Midge: The Controversial History Of Barbie's First Friend!

[@labyrinthgirl17]

My mom actually got me the pregnant Midge doll to teach me about pregnancy, and it worked. I'm 32 and have never had any pregnancies lol. I feel like the controversy came from kids asking questions, which made adults uncomfortable, so they made a stink about the doll.

[@ophilianecr]

😂 for a second I thought you meant that your mom taught you about pregnancy at 32, with the pregnant Midge!!🤣😂

[@mermaidprettymuch]

EXACTLY! The selfishness of the parents being too uncomfortable and saying "Oh, let's just skip it. A manual for all of this will just download into their brains one day or something."

[@labyrinthgirl17]

OMG, sorry! I worded that poorly. My bad. xD No, she got it for me around the time it hit shelves, so I was either 12 or 13 (depending if it was before or after my birthday). I meant I learned well before I was even interested in sex, so I'm now 32 and haven't had any pregnancies because my mom educated me with the Midge doll.

[@labyrinthgirl17]

I think you're right. They think if they don't teach sex ed, kids won't have sex, but will magically know how to do it when married. As my mom would tell them, "If they're not taught, they'll just experiment and that's how accidents happen."

[@ophilianecr]

@labyrinthgirl17 oh I definitely understood the second time I read it. And it was my misinterpretation, not you. I just found the whole idea funny that at 32, anybodys mom would need a doll to explain sex. Lol

[@historybuff7491]

Pregnant Midge should not have been a controversy. She had been married...ie, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Midge pushing a baby carriage. I guess "mothers" don't want their kids to know there is such thing as pregnancy. Pregnant Midge is on my bucket list to collect.

[@SnailSnail622]

My older cousin had a pregnant Midge, and when I saw it as a kid, I was just like "oh, neat!" and moved on lol.

[@agenttheater5]

now I'm just thinking of my 'happy family' barbie collection. The mum came with a removable pregnant belly as well as a baby barbie - her dress had enough room for the belly but still suited her when the 'pregnancy' was over.

[@Lemoncatsf]

I bought my daughters the pregnant Midge! My childhood Barbies were often pregnant with a Sunshine Doll baby stuck up their dresses so this was a dream doll for me 😂

[@Meladjusted]

Just manufactured rage from a Christian special interest group like One Million Moms or something, which isn't an actual grassroots movement made up of moms or whatever and instead a front for wealthy religious political lobbying groups. Whenever you hear about customers supposedly complaining about something that doesn't seem like it should be a big deal, really, it's almost always just a special interest group pretending to be a small community org made up of "just fed up citizens." Unfortunately, sometimes companies actually get intimidated by it and bend to their will, otherwise it'd be better to just ignore it completely as any attention is exactly what they're after; anything to keep the topic relevant.

[@notamuggle8724]

I’m pretty sure my friend stole my Midge’s belly when I was younger which I’m still mad about to this day lol

[@Itsgay2read]

I always find it funny that pregnant Midge is so controversial and may "encourage teen pregnancy", but what about baby dolls? Those have been around longer than Barbie. Girls are already encouraged to want to have babies, it's just somehow the act of teaching how preganacy health works that seems to be their issue.

[@elizabethclarke4981]

Plus, motherhood should be represented and be treated with the same respect as women in careers, at least in my opinion it should

[@kaykay3772]

Also, parents didn't even research and realize that Midge and Alan were married. 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@batkat0]

It's also funny because those types usually ignore the things that actually contribute to teen pregnancy 😅

[@memorian8472]

That's soo true!! You're literally a toddler and your parents will be giving you a BABY DOLL that you have to feed with a bottle.

[@kaykay3772]

@@memorian8472 They also came out with a baby doll that you could pretend to breastfeed.

[@kittymae335]

I love Midge. She's always had this kind of retro sitcom energy and I love that they leaned into that for Life in the Dreamhouse

[@VenusTemple]

I loved Midge in the Dreamhouse. I hope she's going to be similar in the live action.

[@Deadhousep1ants]

Fr. Midge is one of my favs, mostly due to Life in the Dreamhouse

[@skypaver989]

Life in the Dreamhouse Midge is iconic, she inspired me to one day mearn macramei

[@karnotik]

She has Kate Segal energy

[@vannerrrrrrrrr]

⁠@@VenusTemple Since I’m sure you’ve seen it by now, I was very disappointed on how they represented Midge they called her the “ discontinued” doll and barley showed her. Like pregnant midge isn’t the only one to exist, honestly I was so annoyed I have a midge doll from my mum (she was my mums favorite). And I’ve always related to Midge as someone who has red hair and not platinum blonde. 5:00

[@bapsbaby6441]

I also loved the contrast of Midge and Barbie of how Career driven Barbie is and how family oriented Midge is. I’m not saying Barbie isn’t for families or Midge isn’t for working but I’m saying it’s just a nice contrast between the two best friends and their different life goals.

