Barbie is a doctor, astronaut, horse trainer, marine biologist, business woman and more yet people are complaining because one doll says "math is hard" 🙄🙄
I have a learning disability that makes math difficult to do and I'm offended that Mattel recalled this doll because of that phrase which just perpetuates the ableist idea that kids with learning disabilities are wrong and that they should be able to do it.
I'm sorry, but as someone who graduated from university with a degree in mathematics, I don't see what's wrong with the phrase "math class is tough". Barbie did not say that "math class is not for women" or "I hate math class". She just said it was tough. Many things in the world are tough, that doesn't mean that a person who thinks they are tough will never do them or become successful at them.
I consider myself a radical feminist and even I struggle to understand how the phrase was ever offensive. Math is tough! It’s not like she said “math is tough for girls!”
True, though she was mostly addressing girls. Yes, girls who know maths is tough but I’m torn on it because it plays into the pretty airhead stereotype.
So you must know that some radicals feminists of today are searching problems to have something or someone else to blame for every little problems in them life. Wokism.
@@foxesofautumn But recalling the doll can be also seen as an ableist move to tell kids who struggle with math because of a learning disability that they should be ashamed of it and must never say that they find math hard.
@@BeautyInsideABox I always hated math. I can understand how it could be interpreted as reinforcing negative stereotypes, but I just don't like math and I'm not good at it. It's not anti-feminist to just not like something.
As girl who grew up in the 90s and had a hard time with math, I always found the stink about that phrase ridiculous! We should be able to say when something is hard and not be afraid to ask for help.
I'm a guy and I have a learning disability that made performing math very difficult and I think people who were offended by that phrase were being completely ableist.
Generally speaking as a woman who grew up loving Barbies and still do, I don’t believe this doll was harmful… Ever? The phrases is perfectly fine, and the only people that were hurt by it clearly were trying to find reason to attack the brand for the sake of it. “Math class is tough” as someone who was a teenage girl a few years ago, *big yes it is* that doesn’t mean, as everyone said, it’s a bad thing. Barbie saying all of these phrases were meant to make her relatable for kids, like she was really “talking” to them
Barbie was just being a normal girl and relate to those that might struggle a bit with math, it's not easy for everyone. People over reacted to this doll
I mean, if you look at it, Teen Talk Barbie could be venting about math class to her friends, or planning to get tutoring. On a side note, if they did make talking Barbies, a bilingual Teresa doll would be cool
Hi. I'm a woman about to get my sixth degree. Math class is tough. Barbie is right. I still aced the math classes I needed to in order to get my degrees. It's not antiwoman to say that I worked hard to get my grades. They made a big deal over nothing complaining about these dolls. Also, Ken, congrats on your dance skills.
I always look forward to your retro collection episodes. I have the red version which is the USA 🎉version. My batteries are stuck in there. She used to say math is tough. She is one of my 1990s favorites.
To me, this is the prettiest Barbie that was ever made...as a new collector who is learning, can you tell me which face sculpt this one has? That was my fave Simpson episode! Too bad so many dwell on the negatives and not any of the positives. I think your right, she was simply being relatable. Happy Thanksgiving!
I have this doll in AA version, and Brunette . My AA say’s the the money phrase “math class is tough”, I sooooo lucked out buying her a few years ago mint in box.
I read about this doll as a kid in a very feminist magazine for young girls called New Moon; I think the doll was a few years old at that point, but there was an article about its controversy and it seemed to go with the expectation that readers would agree the phrase "Math class is tough" was harmful and that Mattel was right to remove it. At the time I didn't understand what was wrong with it, probably in part because I was too young to have had a lot of exposure to the "girls are bad at math" stereotype, as my school was pretty progressive, my dad was a math teacher, and I was good at math so I was vaguely insulted by the implication that I would stop being good at it just because of a talking doll. (Also, when I reached calculus in high school, math did get a lot harder for me, so when I was the "age" this Barbie was probably meant to represent, yeah, math class *was* tough.) But wow. I was there for the controversy and it's still being talked about. The real question I have is, since the UK dolls have British accents, I wonder if they say "maths" instead of "math."
I actually found math was less hard after elementary school once you forget all the bad habits they drilled into you about how to do math. I actually got good at mental arithmetic from playing Pokémon for a few years and calculating battle damage in my head. Math only became hard again after my foster parent threw me out and I realized I have crippling anxiety in the classroom now that home became a comfortable place to study. So I had to study the whole lower division math curriculum at the library and get special permission to take upper division math classes at my university.
I think everyone forgot about male students, because Barbie saying "math class is tough" is literally just something a teenager would say. It has nothing to do with women really.....
Ah, I was just in the middle of mental crisis and here comes Joey with a new video 🥹 I guess that's exactly what I needed 💛 And such a shame that one of them doesn't work anymore 😥 I guess I would totally try to open this doll trying to use my degree and hoping that changing some "wires" will bring her back to life (but at the same time would be scared af to open her, because of her age 😅🙈)
Her outfits scream Hilary from Fresh Prince and oddly so does her attitude without the bossy spoiled not so bright behavior. I wonder which came first…
I had the one in black. I thought she was super cute. I don't remember if mine said math class is tough but I kinda think she did. (Oh, I was in high school when I got her. I had just decided that I didn't care if I was "too old" for Barbie. )
As someone with Dyscalcula I would of definitely found the phrase relatable. I agree with you Joey like I feel the phrase was ment to be relateable. Also dont people sometimes complain that Barbie is to perfect sometimes so im sure they added that because of that reason too. I personally think there cute dolls.
Joey, on the doll that isnt working try take a mini flat head screw driver like the ones used to repair eyeglasses and scrape the metal contacts inside the battery compartment. If there is a metal piece inside the battery cover on the dolls back, try bending it up slightly to make a better connection with the batteries. Use canned air and blow out the metal corrosion. Replace the new batteries and then try holding the button down on the back of the doll for a few seconds.
