I've been surprised before by Barbie products where I expected to see maybe one or two and found dozens - laundries, for example. But another on these lines where I am simply surprised by the number of variations on a theme that I wouldn't have been at all surprised for Mattel to have never explored... is the humble bathroom.
I understand the appeal of Barbie, but I struggle a little more with Barbie having a bathtub and toilet. It has never occurred to me that for some young ones, making Barbie take a shit is an integral part of the gameplay.
There's been toilets involved in some sets specifically themed around children. I'm thinking of Potty Training Kelly or the potty training playset from the Skipper Babysitters, Inc series. The idea being that you are assisting with a child learning to use the toilet in the first place.
But Barbie herself sometimes also needs a restroom. And, in fact, not just any restroom, but one to match the Barbie aesthetic. My favourite example of this specifically is Glam Bathroom from 2013.
Does Barbie need her bathroom to be glam? Damn right she does.
Another playset from 2007 has a much humbler name (Barbie Bathtub & Toilet Bathroom Playset) but also features a design that looks right at home in Barbieland in a way that no toilet and tub feel like they should.
It also features a cat climbing out of the toilet. I have heard that people with curious pets should keep the lid down to avoid that. My toilet, like Barbie's, actually doesn't have a lid, but my cat has only drunk out of the toilet once and it was when the water in her water bowl was too low and she was making a statement.
It is also important for me to tell you that the Barbie camper vans have a toilet in the back.
I would never have noticed its absence, but it was covered for me.
