
Mattel got a lot of troubles with Rollerblade Barbie. Why ? Barbie was wearing rollerblades that shot out sparks when you glided her on any surface. On purpose…
After several little girls got some surprises when they skated Barbie around hairspray and gasoline and gassy men, Mattel admitted that maybe the Rollerblade Barbie was a mistake. Read this interesting article by Dave Barry :
Rollerblade Barbie by Dave Barry
As executive director of the Bureau of Consumer Alarm, I am always on the alert for news stories that involve two key elements :
1. Fire
2. Barbie
So I was very interested when alert reader Michael Robinson sent me a column titled “Ask Jack Sunn” from the Dec. 13, 1993, issue of the Jackson, Miss., Clarion-Ledger. Here’s an excerpt from a consumer’s letter to this column, which I am not making up : “Last year, my two daughters received presents of two Rollerblade Barbie dolls by Mattel. On March 8, my 8-year-old daughter was playing beauty shop with her 4-year-old brother. After spraying him with hair spray, the children began to play with the boot to Rollerblade Barbie. My little girl innocently ran the skate across her brother’s bottom, which immediately ignited his clothes.”
The letter adds that “There are no warnings concerning fire on these toys …I feel the need to warn potential buyers of their danger.”
In his response, Jack Sunn says, cryptically, that “Mattel does not manufacture Rollerblade Barbie any more.” He does not address the critical question that the consumer’s letter raised in my mind, as I’m sure it did yours, namely: Huh?
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