I have dyscalculia (not the brain disease, the maths thing) it's basically dyslexia but the maths version instead of English and yeah, maths is *tough* I felt weirdly heard by Barbie saying that...? some people struggle and that's okay. As long as you gave it a try in the first place, that's all anyone can ask
I struggled a lot with math all throughout school and having barbie say math is tough makes me feel acknowledged instead of dumb like society has 😭 If even the most famous fashion doll thinks math is tough, then I don’t feel as alone in not being good at it ❤️
@@KingOfGaymesI wasn’t good at it either. Especially with fractions and decimals. I only got up to pre- Algebra. I didn't do too bad, since the teacher was good at explaining how to work the figures. I still am not that great at Math and I am almost 50.
@@julieletford5695 Awww, i find this super inspirational, i'm sorry this is a lil personal but did it ever stop you finding work...? I'm a young person currently looking but due to the fact I flunked maths i'm kinda struggling atm... I'm happy to hear about your experience with your teacher though, mine in college were pretty crap ngl...
@@KingOfGaymes I feel exactly the same way! everybody struggles and just like what @yulia_plat said there's nothing wrong with Barbie saying it's tough.. because it is. She never said people can't do it. and not further not alone, you got me and the whole dyscalculia community 💖 As for feeling dumb, it doesn't matter what colour you are, what you identify as, religion... we all struggle in some aspect at life. I can't read maths but i'm good at history! Just cos you struggle with *one* thing doesn't make you dumb Sweetie, and don't let anyone tell you so! Sorry, i'm rambling. You have a good life okay? Merry Early Christmas!
8:06 Such a valid point. I collect Barbie Fashionistas and this reminds me of how, for a short while, the dolls had empowering messages written on their packaging. Only the US monolingual versions did this, so seeing them in the UK was rare. Here's the rub: the Barbie dolls bore these messages, the Ken dolls didn't. Great job promoting gender equality, Mattel!
I’ve had probably 10 of these dolls in my life, and each one is different. I have been lucky to find two that did say math class is tough, there’s probably about 3000 that say that phrase. So if you’re just casually finding them I’m sure you’ll run into one. One of my “math class is tough” dolls actually had a hard time working at first. And I willed her to talk by honestly just fidgeting with her battery’s and pressing her button. And eventually she spoke. Then she said the phrase. It was awesome. I hope you can get yours to talk eventually. I’m very curious what she says. Because I’ve never seen her box style before, and two extra phrases would be interesting to hear. I betcha she could be the British version because her hair style is uncommon for the blonde doll. She has the kanekalon(however you spell it) hair fiber and usually those dolls had fluffy bangs and crimped hair that went all the way up to the root! Beautiful dolls. I loved the one that spoke when she said you’re her best friend it was touching.
Oohhh good to know. I’ll keep fiddling with it. I think it might be a British version too. Imagine if it says ‘math class is tough’ in a British accent! Hahaha
For context, this was an era where a common stereotype was that Girl Brains weren't analytical enough to be doctors, engineers, etc. Women were "supposed to" be in socially oriented careers because "boys are naturally good at math, girls aren't." Mattel CHOSE "Math is tough" when they could have had Barbie say anything else. I'm sure the intent wasn't malicious, but I'm also sure it reflected to the biases of the people who made the doll. "What subject would Barbie have trouble with? OBVIOUSLY math, she's a girl." Imagine if the Naturalista doll line created a doll who said "Some days I hate my hair!" Most women, including black women, do feel like that some days. But that still wouldn't be appropriate.
Very good point. Although I do also think math was probably chosen because a lot of kids struggle with it. But yes there are probably some unconscious biases showing here
I hate how they’re forcing social orientation on math classes now by enforcing mandatory attendance for a grade. As an autistic I find myself absolutely stupefied with anxiety when I have to go to school in an in-person setting.
@@nuclearcatbaby1131I’m also autistic and I have extreme difficulty trying to do math. But just because I am unable to solve some complex calculus equation doesn’t mean I’m stupid. I know how to drive a manual shift car and learned how to operate the stick shift in two Saturday afternoon lessons from my dad. He was impressed how quickly I learned to drive a stick shift car. I can also tell you all about music from the 80s and all about Pokemon. I know more things than people expect me to know. Not being able to do math is something that you shouldn’t be ashamed of but society refuses to accept that fact. It’s socially okay if you can’t read because you’re dyslexic but you are “wrong” if you can’t solve algebraic equations within two minutes and say that you can’t do it.
@@kenthuang436 I can do math just fine when I’m at home and I know all about 80s music and Pokémon up to gen IV - obsessing over Pokémon and how to calculate battle damage in my head is actually how I got good st math - but I can’t drive any kind of car let alone a stick. Heck I can’t even ride a bike! Couldn’t drive in that little Barbie car for kids when I was 7 either.
I feel like Barbie who is literally **everything** having a single flaw like this makes her relatable and more interesting… So, I don’t really see how it was deemed offensive 😭 Like oh hey Barbie thinks math is hard and so do I
Well math was hard for me when I was growing up that’s why when I was in elementary school I was in special education classes wish they had them in a college level so yeah i can disagree on the controversy but it is what it is still love dolls and Barbie is one of My favorite dolls
@@Neo-Queenserenityt2l math is still difficult even for me as an adult now because i have no one to be patient enough to help me nowadays either but yeah so relatable nothing like dolls for therapy they are patient with me and dolls are very loyal too love dolls
Eh, it's a weird one for me. On the one hand yeah I think it's pretty harmless. But on a whole it was still symptomatic of a generalised pooing on maths and science for girls - just one little thing among so many others and together they are harmful. Normalising girls whinging it's tough just says yeah, it is, every girl thinks this way, so who cares about math - and the media will just go after Barbie because she's popular. Barbie can't get a break though, I'm pretty sure she has a math teaching doll several times over. They just go for her because she's low hanging fruit.
