there are entire teams at Mattel to prevent things like this from happening,” said another.
Some users defend the illustration
Not everyone agreed with the criticism. Several social media users argued that the figures were simply spectators cheering during a sporting performance, with their arms raised in celebration.
“We live in the dumbest timeline,” one user wrote. .
“Barbie doesn’t even have an elbow, so how are the crowd Barbies supposed to bend their arms. And many have both arms up. You loons see a boogie man everywhere, legit looking and making up something to get angry about,” commented another.