[@jellyfish0311]

Yes I think it's very endearing. Having the wedding Midge and her pregnant version, if anything, encourages the kids to learn how to celebrate their friend's milestones instead of growing to be self centered all the time.

[@katierasburn9571]

Youre so right, and more than that it sorta shows girls hey you can do whichever you dont have to have a big career or raise a family you know? Man

[@taniapalmeiro9607]

I have both! A family and a career. I'm probably the fusion between Barbie and Midge! 😂😂😂😂

[@daelitecityride]

My bestie had a family and I didn't. We had so much fun hanging(fam and all). She was older than me. It didn't make me want a family as a teen. Dolls are just that, a toy. Playing the game LIFE, didn't make me want kids either(a car maybe). 😁

[@miciarokiri5182]

They did not add the ring after changer her, I have the one with the prego belly and she has the painted-on ring. You want to know what "encourages teen pregnancy"? NOT TALKING TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT BABIES AND PREGNANCY!!!!!

[@elisakrivas]

Yes, I had the pregnant one and she still had a ring

[@linasayshush]

Yeah, me too.

[@anniesama5729]

I thought the original has the ring too! If they didn't have the ring, the complaints would be kinda valid, especially once the box was gone and it was just a ringless preggo doll.

[@Author.Noelle.Alexandria]

EXACTLY!! People who are too immature to talk to their kids about these things aren’t mature enough to be parents.

[@lindsey4178]

lol...I think this whole controversy is silly. My youngest daughter, age 7, has really been getting into barbie. She was specifically asking for a pregnant doll and baby all last year and LET ME TELL YOU, it wasn't easy for Christmas last year. Lol. I couldn't get my hands on an actual "Barbie" brand but I found a fantastic doll from another company that came with a pregnant doll, removable belly, partner, and tiny baby. She was thrilled! And guess what! My daughter hasn't once yet given any indication that she wants a baby at 14. Lol. She knows where babies come from, she knows there are mommy's and daddy's, and she just wanted to be able to play out a family in her games. Very simple, very normal....and if anyone was wondering. The pregnant doll was a much better quality that I was expecting, I was impressed....dad on the other hand was obviously an afterthought though. He fell apart and was kinda funny looking to begin with. Lol

[@themoonflowerfaerie]

The complaints about her being pregnant are so stupid. She was married, and if you look at the bottom of the box, it shows her with Alan. How it could be encouraging teen pregnancy, I don't know. It shows a family and teaches kids a bit about where babies come from in a way. I think the kids weren't bothered, it was just the parents. Really big overreactions on the part of the parents, etc. I think. Midge had some really adorable dolls over time, and some of my favorites were from the 80s. Great video :)

[@Rumade]

I never ever thought of Barbie as a teenager when I was a child. I thought she was 26.

[@justsomeguy898]

@@Rumade fr, i only learned barbie wasn't 25-30 from this video 😭

[@FernandoTorrera]

It’s always the parents with no chill

[@sunsinger7806]

Also funny that those parents thought teen pregnancies come from a desire to be pregnant.

[@aff77141]

Me, not having realized any of them with their 24000 sqft malibu dream houses and pink custom mustangs and 20 careers, were supposed to be teenagers at any point,

[@DarkMasterofCupcakes]

I always found the controversy with the pregnant Midge thing so weird because, even as a kid when those dolls came out, I assumed that Barbie and all those dolls were adults? Heck, for the longest time, because I'd mostly just gotten hand-me-downs from my older sister and never saw the boxes, my assumption was that Kelly (later Chelsea) and Krissy were Barbie and Ken's kids, so I didn't think twice about the whole thing of the line with Midge and her family, or her being pregnant.

[@maggiesmith856]

You should watch Sam & Mickey's Barbie videos. Skipper,Stacie, Chelsea and Chrissy are Ken and Barbie's daughters. Barbie pretends they are her sisters so as not to ruin her Good Girl image. She's also an alcholic sex addict.