The comment “math class is tough” is just Barbie being real people always are like “Barbie’s waist is to small same with her feet” plus it what Barbie thinks not everyone
Take the doll on the left to a doll hospital and they will fix her voice box. Even better take her to Steve in the U.S. who fixes Crissy's voice box. He might be able to fix yours. He is on CZcams.
Great video, thank you! I got that Barbie, but she speaks Greek! It was bought in Greece in 1992 and until now I had no idea what she was saying. 😂 I still enjoyed playing with her and imagined her sentences in my head. When I saw this video, I thought I'll finally find out, so thank you for sharing all the info. I had no idea there was such controversy about the doll, besides Math is hard for everybody, even those who excell in it! Barbie was a beautiful part of my childhood. I find her inspirational, beautiful and as fun as a toy can be!
I had Super Talk Barbie as a kid (and still have her now on my shelf and she still talks lol). In my opinion she’s a lot better than this Barbie, but I think she’s often forgotten about by collectors because of the controversy surrounding Teen Talk Barbie. If you’re a collector, I’d highly recommend checking out Super Talk Barbie, she’s a cutie and says a lot more phrases.
Tbh, I would probably have used that phrase to communicate that I was struggling with math wheb I would go nonverbal. I can see a kid who is struggling wqlking up to their parent, holding the doll up, and letting the doll say "math class is tough" to facilitate asking for help
Hello Dave! By any chance do you happen to have Bead Blast Barbie? Because I think it is one of those Barbie dolls you'll *LOVE* I'd love to watch an unboxing/review video of yours with her 😊 Your Cool Clips Barbie unboxing is one of my many favorite videos of yours! :)
Dude, that is so cool. I love your reviews. You do an amazing job of going over every detail and giving the history and all the fun stuff about the most controversial dolls.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I remember this being a big deal back in the day. This is just a case of some people being easily triggered into something rather foolish. I would be that the dolls that had their boxes changed out are worth way more than the regular dolls.
As someone with dyscalculia (math learning disability) if I had a doll that even hinted that Barbie had the same disability when I was a kid that would make my day
I hated math class beyond simple mathmatics, I find no use for anything beyond addition, subtraction, multiplication and simple divison. Which I can do in my head. But beyond those I find no use for advanced math. So yes math in higher grades was hard for me as I found no use for it, it became so very hard to learn. My learning style is that I need it to be useful, intresting or creatively taught or I have a hard time with learning. Sadly my teachers hated that, but eh I'm old now and they now do learning based teaching.
People criticizing Barbie for liking feminine things miss the point of feminism. Insisting that "feminine" things are inferior implies that "masculine" things are superior, s concept that is rooted deeply in the patriarchy. Feminism is about having choices, and being multifaceted. Barbie likes pink, shopping and wearing dresses, but she also has had so many careers in male-dominated industries, even before women were "allowed" to work those jobs. And math class *is* tough for some people, regardless of gender. It doesn't mean she's bad at math, it just doesn't come easily to her.
The bigger issue is offering girls largely fluff about shopping and makeup and boys violent toys. Neither of these things are necessary a problem but the balance is off. Everyone deserves variety in their toys and why shouldn’t common experience be the aim?
I have the one that says “math class is tough”. It is in excellent condition but out of the box. I’m trying to figure out how much I can sell it for. Please let me know if you have any idea. Great video!
I'm going to disagree with a lot of comments saying they don't see why "math class is tough" is potentially harmful to kids! Now, do I think it's deeply, irrevocably harmful and think this Barbie should've been pulled from shelves? No. But I'm definitely glad I didn't own this as a child and I wouldn't buy one for my theoretical daughter, either. What people don't understand is that adults and children internalize and interpret the exact same phrases very differently-- what is an innocuous, true statement to you is perpetuating harmful ideas that will affect children for the rest of their lives. The best example I can think of to illustrate this is broccoli-- a lot of kids think broccoli is gross not because they've ever tried it, but because TV shows often portray broccoli as "yucky". Kids are incredibly impressionable and take things at face value, often carrying beliefs to extremes no one can predict. The same applies to math. To you, "math class is tough!" is a neutral, even fairly accurate, statement. To a child, "math class is tough!" is confirmation that math = bad. Framing math in that context makes them more resistant to learning it later. Now consider that boys do not (to my knowledge) have any toys marketed to them that carry any of the same sentiments, and you can see where teaching basically only little girls that math = hard and hard = bad can create a pretty harmful discrepancy between how girls and boys view and interact with math as a subject. Now, that isn't to say this is guaranteed or irreparable damage or that it's even that hard to combat (teaching your child the phrase "I can do hard things" can do a lot of good for them). But it's damage worth criticizing and worth avoiding in the future. How you frame things to children can have a much deeper impact than you'd ever expect it to have! And if you're only framing it that way to girls, it helps reinforce a lot of misogynistic stereotypes.
I remember when these dolls came out, I always loved them. I have about 6 or 7 of them, I got them all when they were new. I don't know if I know what all of mine say, there might be some I never even put batteries in at the time, because I really just liked all the hair, eye and outfit variation of the dolls. I mainly got redhead and brunette versions as I recall. I should pop batteries in all of mine to see if any of them still talk. I know that I have two green-eyed redheads wearing the mint green ensemble, I like that I got 'twins'.
But Math class is tough. I'm a woman who was in tears when it came to my math homework. It only got better when I had accommodations to use a calculator in my math classes. It's not anti feminist to have women say something is tough. Also Barbie has been a scientist, astronauts and so many other STEM professions that her as TEEN saying math is hard is actually relatable. If you want to humanize the plastic woman so much then you need to let her be a teenage girl
I need accommodations to be allowed to stay home to study (I’m AuDHD and the in-person class experience absolutely stupefies me with anxiety) and not be required to attend class except for labs and tests. My community college (I’m not so stupid that I couldn’t go to a real college right out of high school, my abusive foster parent just wouldn’t let me apply to a real college) refused to make this accommodation so I had to switch majors to something that could be mostly done online just to transfer to a real college.
