Why was Allan doll discontinued? Controversy behind the Barbie lore explored

The Barbie movie and its characters have been in the news lately because of the release of the highly anticipated Greta Gerwig directorial. While Ryan Gosling's role as Ken in the movie has garnered significant attention, the film has brought to the forefront another doll, named Allan, which was discontinued from the series of Mattel dolls sometime after its release.

The role of Allan in the Greta Gerwig movie is played by Michael Cera. A clip from the movie that is now making rounds on the internet features Allan standing on a beach where many dolls that look like Barbie and Ken are seen happily saying hello to each other.

In the video, a voice (belonging to actress Helen Mirren) talks about Allan:

"There are no other dolls like Allan. He's the only one named Allan," the voice says.

Then, Allan, played by Cera, reacts to the voice and speaks directly to the audience, saying:

"Yeah, I'm a bit puzzled about that."

Allan Sherwood was a significant character in the Mattel doll world. Introduced in the 1960s, Allan was a close friend of Ken and the husband of Midge doll. He had a wholesome, boy-next-door image and was designed so that Barbie and Ken could go on double dates with another couple. Despite having a short-lived existence, Allan played a role in the Mattel doll storyline that intrigued many fans.

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Barbie lore: Allan and Midge dolls were discontinued as some believed that they were inappropriate for kids

The Allan doll was discontinued in 1966, likely due to lower popularity compared to Ken, Barbie's main love interest. Despite being launched as Ken's best friend and having the unique feature of being able to wear all of Ken's clothes, Allan failed to garner the same level of appeal and demand as Ken did, according to Mashable.

In the early '90s, Mattel attempted to revive the character by rebranding him as "Alan" and making him Barbie's friend Midge's new husband. Alan was then portrayed as the father of Midge's kids in an early 2000s Happy Family collection, along with their three-year-old child Ryan.

However, this attempt at introducing a pregnant Midge doll with a removable newborn sparked controversy and received negative feedback, leading to the shelving of the Happy Family collection, and subsequently, Allan's character was phased out once again.

Critics argued that the Midge doll's pregnancy sent the wrong message to young children, normalizing teen pregnancies or early motherhood.

While the pregnant Midge doll was marketed as an adult collector's item, the concern was that children might still be exposed to the doll and its message. This controversy put Mattel in a difficult position, forcing them to reconsider their approach to certain dolls in the Mattel dolls lineup.

It is also worth noting that Allan was a character in the Mattel doll world, and he got his name from someone special. The co-founder of Mattel, Ruth Handler, named him after her son-in-law.

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The Barbie movie arrived in theaters on July 21, 2023.