[@ZannaZatanna1]

wait, they changed Kelly's name?? first I'm hearing of this!😊

[@GlitterRain15]

@@ZannaZatanna1they changed it to Chelsea cause (I believe it was somewhere in Europe) in some areas the name Kelly was already trademarked for a doll so they wanted to have a name they could use globally

[@kellynn739]

Same here. Plus I think a lot of us made our Barbies pregnant with cotton balls and bouncy balls. Kids aren't stupid.

[@rhondabitler5474]

My sister's and I folded our cloth headbands and stuff our Barbie and Midge dolls outfits to appear pregnant. This was way back in the sixties. We were ahead of the time.​@@kellynn739

[@memo4970]

There’s like a subtle authenticity about Midge that makes her stand out (maybe it’s her features, or the unique color of her hair) I mean, it’s nice that they include her from time to time, but she’s definitely underrated, & deserves a bigger spot in the doll world, I would think.

[@kenthuang436]

The Diva face I think was the perfect one for Midge and she should have used it for all of her dolls after the California Dream line.

[@Sarcasticron]

I'm not into Barbies, but the movie was great! Now I'm intrigued. I would watch a Greta Gerwig movie about Midge.

[@Bdkdklllvv]

I think they’ll need to give her a more modern name though

[@everglowblink9805]

I had the pregnant Midge doll (I no longer have it), but I loved it. My mom bought it for me and I guess she didn't see the controversy behind the doll.

[@dearest-tulip]

your mom was intelligent.

[@missmeagan8117]

I had one too! My mom knew of the controversy but thought it was silly because Midge clearly was an adult with a husband lol. She also thought the grandparent set was cute! That was definitely my favorite collection

[@jasperspearl2768]

I had it too. It was one of my favorite barbies.

[@stellarsteph7]

I remember when pregnant Midge came out and I wanted her SO BADLY! I was obsessed with the fact that she could be both pregnant and not. It brought a level of physical realism and versatility that I hadn't seen before from Barbies. So I was SO excited when the Barbie movie referenced that version of Midge!! I hope she's in the movie, even a small cameo.

[@ZannaZatanna1]

Schrodinger's Barbie, haha

[@nicoleb695]

I absolutely wanted one too when I saw it. It's been stuck in my head for years!

[@haileymaurer122]

I love how pregnant mom-to-be Midge was shocking, but wedding day lacy Barbie lingerie didn't make waves. Great video and a romp through nostalgia.

[@serenitymeyer461]

I remember having the happy family Midge! I LOVED her! But my mom got caught up in the "controversy" and threatened to take her away. So i drew on a wedding ring (i had the original one without the ring) and had to promise that she would always be married when she had a baby in my games. 😂

[@duckdodgers3574]

Threatned? Couldn't she just got you Alan and say "here, is her husband??

[@ElmKyh]

@@duckdodgers3574 yeah that's better

[@TimidStorm]

You should have just told them that Ken was the real father anyway! 😂

[@ZannaZatanna1]

​@TimidStorm how scandalous!😂

[@susanma4899]

Luckily my mom never knew that my dolls were swingers and moonlighted at a strip club. I'm not kidding.

[@definitelynotskynet]

That controversy with the pregnant doll is ridiculous. I was an actual teenager when it came out. I got the pregnant doll, but I didn’t get pregnant myself. I didn’t even play with dolls anymore I just thought it was super neat. Additionally, I always saw Barbie dolls as full adults. Especially since teen and child aged Barbie dolls exist.

[@felicityhoneycutt8570]

Nowadays we have actual toys made for shitting so that's wild

[@GUAGA0612]

You should totally do a video on Teresa, nikki/Christie, summer and raquelle throughout the years

[@alejandromolinac]

For some reason…. I have become enamoured with late 90’s and early 2000’s Teresa….. she’s the doll I have been purchasing

[@hannahlamagna]

omg yesss

[@finland4ever55]

Kira, also Barbie's miscellaneous friends in other lines. Maybe even Barbie's foreign friends, as she's had several friends only released in Brazil, Mexico, and Japan.

[@kumachan9311]

Love the 55th Anniversary Christine doll [that's just out]

[@GUAGA0612]

@@alejandromolinac Teresa within that era is stunning

[@memorian8472]

I remeber being so confused during the Prego-Midge controversy as a kid. Since she was clearly an adult. Even my mom wanted to get one of the dolls, she thought it was so cute (she always rolled her eyes at these controversies). She eventually did get me a "Krissy - Baby Layette" set.