Hello Joey, have you seen the new Monster High Core Refresh dolls? I would really like to know your opinion. Especially on Draculaura because her doll is really similiar to the original from 2010. Otherwise, really cool video! You never dissapoint❤
I undertand both POVs in this controversy but as a 90s kid i do remember there was a context of girls being expected to go diwn this ditzy route to please society in general BUT i do see how the phrase is (suspiciously) vague enough so its up to the buyer to decide the final meaning of it. What i love to see is that fight for gender equality has always been a thing and not just a "gen z liberal" thing as many crusty ppl nowadays say. Thanks for thsi quick history lesson (:
Honestly, I think the wedding phrase is the most out of pocket one. If I had a gorgeous doll that said math class is tough I would feel a lot better about being bad at math lol.
Math is hard 🤣🤣🤣. I've always struggled with math! I bought 2 teen talk barbies from eBay, both different than yours. One says the golden phrase, I was so excited!!! It's like having a small slice of barbie history! Also, you should use a butter knife to scrape the metal pegs inside the barbie that hold the battery. It probably has some corrosion on it and can be scraped off. That has saved my 90's doctor, Barbie, and my AA Dentist Barbie! Give it a try, Joey, you never know!
Aaaw I had the one in the black leggings. But she was a gift from Italy so she spoke in Italian lol. I still have the clothing pieces and they are lovely. Great to mix with other pieces. They don't make quality dolls like this anymore.
I like the colour palette of the '6 Phrase' one too. I mean this nice, 15:06 but does it seem like that one has a little bit of a 'bloated' look in the face from the side? Especially compared to the '4 Phrase' Doll. I still have my original Doll, I don't have any of the original clothes or acessories, but she's in a cute outfit. I took the batteries out years ago so they wouldn't leak, not sure if she still Talks. xo
What a fun video! (Like all yours are.) I'm so old my first Barbie had a pony tail and black and white striped swimsuit, and I've been a feminist since I was in high school in 1970. And yeah, math IS hard, at least it sure was hard for me, and I dont' have a single problem with Barbie agreeing with me about that. I was hoping your Barbie would say that, too!
Barbie is a doctor, astronaut, horse trainer, marine biologist, business woman and more yet people are complaining because one doll says "math is hard" 🙄🙄
The expectations put on Barbie are ridiculously high! She’s put in an impossible situation
@@BeautyInsideABox meanwhile, Ken remained silent.🙄
I'm a woman, I hated math and was terrible at. It's not "anti-woman" to say math is tough.
I have a learning disability that makes math difficult to do and I'm offended that Mattel recalled this doll because of that phrase which just perpetuates the ableist idea that kids with learning disabilities are wrong and that they should be able to do it.
Math class is actually very easy if attendance is not mandatory. I study better at home without a teacher yapping in my ear.
I'm sorry, but as someone who graduated from university with a degree in mathematics, I don't see what's wrong with the phrase "math class is tough". Barbie did not say that "math class is not for women" or "I hate math class". She just said it was tough. Many things in the world are tough, that doesn't mean that a person who thinks they are tough will never do them or become successful at them.
Barbie is speaking the truth, math is hard
Well said! Unless you're a genius, and even then, I've never heard anyone say that math is a piece of cake!
Всё верно сказано. Плюс математика может даваться тяжело и для мальчиков. Как всегда общество сделали из мухи слона из-за безобидной фразы.
Facts ! Nothing in life is easy nun wrong with saying it out loud, lol us westerners and our non issues 😂😂
it’s stereotyping teen girls
It’s so stupid that she was seen as controversial for the math comment, literally 90% of kids would agree that “math class is tough” myself included 💀
People had no real problems so they made one up.
"Mathe ist mein Lieblingsfach" ****SAID NO DAMN PERSON EVER****
@@sweethistorteaThey Might Be Aliens LoL
I have a learning disability that makes doing math difficult. I find it extremely ableist that people won't let kids say that math is hard for them.
I consider myself a radical feminist and even I struggle to understand how the phrase was ever offensive. Math is tough! It’s not like she said “math is tough for girls!”
Yeah! Also having some relatable phrases is more important and feminist than all her phrases being positive
True, though she was mostly addressing girls.
Yes, girls who know maths is tough but I’m torn on it because it plays into the pretty airhead stereotype.
So you must know that some radicals feminists of today are searching problems to have something or someone else to blame for every little problems in them life. Wokism.
@@foxesofautumn But recalling the doll can be also seen as an ableist move to tell kids who struggle with math because of a learning disability that they should be ashamed of it and must never say that they find math hard.
@@BeautyInsideABox I always hated math. I can understand how it could be interpreted as reinforcing negative stereotypes, but I just don't like math and I'm not good at it. It's not anti-feminist to just not like something.
As girl who grew up in the 90s and had a hard time with math, I always found the stink about that phrase ridiculous! We should be able to say when something is hard and not be afraid to ask for help.
I'm a guy and I have a learning disability that made performing math very difficult and I think people who were offended by that phrase were being completely ableist.
it's funny how people were up in arms about barbie saying math is hard but they let slide gi joe saying all those violent military phrases lmao
Yeah! ‘Eat lead cobra’ is pretty intense
Let's hear it for misogyny!
As a grown woman in her 40s I want that Barbie shouting Vengeance is mine. So bad lol
RIP blue hat teen talk Barbie. you don’t have to worry anymore. There’s no math class in heaven.
