samanthamcnulty.

thedailywhat:

Barbie Ban of the Day: In what it referred to as a “new phase” in its ongoing crackdown on “manifestations of Western culture,” Iran’s morality police has moved to shut down dozens of toy stores peddling in banned Barbies.

The doll, once referred to by an Iranian children’s agency as a “Trojan horse” of Western influence, has been prohibited for sale in the country since the mid-90s.

Iran attempted to introduce a number of “pro-family” Barbie knockoffs with a more modest fashion sense, but the dolls were no match for the miniskirt-wearing original.

Despite the recent wave of suppression, the Associated Press notes that it continues to be fairly easy to obtain a Barbie in Iran.

[ap.]