[@mila6589]

I remember the pregnant Midge doll, my friend had one and used to take her to school... I don't know why (maybe because we were kids), but we would laugh so hard of the baby coming out of the removable belly, the belly was so weird. And if people thought it would encourage teen pregnancy, it worked the other way for us, till this day all our friend group from that time don't have any kids haha

[@cherokeenevin3763]

My mom LOVED pregnant Midge! She had to buy it for me as soon as it came out, because she heard about the controversy and didn't want to miss her chance to buy pregnant Midge when it later got recalled. I still have Midge, and her magnetic belly, baby, crib, and all the little toys. I think she's worth about $100 now.

[@ModeFin]

Sure the hell is you won

[@jeannel3207]

Can I just say that I love the first Alan doll? I tend to be very picky with male dolls, they often evoke some kind of uncanny valley I can't quite explain, but the 60s Alan doll is so cute!

[@SailorMoonFan92]

Nice to see Midge get some attention. After Life in the Dreamhouse, Midge was given some new dolls in the Glam Luxe Style line and then she just got a vintage silkstone reproduction last month for her 60th and then the Barbie Rewind 'Schoolin' Around' doll from last year is also supposed to be her given she has red hair, freckles, green eyes and Steffie face mold.

[@kenthuang436]

I love the Midge dolls that have the Diva face. I think that particular face mold was the perfect one for her.

[@OzmaOfOzz]

So glad someone mentioned the Steffie line.. I loved Steffie. I think she was more affordable too. I had a toddler from the Steffie line I think, she had a crib and everything .

[@sanspie029]

Honestly, Allan looks better than ken. Same for Brad/Curtis (Christie’s boyfriend). You should definitely do a video on those guys.

[@toykeyper8914]

Yes, Alan's face is much cuter than Ken for sure!

[@duckdodgers3574]

He probably is going to make Allan video nextr year, for the anniversary.

[@Rose-ws2ik]

I agree! I have a vintage Allan, but don’t really have any desire to get vintage ken 😂

[@Mar-rs8uc]

Lets be honest ken was not that good looking, specially the plastic hair 😂 I only had one ken doll when I was a kid that had that plastic hair and I never really used it, I only starting playing with ken when I got the gel ken that had real hair, I think his face was also different but Im not sure

[@whowantswaffles]

"No no we want our kids to play with baby dolls, but we don't want them to think about where they came from!" 😂

[@clairethompson5549]

every Good Little Child ™️ knows the stork brings them!

[@loverrlee]

But Midge WAS married to Alan. Duh. Also, I’m so thankful to my aunt for buying my cousin the original Midge and I will never forget my cousin showing me the doll and I actually got to play with her and her pregnant magnetic belly. And I just found out my cousin had her first baby! 🥰

[@MaxMallard]

Can't believe I never heard of Midge as a kid. I had no idea she existed until I watched Life in the Dreamhouse earlier this year. Though the fact that Midge went through a whole lifetime in playsets oddly supports my headcanon that Barbie is an ageless being with godlike qualities

[@MaxMallard]

@reneelynch710 bad news for you then, buddy

[@LifeOfTheAngels]

The happy family line is so funny cus Mattel was basically the first doll company to make their own dolly universe 😭

[@susanma4899]

But wait, what about the Sunshine Family? Did they predate the happy family line? My sister and I both had Sunshine Families, the house, the dog, the cat, and the grandparents. Seems like the Sunshine Family was late 70s and happy family was much later, looks like early 90s.

[@eerielakeerie]

@@susanma4899 Happy Family was early 2000s actually - pregnant midge was 2003, and i had the grandparents playset in 2004. Sunshine Family was definitely a similar concept, as was the Heart Family in the 80s that Happy Family was based on. However, as far as I know, Happy Family was the first to actually have the characters age and stuff.

[@louc.6735]

My favorites in the happy family line were the grandparents! I remember wishing that Mattel would release more older dolls because i loved having older characters in my Barbie games. I always thought it was sad my Barbies couldn't have parents or grandparents unless i pretended they were immortal witches, which i did.

[@RosieG9012]

“You cannot be a teenager and a doctor.” Doogie Howser would beg to differ lol

[@danilarsson8685]

The controversy around pregnant Midge confuses TF out of me, because she'd obviously been married for several years before, and I remember having other pregnant "Barbie" type dolls as a kid in the 90s! How could anyone get upset over this???