RIP🕊🕊
Generally speaking as a woman who grew up loving Barbies and still do, I don’t believe this doll was harmful… Ever? The phrases is perfectly fine, and the only people that were hurt by it clearly were trying to find reason to attack the brand for the sake of it. “Math class is tough” as someone who was a teenage girl a few years ago, *big yes it is* that doesn’t mean, as everyone said, it’s a bad thing. Barbie saying all of these phrases were meant to make her relatable for kids, like she was really “talking” to them
Barbie was just being a normal girl and relate to those that might struggle a bit with math, it's not easy for everyone. People over reacted to this doll
I mean, if you look at it, Teen Talk Barbie could be venting about math class to her friends, or planning to get tutoring. On a side note, if they did make talking Barbies, a bilingual Teresa doll would be cool
She was definitely, as a doll, looking for tutoring lol
@@paulmajor2667 that’s what the phrase was implying to me
She wasn't lying though. Math class was hard lol
Hi. I'm a woman about to get my sixth degree. Math class is tough. Barbie is right. I still aced the math classes I needed to in order to get my degrees. It's not antiwoman to say that I worked hard to get my grades. They made a big deal over nothing complaining about these dolls.
Also, Ken, congrats on your dance skills.
Yeah I totally agree. Math is definitely harder than shopping and trying on clothes
Math class would be a lot easier if you weren’t forced to attend in-person classes where you become absolutely stupefied with anxiety.
i can NOT stress enough how much i want a teen talk barbie that tells me to eat lead and a talking g.i. joe that wants to go shopping with the girls
I always look forward to your retro collection episodes. I have the red version which is the USA 🎉version. My batteries are stuck in there. She used to say math is tough.
She is one of my 1990s favorites.
I agree with Barbie, math class is tough, honestly this whole controversy is way overblown, they really did make a controversy out of nothing
And not to mention how the controversy is extremely ableist to those with learning disabilities.
@@kenthuang436 as a bitch with a learning disability, yeah, it sure is
BRING HER TO 'THE REPAIR SHOP'!! SHE WILL SPEAK AGAIN!!
I was thinking the same!
But math class is indeed tough 😂
To me, this is the prettiest Barbie that was ever made...as a new collector who is learning, can you tell me which face sculpt this one has?
That was my fave Simpson episode! Too bad so many dwell on the negatives and not any of the positives. I think your right, she was simply being relatable. Happy Thanksgiving!
He's British, he most likely doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving.
They don't do that, right?
@@genericusername9083no we don't haha
@@genericusername9083nope they don’t lol, it’s only in North America
Lots of countries celebrate their own Thanksgiving--just different dates for each.
I have this doll in AA version, and Brunette . My AA say’s the the money phrase “math class is tough”, I sooooo lucked out buying her a few years ago mint in box.
"my horse is a showjumper" bye that's so funny
it's giving "my other car is a lambo"
I read about this doll as a kid in a very feminist magazine for young girls called New Moon; I think the doll was a few years old at that point, but there was an article about its controversy and it seemed to go with the expectation that readers would agree the phrase "Math class is tough" was harmful and that Mattel was right to remove it. At the time I didn't understand what was wrong with it, probably in part because I was too young to have had a lot of exposure to the "girls are bad at math" stereotype, as my school was pretty progressive, my dad was a math teacher, and I was good at math so I was vaguely insulted by the implication that I would stop being good at it just because of a talking doll. (Also, when I reached calculus in high school, math did get a lot harder for me, so when I was the "age" this Barbie was probably meant to represent, yeah, math class *was* tough.) But wow. I was there for the controversy and it's still being talked about.
The real question I have is, since the UK dolls have British accents, I wonder if they say "maths" instead of "math."
I actually found math was less hard after elementary school once you forget all the bad habits they drilled into you about how to do math. I actually got good at mental arithmetic from playing Pokémon for a few years and calculating battle damage in my head. Math only became hard again after my foster parent threw me out and I realized I have crippling anxiety in the classroom now that home became a comfortable place to study. So I had to study the whole lower division math curriculum at the library and get special permission to take upper division math classes at my university.
I think everyone forgot about male students, because Barbie saying "math class is tough" is literally just something a teenager would say. It has nothing to do with women really.....
I absolutely love the swapped voice boxes. I want both Barbie and GI Joe 😂 love your videos as always ❤
Ah, I was just in the middle of mental crisis and here comes Joey with a new video 🥹 I guess that's exactly what I needed 💛 And such a shame that one of them doesn't work anymore 😥 I guess I would totally try to open this doll trying to use my degree and hoping that changing some "wires" will bring her back to life (but at the same time would be scared af to open her, because of her age 😅🙈)
The Malibu Stacey Episode is iconic
Ok what if Barbie was actually having trouble in math and asking for help and this is what happens!?
Exactly! Poor thing.
Or what if she had a learning disability that made doing math difficult?
Her outfits scream Hilary from Fresh Prince and oddly so does her attitude without the bossy spoiled not so bright behavior. I wonder which came first…
You got one with S tier phrases, you should be super happy! Both beach party and Ken's a great dancer and pretty sought after
Ohhh I didn’t know that. I’m pleased
I still have my teen talk Barbies. I cherish them forever ❤❤
I had the one in black. I thought she was super cute. I don't remember if mine said math class is tough but I kinda think she did. (Oh, I was in high school when I got her. I had just decided that I didn't care if I was "too old" for Barbie. )
I remember that I, even back then, thought how ugly the fashions were on these dolls. 😝 But that the hat is no hat … wow.
As someone with Dyscalcula I would of definitely found the phrase relatable. I agree with you Joey like I feel the phrase was ment to be relateable. Also dont people sometimes complain that Barbie is to perfect sometimes so im sure they added that because of that reason too. I personally think there cute dolls.
Also love that she loves school and the beach and glad Ken can dance lol
Joey, on the doll that isnt working try take a mini flat head screw driver like the ones used to repair eyeglasses and scrape the metal contacts inside the battery compartment. If there is a metal piece inside the battery cover on the dolls back, try bending it up slightly to make a better connection with the batteries. Use canned air and blow out the metal corrosion. Replace the new batteries and then try holding the button down on the back of the doll for a few seconds.
