A floor wax and a dessert topping

Amazing — a single toy that can offend both Christian fundies and devoted Wiccans alike!

By day, Barbie, Christie and Kayla are fashionable school girls, by night they turn into magical enchantresses. Each doll comes with 2 outfits, spell book, case, edible potions and potion cups. Transform Barbie from an ordinary girl to one of the Charm Girls. Just put on Barbie’s enchanted Charm Girl jacket and she’s ready to mix up delicious potions that you can really drink. Barbie comes with costume, dragonfly, mixing pot, stand, spoon, stirrer, three bottles, book with a secret compartment, and two packets of magic powder (sugar-based mixes you mix with water).

I’ve actually seen ads for this one on TV, and, yes, found myself vaguely disturbed by them. Of course, I’d feel the same way about “Reverend Barbie” (“Comes with bright pink Fashion Pulpit! Mix and match with Bishop Ken!”), too — reducing religious beliefs to Barbie’s level seems kind of … well, disrespectful seems too weighty a word for it, but something of that sort. Given that there are people who believe in spell-casting (albeit different things about it) makes this kind of play a bit too serious for comfort.

Not that either of the groups mentioned above couldn’t use with a bit of gentle mockery, mind you, often being way too serious for their own good.

Still, any “serious” subject seems a bit out of place in the Barbieverse. “Anti-War Activist Barbie.” “Slave Barbie.” “AIDS Patient Barbie.” “Earth Liberation Front Barbie.” “War Refugee Barbie.” “Senator Barbie.”

Well, maybe not “Senator Barbie.” We already hold our politicians in low enough respect for that.

On the other hand, the Sponge-Bob Barbie also shown on the page is really scary.

(via Doyce)