[@gingerdad127]

As a fellow ginger, I've always loved Midge, I've always found her to be the "wholesome" friend. Thanks for the video 🙌

[@dunkinnatalie]

Midge really had a lingerie playset?! That's INSANE. But they're worried about a pregnant, married doll? Lol

[@tess9233]

we had the pregnant midge with the removable stomache growing up, I had no idea it was controversial! we ended up forgetting about all her pregnancy related items and pretended she was lindsay lohan lmao

[@CanonessEllinor]

My mom had original Midge and I had Disco and Mermaid Midge. As a child, I assumed she had just been in the line continuously between those two (after all, Barbie would never abandon her best friend!). I thought for sure she was a staple alongside Skipper and Ken (who were also part of my mom’s collection.) So it was quite a surprise when I finally learned that my family’s Barbie ages had simply coincided with Midge’s two short runs.

[@soofficiallybb]

Midge was one of my favorite Barbie friends. She was like the girl next door.

[@arcticxabyss]

I remember having the midge happy family doll and her husband (I had the one with the magnetic stomach) and it didn't encourage me to want to become pregnant lol. also, it was nice to see midge have her own family.

[@witchfroml4d]

I had the pregnant Midge doll and I loved it. I don't see how it was controversial, like it's really normal for kids to be curious about pregnancy and I felt like the Midge doll was a good way to educate kids and start conversations. Why not use Midge to explain to kids how pregnancy works? Felt like the controversy was only there because parents didn't feel comfortable talking to their kids about something that is completely natural, which is ironically the sort of thing that is going to lead to MORE teen pregnancies.

[@eerielakeerie]

i had the happy family grandparents set! it came with a kitchen/dining room playset that folded into a carrying case and SO MUCH tiny silverware and little dishes. the stove had a cup with a metal lid that you were meant to put ice water in. it also had a color changing turkey and sheet of cookies. when there was water in the cup and you put the food into the oven part, it would almost act like a refrigerator, making it cold enough to “cook” the food.

[@ieatbookz]

the happy family line was my absolute favorite as a kid. i always preferred to play with my dolls as if they were families and having a big range of doll ages/genders/looks was exactly what i wanted. i also liked the more practical clothing and realistic looking furniture and accessories that came with the sets.

[@TheQueenOfDreams]

I had a pregnant Midge doll in the 70’s but I remember her belly bump rotating inside of itself to reveal the baby, rather than being magnetic, and there was a flat belly panel that could then be snapped onto her postpartum body. I loved that doll so much, and was so sad when I lost the baby! Whoops! 😅

[@martamarinomexuto1326]

I had a Hawaiian Midge (she came with just a swimsuit) when I was a kid, and I still have her. She was one of my favourite dolls because she was so different to all my other Barbies.

[@TSV805]

I was a kid in the late 80s, early 90s. I have brown hair so I always had the Theresa and Courtney dolls, and of course I had all of the Midge dolls too. I had some Barbies and Skippers, but I had ALL of the Midge, Theresa, and Courtney dolls.

[@melpomene1492]

As a parent, I just assumed that other parents knew that children in the Barbie age group act out what they experience. So, having new siblings, going shopping at the grocery store, going to grandma’s house, eating family meals, and other normal/boring/mundane things. Like wtf who is raising your kids if you haven’t noticed that children act out the things they see with their toys?

[@thegingergyrl455]

As a redhead, Midge was my favorite Barbie friend. I had almost all of the 80’s versions.

[@imaginefun13]

I don't remember too many of my dolls from childhood, but y'all KNOW I remember my pregnant barbie! I adored that doll!

[@isabelle8836]

I remember 2003 doll commercial. I had no idea it was controversial until now. I was 10 when it was on television. I remember playing the Midge family game on Barbie website.

[@lauramiller6106]

My older sister had all the original Barbies, which she passed down to me. Midge was always my favorite of that group. (Seriously, was the original Barbie supposed to be a teenages model? I remember her looking to be mid 30's.) Love your energy. Loved the video. I learned a lot.

[@Author.Noelle.Alexandria]

The original Barbie was modeled after a German adult gag-gift call-girl doll named Lilli. Not a teen. 😂

[@kitty1015]

I think when Midge was pregnant she was maybe in her twenties. As before in her marriage she had short hair and when Family came, she had long hair. To maybe show us, that it was years, until she got pregnant. And atleast for me, she always seemed like that kind of person, who actually got life started earlier (like marriage, Family, a House and so on). Not to say, that's when Life starts, but to say that she seemed as if she was earlier than everybody else

[@craftyoldlady]

I got my first Midge doll in 1963. She had red hair and freckles! I was 4 years old and I loved her so much!