I have dyscalculia (not the brain disease, the maths thing) it's basically dyslexia but the maths version instead of English and yeah, maths is *tough* I felt weirdly heard by Barbie saying that...? some people struggle and that's okay. As long as you gave it a try in the first place, that's all anyone can ask
I struggled a lot with math all throughout school and having barbie say math is tough makes me feel acknowledged instead of dumb like society has 😭
If even the most famous fashion doll thinks math is tough, then I don’t feel as alone in not being good at it ❤️
@@KingOfGaymesI wasn’t good at it either. Especially with fractions and decimals. I only got up to pre- Algebra. I didn't do too bad, since the teacher was good at explaining how to work the figures. I still am not that great at Math and I am almost 50.
@@julieletford5695 Awww, i find this super inspirational, i'm sorry this is a lil personal but did it ever stop you finding work...? I'm a young person currently looking but due to the fact I flunked maths i'm kinda struggling atm... I'm happy to hear about your experience with your teacher though, mine in college were pretty crap ngl...
@@KingOfGaymes I feel exactly the same way! everybody struggles and just like what @yulia_plat said there's nothing wrong with Barbie saying it's tough.. because it is. She never said people can't do it. and not further not alone, you got me and the whole dyscalculia community 💖
As for feeling dumb, it doesn't matter what colour you are, what you identify as, religion... we all struggle in some aspect at life. I can't read maths but i'm good at history! Just cos you struggle with *one* thing doesn't make you dumb Sweetie, and don't let anyone tell you so!
Sorry, i'm rambling. You have a good life okay? Merry Early Christmas!
@@GalaxyfullofStars No. Neither my parents or I would have had problems with this doll. I was in high school when she was released, though.
8:06 Such a valid point. I collect Barbie Fashionistas and this reminds me of how, for a short while, the dolls had empowering messages written on their packaging. Only the US monolingual versions did this, so seeing them in the UK was rare. Here's the rub: the Barbie dolls bore these messages, the Ken dolls didn't. Great job promoting gender equality, Mattel!
No one gave a crap about her studying to be a doctor but how dare she say math is tough...lmfao
Exactly!! How conveniently they overlooked that phrase
I’ve had probably 10 of these dolls in my life, and each one is different. I have been lucky to find two that did say math class is tough, there’s probably about 3000 that say that phrase. So if you’re just casually finding them I’m sure you’ll run into one. One of my “math class is tough” dolls actually had a hard time working at first. And I willed her to talk by honestly just fidgeting with her battery’s and pressing her button. And eventually she spoke. Then she said the phrase. It was awesome. I hope you can get yours to talk eventually. I’m very curious what she says. Because I’ve never seen her box style before, and two extra phrases would be interesting to hear. I betcha she could be the British version because her hair style is uncommon for the blonde doll. She has the kanekalon(however you spell it) hair fiber and usually those dolls had fluffy bangs and crimped hair that went all the way up to the root! Beautiful dolls. I loved the one that spoke when she said you’re her best friend it was touching.
Oohhh good to know. I’ll keep fiddling with it. I think it might be a British version too. Imagine if it says ‘math class is tough’ in a British accent! Hahaha
Education is hard. I'm a slow learner. I got c and D's. How about Barbie's saying I got an f in psychology.
Funny how when Ariana Grande said "math class never was fun" at the end of 34+35 no one said a word. But if Barbie utters it... Oh my!
I want those big, Blossom hats to come back in style so much 🌼👒
I wanted one with only "Math is tough" phrases then i play it many in public lets what those wackos will do 😂 love that barbie ❤
I want one that says ‘I hate maths and going to school’! Now that’s relatable lol
For context, this was an era where a common stereotype was that Girl Brains weren't analytical enough to be doctors, engineers, etc. Women were "supposed to" be in socially oriented careers because "boys are naturally good at math, girls aren't." Mattel CHOSE "Math is tough" when they could have had Barbie say anything else. I'm sure the intent wasn't malicious, but I'm also sure it reflected to the biases of the people who made the doll. "What subject would Barbie have trouble with? OBVIOUSLY math, she's a girl."
Imagine if the Naturalista doll line created a doll who said "Some days I hate my hair!" Most women, including black women, do feel like that some days. But that still wouldn't be appropriate.
Very good point. Although I do also think math was probably chosen because a lot of kids struggle with it. But yes there are probably some unconscious biases showing here
I hate how they’re forcing social orientation on math classes now by enforcing mandatory attendance for a grade. As an autistic I find myself absolutely stupefied with anxiety when I have to go to school in an in-person setting.
@@nuclearcatbaby1131I’m also autistic and I have extreme difficulty trying to do math. But just because I am unable to solve some complex calculus equation doesn’t mean I’m stupid. I know how to drive a manual shift car and learned how to operate the stick shift in two Saturday afternoon lessons from my dad. He was impressed how quickly I learned to drive a stick shift car. I can also tell you all about music from the 80s and all about Pokemon. I know more things than people expect me to know. Not being able to do math is something that you shouldn’t be ashamed of but society refuses to accept that fact. It’s socially okay if you can’t read because you’re dyslexic but you are “wrong” if you can’t solve algebraic equations within two minutes and say that you can’t do it.
@@kenthuang436 I can do math just fine when I’m at home and I know all about 80s music and Pokémon up to gen IV - obsessing over Pokémon and how to calculate battle damage in my head is actually how I got good st math - but I can’t drive any kind of car let alone a stick. Heck I can’t even ride a bike! Couldn’t drive in that little Barbie car for kids when I was 7 either.
