Spy Barbie upsets parents

It’s every parent’s dream — to be able to keep an eye on their kids 24/7 — work, chores and real life’s demands notwithstanding. The ‘nanny-cam’ was invented for this world. Hidden usually in a soft toy, its original utility was to surreptitiously record what nannies did with kids while parents were away. But Mattel’s new Barbie Video Girl, with a built in camera, has upset everyone from parents to the FBI who issued a statement to local police bureaus, warning that the toy can be misused as a tool for child pornography. Mattel tried to cash in on the fact that kids love taking photographs and filming people. But though the dolls are not available in the country yet, Indian parents are already up in arms against them.

The parent of an eight-year-old girl, Immanuel Sandeep, says, “My child is outgrowing playing with dolls. I don’t mind giving her a camera or a video camera. But I’m not comfortable giving her something in which a camera is covert. There could be trouble if these tapes get into the hands of adults. Children are naïve. The danger begins when the tape is seen from an adult’s angle.”

Some folks though think we just need to pace ourselves with a world in motion. Sam Rufus, associate vice-president, Deloitte, says, “I wouldn’t mind my daughter, Sasha, playing with a video camera. If she likes it and it entertains her enough, then there is no harm in letting her play with it. We need to change with the times. There was a time when I was not allowed to touch a black and white television set. I don’t want the same experience for my children.”

The kids are all for such toys and say a Barbie like this one would be perfect “for settling scores” with school bullies and pulling a fast one on friends. Prathik Rao, 11, says, “I’ve been asking my parents for this kind of a toy and would love to possess one. I’m sure I can pull a few pranks on my buddies with it.”

Mattel India however reassures worried Indian parents that it has no plans to launch the doll in India any time soon. Rahul Bhowmik, spokesperson of the company, says, “We do not carry the doll in our line here in India, and as of now there are no plans to carry the same in 2011 either.”

The spokesperson refused to divulge any further details.