[@BlUAbUElA]

I just stumbled upon this.. I'm a kid of the 60's and my older sister had not only the Blonde Barbie in the zebra print bathing suit, but, her red headed freckled faced friend Midge.. These dolls didn't have the bendable legs.. they were stiff and non posable.. but..wow.. the outfits were amazing!! Posable legs came later with my younger siblings and I remember them.. "Clicking" their barbies legs back and forth so much, the plastic legs broke through and the little gears were something to behold 😅 Thank you for the memories of the sweet and wonderful forgotten original Midge!!

[@voluntaryismistheanswer]

The older cousins had all the cool stuff, do you remember the bathing suits that changed color when you got them wet? I thought it was magic

[@rachelhamilton8669]

0:05 They said “Midge” and “Marvelous” in the same sentence??? 👀

[@mst3kanita]

I had the wedding midge from 1991. One of my all time favorite dolls.

[@bethschreiber6107]

My youngest had almost the whole happy family line up. She even had the house. I always thought the controversy was silly.

[@rosannereynolds5639]

I'm old, so I had the original molds of Barbie (blonde pony) & Ken, as well as the first car & cardboard Dreamhouse. When she came out, I got an original Midge (dark brown hair) & Skipper (red). But everyone seems to forget that shortly afterward, Midge got a sister, too - Scooter, Skipper's age). She was freckled, like the original Midge, and somewhat of a tomboy, with pigtails that stuck out. That's where I stopped with Barbies; unfortunately I don't have them anymore. Hopefully they're living happily with a collector somewhere!

[@xXOpenYourHeart759Xx]

I really wanted the pregnant Midge as a kid. I was sick of stuffing tissues in my Barbie’s clothes to make them look like they had pregnant bellies. They were having babies long before pregnant Midge was a thing. I was upset about the controversy as a kid because it made my chances of getting her more scarce. I also really wanted all of the baby furniture stuff for their houses.

[@Jamaican19Girl]

My daughter was watching this with me, she just turned 5 this week. She was just screaming “I WANT THIS DOLL”😂 referring to the pregnant doll ❤

[@SuperMonkeysocks]

I was about 5 years old when Midge came out. I wanted a Barbie Doll for Christmas but for some reason my parents got me Midge instead. The red haired one. I was terribly disappointed with her because I didn't think she was nearly as pretty as Barbie. My mom told me years later she had chosen Midge because she had freckles just like me. Well, that was on of the things I hated about her. I sure wish I had kept her though. It would be so fun to have a somewhat rare doll.

[@Author.Noelle.Alexandria]

Awwww, I love your parents’ reasoning though. I also hated my freckles.

[@jons.6216]

My sister got Barbie's mod cousin Francie for Christmas one year in the late 60s. She was a friend of Casey's! In reality I think it was just that the store ran out of Barbies for that season! Haha! I never saw the original 1960s Midge dolls but knew of them. Then in the 90s I saw they brought back a modern version of her. Unusual for them to still be calling her "Midge" after all those years because the name wasn't really that popular or common in the day since the 60s.

[@romonaelrod7870]

I think that the orignal Midge was a bit homely,but the other Midge dolls were beautiful. I had several of the Midge dolls that you showed and I love them. I don't have as many Midge dolls now,I would like to replace the ones that I used to have.

[@dynamicvortex2467]

I had a midge pregnant doll that got stolen and I was sooo sad about it!! She was one of my favorites. It’s good to know some of the history

[@pageantsmile]

my mom thought the pregnancy controversy was so stupid when i was a kid, and i had like 5 pregnant midge dolls because i kept losing the belly piece and had to keep getting a whole new doll just for the belly lol. i had the entire happy family line as well, i loved it so much and wish i still had them all.

[@clairegallagher_ire]

Honestly I never got the pregnancy controversy. Today Steffy Love is on the shelves with a pregnancy set and it sells, but Mattel refuses to do the same. I always see Midge as a doll victim. The all marriage thing to justify her pregnancy was ridiculous. Although I absolutely love the Happy Family sets (I have most of the dolls) there's nothing wrong with single mothers. It's the American bigot Karens.

[@maggiesmith856]

The Pregnant Steffie Love doll is crappy. If you remove her pregnant belly, she's left with a gaping hole in her torso ! With Midge, if you removed the belly, she had a normal body underneath.

[@clairegallagher_ire]

@@maggiesmith856 agree, never bought Steffy. It's a cheap imitation.