I feel like Barbie who is literally **everything** having a single flaw like this makes her relatable and more interesting… So, I don’t really see how it was deemed offensive 😭
Like oh hey Barbie thinks math is hard and so do I
Well math was hard for me when I was growing up that’s why when I was in elementary school I was in special education classes wish they had them in a college level so yeah i can disagree on the controversy but it is what it is still love dolls and Barbie is one of
My favorite dolls
Same so Idk why adults back then hated it like I'm sorry do I have to like it because you adult say I have to
@@Neo-Queenserenityt2l math is still difficult even for me as an adult now because i have no one to be patient enough to help me nowadays either but yeah so relatable nothing like dolls for therapy they are patient with me and dolls are very loyal too love dolls
Eh, it's a weird one for me. On the one hand yeah I think it's pretty harmless. But on a whole it was still symptomatic of a generalised pooing on maths and science for girls - just one little thing among so many others and together they are harmful. Normalising girls whinging it's tough just says yeah, it is, every girl thinks this way, so who cares about math - and the media will just go after Barbie because she's popular. Barbie can't get a break though, I'm pretty sure she has a math teaching doll several times over. They just go for her because she's low hanging fruit.
The comment “math class is tough” is just Barbie being real people always are like “Barbie’s waist is to small same with her feet” plus it what Barbie thinks not everyone
I think it's funny when they switched the voice boxes 😂
I really want the Barbie that was used in the show Dexter, but she probably costs a fortune.
I love these dolls! I think the controversy was much to do about nothing.❤
Did they ever make a teen talk Ken? I feel like if they had Ken say ‘math class is tough’ it would’ve made this whole thing blow over
The amount of work you put into these videos must be huge! Thank you for your excellent work!
Take the doll on the left to a doll hospital and they will fix her voice box. Even better take her to Steve in the U.S. who fixes Crissy's voice box. He might be able to fix yours. He is on CZcams.
Great video, thank you! I got that Barbie, but she speaks Greek! It was bought in Greece in 1992 and until now I had no idea what she was saying. 😂 I still enjoyed playing with her and imagined her sentences in my head. When I saw this video, I thought I'll finally find out, so thank you for sharing all the info. I had no idea there was such controversy about the doll, besides Math is hard for everybody, even those who excell in it! Barbie was a beautiful part of my childhood. I find her inspirational, beautiful and as fun as a toy can be!
I had Super Talk Barbie as a kid (and still have her now on my shelf and she still talks lol). In my opinion she’s a lot better than this Barbie, but I think she’s often forgotten about by collectors because of the controversy surrounding Teen Talk Barbie.
If you’re a collector, I’d highly recommend checking out Super Talk Barbie, she’s a cutie and says a lot more phrases.
Math is hard 😂
This is such a fun episode
Tbh, I would probably have used that phrase to communicate that I was struggling with math wheb I would go nonverbal. I can see a kid who is struggling wqlking up to their parent, holding the doll up, and letting the doll say "math class is tough" to facilitate asking for help
i stand with the Barbie Liberation Organization!
Hi! I’m totally addicted to your video so keep up the good work! 🎉
I bought one from a US FBook auction, and how excited was I when she actually said THE phrase! 😅
Hello Dave! By any chance do you happen to have Bead Blast Barbie? Because I think it is one of those Barbie dolls you'll *LOVE* I'd love to watch an unboxing/review video of yours with her 😊 Your Cool Clips Barbie unboxing is one of my many favorite videos of yours! :)
Dude, that is so cool. I love your reviews. You do an amazing job of going over every detail and giving the history and all the fun stuff about the most controversial dolls.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I found and bought growing skipper another talked off barbie. She is from my childhood. So happy to have her.😊
The Barbie movie did reference Teen Talk Barbie.
I remember this being a big deal back in the day. This is just a case of some people being easily triggered into something rather foolish. I would be that the dolls that had their boxes changed out are worth way more than the regular dolls.
I’m sorry but a cutesy Barbie with a deep voice growling “vengeance is mine!” Is the best toy in the world and I need one now
As someone with dyscalculia (math learning disability) if I had a doll that even hinted that Barbie had the same disability when I was a kid that would make my day
I hated math class beyond simple mathmatics, I find no use for anything beyond addition, subtraction, multiplication and simple divison. Which I can do in my head. But beyond those I find no use for advanced math. So yes math in higher grades was hard for me as I found no use for it, it became so very hard to learn. My learning style is that I need it to be useful, intresting or creatively taught or I have a hard time with learning.
Sadly my teachers hated that, but eh I'm old now and they now do learning based teaching.
People criticizing Barbie for liking feminine things miss the point of feminism. Insisting that "feminine" things are inferior implies that "masculine" things are superior, s concept that is rooted deeply in the patriarchy.
Feminism is about having choices, and being multifaceted. Barbie likes pink, shopping and wearing dresses, but she also has had so many careers in male-dominated industries, even before women were "allowed" to work those jobs.
And math class *is* tough for some people, regardless of gender. It doesn't mean she's bad at math, it just doesn't come easily to her.
She refuses to spill the tea 😂😂
The bigger issue is offering girls largely fluff about shopping and makeup and boys violent toys. Neither of these things are necessary a problem but the balance is off. Everyone deserves variety in their toys and why shouldn’t common experience be the aim?
I have the one that says “math class is tough”. It is in excellent condition but out of the box. I’m trying to figure out how much I can sell it for. Please let me know if you have any idea. Great video!
That’s hilarious they swapped the voice boxes but I would have been pissed if it was one I got my daughter 😂😂😂😂😂
The fashion of this doll is gold! Back then I thought she was amazing. She still is. Just in her time yesterday, just weirdly cool now.
I'm going to disagree with a lot of comments saying they don't see why "math class is tough" is potentially harmful to kids!
Now, do I think it's deeply, irrevocably harmful and think this Barbie should've been pulled from shelves? No. But I'm definitely glad I didn't own this as a child and I wouldn't buy one for my theoretical daughter, either.
