'Elf and safety gone mad! Hospital Barbie dolls shouldn't have their hair down ... trends now
She's known for being immaculately turned out and able to dress for any occasion.
But when it comes to hospital wards and theatres, Barbie needs to go back to medical school, a study suggests.
In what sounds like a case of 'elf and safety gone mad', the popular doll has been accused of ignoring professional standards in a special Christmas edition of the BMJ.
While often seen sporting a stethoscope, medical and scientist Barbies are flouting strict rules — wearing long hair down and tottering about in high heels, its analysis found.
Having been everything from a construction worker to a judge, the study wanted to test how true to life depictions of Barbie scientist and medical doctors are.
In what sounds like a case of 'elf and safety gone mad', the popular doll has been accused of ignoring professional standards in a special Christmas edition of the BMJ. While often seen sporting a stethoscope, medical and scientist Barbies are flouting strict rules — wearing long hair down and tottering about in high heels, its analysis found. Pictured, the 'Barbie Baby Doctor Playset'
Researcher Katherine Klamer, of Indiana University in the US, set out to identify the kinds of medical and scientific fields that Barbie dolls worked in compared with other career dolls and to determine whether they met clinical and laboratory safety standards. She analysed 92 Barbie brand career dolls including 53 doctors, 10 scientists, 2 science educators, 15 nurses, 11 dentists, and one paramedic. Pictured, the 'Barbie Scientist Doll'
More than two thirds of Barbie brand female medical professional and scientist dolls wore loose hair, and more than half wore high heeled shoes, even in settings where this would be discouraged or actively prohibited for safety reasons. Pictured, the 'Barbie Dentist Doll & Playset'
Researcher Katherine Klamer, of Indiana University in the US, set out to identify the kinds of medical and scientific fields that Barbie dolls worked in compared with other career dolls and to determine whether they met clinical and laboratory safety standards.
She analysed 92 Barbie brand career dolls including 53 doctors, 10 scientists, 2 science educators, 15 nurses, 11 dentists, and one paramedic.
A comparison group of 65 non-Barbie brand career dolls including 26 doctors, 27 scientists, seven nurses, two dentists, two engineers and one MRI technician, from July to November 2023.
Doll careers were identified by visually analysing clothing, accessories, and packaging, and their personal safety accessories were