[@Skeksistential-crisis]

I had the pregnant Midge doll when I was a kid and she was one of my favourites! I always thought she was so pretty with her hair colour and the purple dress

[@victoriadunnett4745]

I wanted that wedding set so much! I also wanted the heart family!

[@SwampCeeMcGee60]

I had pregnant Midge and I loved her. I can officially say that she didn't inspire me to go out and get pregnant like the controversy. Lol. I had my first child at 28. The blame is always put on something else, not the lack of proper parenting these Karens do.

[@nastiari7298]

Surprisingly enough , when I was little, I always played Barbie as if she were a grown young woman in her mid-30s. I didn't even think that she could be a teenager. I didn't know the history of the doll then and I didn't see any series, I just really liked how she looked and all of my friends had these dolls😅💗💗💗 When I went to school and my parents bought me magazines about Barbie, I realized that she was a teenager there, but the doll itself still looked like an adult to me🤔

[@dudette474]

I had the happy family Midge when it first came out, and I always thought it was a cool concept and wished there was more like it! No idea she was a 'teen' until this video. She's always been my favorite doll. I'm a huge fan of freckles.

[@BlueJeansTarot]

Wow! I had the original red-headed Midge doll in 1963! I was the only one of my friends who had Midge instead of Barbie, and I loved that she was different from the others. I never knew her story and I’m thrilled to have discovered you! 👍

[@carolzerucha7429]

I remember wanting a Midge doll back in the 1960s! I liked Midge, and my Barbie (one of the earlier models with the bubble hairdo) was so boring! Great video, Joey!

[@RoastyToastyLPS]

Even Pregnant Belly Midge has a ring, and Alan (different set) came with a wedding photo of them. I have her, I always thought that they looked older than Barbie

[@elizabethslayton3534]

Dude so many people are going to want these older dolls once the movie comes out. I know I already do

[@denisesudell2538]

I thought Skooter was Midge’s little sister, like Skipper was Barbie’s. Skooter had the same red hair and freckles as many of the Midge dolls. I had all four of them when I was little, way back in the 60s!

[@clos4824]

Great video! I'd love to see you make more videos on Barbie's other friends like Teresa, Christie, Kira, etc. And maybe another video about her family members like Skipper, Stacie, Kelly/Chelsea and cousin Jazzy.

[@melancholycollie1466]

This is information I wasn't searching for today but I'm glad to have learned. Thank you kind stranger.

[@BombshellBoss]

I remember when pregnant Midge came out, I was almost an adult by then so didn’t actually play with her. One of the ludicrous outcry’s I remember, at least where I was in Canada, was that the doll gave an unreal expectation about the ease of childbirth and how easy it is for a body to bounce back afterwards. I thought it was stupid then and I still do now, people are thinking too deeply about a doll!

[@barborasvandova7899]

I actually got pregnant Midge with the belly and even Barbie doctor from the same line! :D My best friend got pregnant Midge for my birthday, I don't think it was ever sold in Czechia, but my friend's dad was American and they bought it when they were visiting grandparents. I got the doctor later when we were on holiday in Austria. One of my favourite Barbie dolls and it definitely didn't promote teenage pregnancies. It was actually great to have a Barbie doll that had pregnant belly instead of padding attached by headbands! And just a note - my pregnant Midge always had a wedding ring, so the change with removed belly and added ring couldn't happen at the same time.

[@thetiniestpirate]

I had the Happy Family Midge doll and honestly I think it helped deal with some of the terrifying body horror that I was learning (from my catholic school) was expected of me as a girl.

[@funkyfeem727]

Omg yay a video about Midge! ❤ I love learning about all the different Barbie characters!

[@irenepetrova5846]

Not exactly Midge, but barbie on Diva facemold was quite adorable in BMR1959 line recently. Especially, when you redress her in something more glamorous😂

[@toykeyper8914]

YES! She is one of my favorite dolls. I took out her braids and put her in a better outfit and she is so pretty :) A really nice transformation

[@WeRNthisToGetHer]

Poor Midge! She's just trying to live her doll life and raise her family. Tough crowd!

[@lexieostler8435]

As kid when the pregnant midge came out, I thought it was the coolest Barbie ever cause there was a magnetic baby bump where a little baby would be inside. I loved it! Also I never thought anything about her age, I always thought Barbie’s were adults

[@jeanne-marie8196]

When Midge first came out, I was so disappointed with her! Our great aunts, for xmas, gave my 14month older sister Bubble Cut Barbie!!! I got Midge… freckles, rolled bottom flip on her hair. Not even a Barbie! Everyone had a Barbie! Not me, I had Midge. Sigh. I still have Midge, and a few outfits, my Barbie case or “wardrobe”, and even some homemade clothes. Both of my grandchildren played with her. She’s back in her case now, waiting for my grandchildren to have children!

