Toys R Us is offering an anatomically correct doll that has some parents in an uproar, and others saying it isn't a big deal.
The "You & Me Mommy Change My Diaper Doll" came to be the subject of controversy when
Monica Beyer of SheKnows.com noticed that one mom who'd bought the doll for her daughter had written a dramatic Facebook post decrying the manufacturer's inclusion of a penis. Beyer disagreed with the alarmist sentiment, and wrote a response piece titled "Why I'd rather explain a doll penis than a doll with no genitals."
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"How on earth is it inappropriate for a child to see a naked baby? What about a baby makes a penis or a vulva dirty or sexual?" she wrote in the post.
"Because that’s what it sounds like when people say that it’s wrong for little girls to see it. The truth is, when a child points out the body part that she doesn’t have, all a parent is required to do is call it by its name."
After
NBC's "Today" show caught wind of the doll and the waves it was making among parents, show producers reached out to Toys R Us.
The toy retailer said that they were aware of the potential controversy the doll might pose for some families, but said that they wanted to make it available and let parents decide for themselves.
The company said that it introduced "both of these dolls [male and female] in Spring 2013 and have received no significant negative feedback over the course of the past year. Also, please note that the current packaging clearly states 'anatomically correct.'"
New York City psychotherapist Dr. Robi Ludwig told "Today," "There’s nothing inappropriate, per se, about this doll," noting that kids don't think about genitalia in a sexual way.
"Having said that, I don’t know if it’s really necessary," she added. "I don’t know if I, as a parent, would need to buy a doll with a realistic-looking penis for my child. The company has a right to make it, and parents have a right to make a choice. You may not want this in your home, and that’s OK. Make that choice."
Some commenters on Facebook noted that the dolls are not the first widely available, anatomically correct dolls. They have come in and out of fashion since the 1970s.
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