Apple pulls plastic-surgery Barbie app after protests
Anger over a cartoony, Barbie-inspired plastic surgery app became so loud this week that Apple’s iTunes store on Tuesday pulled the game aimed at children 9 and older.
The free app, "Plastic Surgery Plastic Doctor Plastic Hospital Office for Barbie Version” allowed players to pick up a scalpel and slim down the “unfortunate” Barbie lookalike.
Players could inject her with anesthetic, make incisions and suction the fat from her swollen body.
The game’s description: “This unfortunate girl has so much extra weight that no diet can help her. In our clinic she can go through a surgery called liposuction that will make her slim and beautiful. We'll need to make small cuts on problem areas and suck out the extra fat. Will you operate her, doctor?”
Post-surgery, players could play dress-up with their newly slim patient, even choose a new hairstyle for her.
The app’s creator has a similar plastic surgery game for Santa. Yikes!
Reviews like this one left on the app’s home page were typical of the backlash: “This is by far THE most disgusting app I have ever seen! It is things like this that make little girls feel insecure about their bodies and how they feel like they have to be ‘perfect’ to fit in.”
A group called the
used Twitter to fuel protests and launch a campaign asking iTunes to reconsider marketing the “game,” which appeared to have no connection to Mattel.
reports that Google Play store also removed a similar plastic-surgery app from a different developer.
Somebody better stop the app madness.
What next? Brazil Butt Lift for Babies?
This story was originally published January 15, 2014 at 9:56 AM with the headline "Apple pulls plastic-surgery Barbie app after protests."