[@ConchitaDsouza]

I'm still sad I gave away my pregnant Midge doll, I remember being obsessed with the 3 in 1 crib/changing table/rocker. Also it teaches you how to swaddle the baby?? Which I thought was the cutest thing ever and I still think about it all the time

[@vvsvlogsy6757]

Can you do one on Christie! Barbies first black friend. I’d love to see that doll and her different eras. Just game changing!

[@mizzmarvel]

One year we had a real hard candy Christmas and the ONE toy I got was a pet-sitter Skipper, which I was thrilled about...until I went over to my best friend's house and found that one of the eight million toys she'd received was the huge Midge wedding set! It put my sad little Skipper to shame, but ever since then, I've been low-key obsessed with Midge.

[@Hi-jw7oq]

That "happy family" jingle unlocked an old memory for me of when they had commercials for her! Good times. Thanks for sharing!

[@sharonevans6864]

Really enjoyed your video. I had forgotten the controversy on the pregnant Midge. How crazy! Do love the Midge doll. Thanks for sharing. Take care!

[@vixtex]

I’m so old that I remember the intro of “Midge.” She’s awesome!❤️

[@maddiejoy6619]

I still wish I had gotten pregnant Midge as a kid. My parents had no issue with the doll (my mom was heavily involved in a breastfeeding / natural birth group, so I was around boobs and pregnancy my entire life). The Barbie movies were just huge around the same time, so I had to decide what to ask for on my birthday and Christmas lists.

[@aprilflowers2297]

Oh my god, I remember the pregnant midge commercial! That just brought back a memory I had completely forgotten.

[@fabianastacia3350]

I remember my cousins had pregnant midge and I was so jealous! I really loved the little tiny baby and taking it in and out that belly! Lol.

[@leomonteiroart]

Circa 1995, I had what I used to think was a "pregnant Barbie" which I now know must have been some kind of bootleg. Same gimmick as the pregnant Midge doll, and IIRC, she had twins. My parents got her for me because my mom became pregnant with my baby brother, so it was supposed to be an educational tool to help me understand pregnancy and birth. Since the doll's birth happened by opening the belly up, and me and my brother were both born via c-section, it made perfect sense to me at the time, hahaha. I was indifferent to fashion dolls, but absolutely fascinated by my pregnant doll and her tiny babies.

[@terrysilva6430]

I loved Midge and I had the happy family set where she was pregnant and I loved playing out the birth. Of course I always did the wedding with lots of guests. I even had a wedding cake set. But unfortunately I lost her in moves. Hopefully I'll get her again. Great video as always

[@chrismont5475]

I have all the Vintage Midge Dolls. I got the midge pregnant doll & family in white & black, also got the Grandparents.

[@____thecommenter1569]

Can you do a video about all of barbies discontinued/forgotten siblings?

[@sunnyquinn3888]

"Lifelike bendable legs" well, my knees do make a similar sound when I move them.

[@romonaelrod7870]

Lol,mine too.

[@LilDollFangs]

you got me to watch life in the dreamhouse i really liked it too. i love midge and will be on the hunt for one soon ^^

[@Fizzypups]

We had the Happy Family set with the magnetic stomach. I didn't even know there was controversy about it back then. My sister and I thought absolutely nothing of it lol, it was just another Barbie doll to us. Still have them all to this day!

[@slurpwis]

I loved the pregnant Midge doll as a little girl. I thought the concept was so cute.

[@lindseynalley520]

I had the pregnant Midge and went on to buy a few of the sets (my parents did obvi lol). I absolutely LOVED this set! and my parents saw nothing weird or inappropriate about it. I don't understand the controversy. I still have the sets to this day!

[@toykeyper8914]

Great video, I love Midge and loved to learn more about her history. I honestly think the original Midge was kind of ugly but when she returned in the 80s she was stunning! Cool Times Midge was one of my favorite Barbies growing up and I had to have Bride Midge and Groom Alan when they came out even though I was growing out of toys at that time. My fiance bought me that big wedding set a couple years ago for Christmas. I would love to get a Dreamhouse Midge someday, she is so pretty :)

[@EileenNestman]

I babysat for a family in the 2000's that had pregnant Midge and I loved it! Honestly, I was slightly jealous. I thought it was awesome.