Berlin's Barbie Dreamhouse Sparks Protests
Feminist activists were among several dozen people who demonstrated against the opening on Thursday of Europe's first life-sized Barbie Dreamhouse, slamming it as a sexist cliche.
Just a few steps from Alexanderplatz, the main shopping district of east Berlin, the 2,500-square-meter (26,900-square-foot) attraction transports the young visitor to a pink-hued Barbie universe.
"We don't want children having dreams that are impossible to attain without cosmetic surgery or I don't know what other physical change," Lars, 28, complained to Agence France Presse.
On a fountain in the form of a high heel, a Femen activist had her naked breasts covered by the slogan "Life in plastic is not fantastic" while burning a Barbie doll on a cross.
Later another protester went to throw the crucifix into the fountain, prompting members of the site's security to intervene and resulting in some brief jostling in front of news cameras.
Another demonstration organised by the Facebook faction, "Occupy Barbie Dreamhouse", created with a wink at the New York anti-greed movement Occupy Wall Street, drew several dozen people, passing off without incident.
Barbie's Dreamhouse was conjured up by Vienna-based Event Marketing Service with a licence from Mattel, the creator of Barbie dolls, and has a twin sister at a shopping mall in southern Florida.
Source: Agence France Presse
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