What people don't understand is that adults and children internalize and interpret the exact same phrases very differently-- what is an innocuous, true statement to you is perpetuating harmful ideas that will affect children for the rest of their lives. The best example I can think of to illustrate this is broccoli-- a lot of kids think broccoli is gross not because they've ever tried it, but because TV shows often portray broccoli as "yucky". Kids are incredibly impressionable and take things at face value, often carrying beliefs to extremes no one can predict.
The same applies to math. To you, "math class is tough!" is a neutral, even fairly accurate, statement. To a child, "math class is tough!" is confirmation that math = bad. Framing math in that context makes them more resistant to learning it later. Now consider that boys do not (to my knowledge) have any toys marketed to them that carry any of the same sentiments, and you can see where teaching basically only little girls that math = hard and hard = bad can create a pretty harmful discrepancy between how girls and boys view and interact with math as a subject.
Now, that isn't to say this is guaranteed or irreparable damage or that it's even that hard to combat (teaching your child the phrase "I can do hard things" can do a lot of good for them). But it's damage worth criticizing and worth avoiding in the future. How you frame things to children can have a much deeper impact than you'd ever expect it to have! And if you're only framing it that way to girls, it helps reinforce a lot of misogynistic stereotypes.
I think Math sounds better than Maths.
I remember when these dolls came out, I always loved them. I have about 6 or 7 of them, I got them all when they were new. I don't know if I know what all of mine say, there might be some I never even put batteries in at the time, because I really just liked all the hair, eye and outfit variation of the dolls. I mainly got redhead and brunette versions as I recall. I should pop batteries in all of mine to see if any of them still talk. I know that I have two green-eyed redheads wearing the mint green ensemble, I like that I got 'twins'.
I remember thinking kids were so dumb for eating the poo, but I was young and had high standards, lol
Holy crap you totally need to see if you can find someone to repair the one that isn’t working so we can find out her phrases!
Yes! She might be fixable. With some luck.
I mean she's not wrong
MATH = Mental Abuse To Humans
so yes Barbie is right math class is tough.
Hahahaha
Facts
But Math class is tough. I'm a woman who was in tears when it came to my math homework. It only got better when I had accommodations to use a calculator in my math classes. It's not anti feminist to have women say something is tough. Also Barbie has been a scientist, astronauts and so many other STEM professions that her as TEEN saying math is hard is actually relatable. If you want to humanize the plastic woman so much then you need to let her be a teenage girl
I totally agree! She can still be good and math and find it tough. People put ridiculously high expectations on Barbie
I need accommodations to be allowed to stay home to study (I’m AuDHD and the in-person class experience absolutely stupefies me with anxiety) and not be required to attend class except for labs and tests. My community college (I’m not so stupid that I couldn’t go to a real college right out of high school, my abusive foster parent just wouldn’t let me apply to a real college) refused to make this accommodation so I had to switch majors to something that could be mostly done online just to transfer to a real college.
I love this channel so much. You’re so funny. Lol.
I have two of these dolls and one talks spanish and the other french , i have no idea of what they say😂😂😂
i really don’t see a problem with the things she’s saying, let’s be real 12yo won’t be talking about feminism with her friends 😭 and math is tough
Hello Joey, have you seen the new Monster High Core Refresh dolls? I would really like to know your opinion. Especially on Draculaura because her doll is really similiar to the original from 2010. Otherwise, really cool video! You never dissapoint❤
I undertand both POVs in this controversy but as a 90s kid i do remember there was a context of girls being expected to go diwn this ditzy route to please society in general BUT i do see how the phrase is (suspiciously) vague enough so its up to the buyer to decide the final meaning of it.
What i love to see is that fight for gender equality has always been a thing and not just a "gen z liberal" thing as many crusty ppl nowadays say. Thanks for thsi quick history lesson (:
Same Barbie same math class Is tough 😩 also I love her outfits this one is so cute!!
Honestly, I think the wedding phrase is the most out of pocket one. If I had a gorgeous doll that said math class is tough I would feel a lot better about being bad at math lol.
Why not “English class is tough” oh because English class is tough for literally nobody
Math is hard 🤣🤣🤣. I've always struggled with math! I bought 2 teen talk barbies from eBay, both different than yours. One says the golden phrase, I was so excited!!! It's like having a small slice of barbie history!
Also, you should use a butter knife to scrape the metal pegs inside the barbie that hold the battery. It probably has some corrosion on it and can be scraped off. That has saved my 90's doctor, Barbie, and my AA Dentist Barbie! Give it a try, Joey, you never know!
Haha oh youre so lucky! I’ll give the butter knife a try 👍🏻
Imagine getting “im studying to become a doctor” “teaching kids is fun!” And then “Math class is tough!”
Aaaw I had the one in the black leggings. But she was a gift from Italy so she spoke in Italian lol. I still have the clothing pieces and they are lovely. Great to mix with other pieces. They don't make quality dolls like this anymore.
Math class ISSSS tough, I just got the 'gay' Ken. Love these classic dolls.
Barbie is right - maths class was the absolute worst in school. Honestly, relatable Barbie moment.
I wish we could open more of these and see what they say lol
I like the colour palette of the '6 Phrase' one too. I mean this nice, 15:06 but does it seem like that one has a little bit of a 'bloated' look in the face from the side? Especially compared to the '4 Phrase' Doll. I still have my original Doll, I don't have any of the original clothes or acessories, but she's in a cute outfit. I took the batteries out years ago so they wouldn't leak, not sure if she still Talks. xo
What a fun video! (Like all yours are.) I'm so old my first Barbie had a pony tail and black and white striped swimsuit, and I've been a feminist since I was in high school in 1970. And yeah, math IS hard, at least it sure was hard for me, and I dont' have a single problem with Barbie agreeing with me about that. I was hoping your Barbie would say that, too!
Please more Lives Chan reviews! I love your channel