Midge is a doll character in the Barbie line of toys by Mattel that was first released in 1963. She was marketed as Barbie’s best friend. Midge was reintroduced in 1988 as part of the play line, this time as Wedding Day Midge. She was sold with the groom, Alan Sherwood, who had been marketed as Midge’s boyfriend in the vintage years. The year after Midge and Alan were married, a picture of the couple with twin babies was shown in a pamphlet, but the dolls were never produced. In 2003, Midge and Alan were reintroduced with a family consisting of three children. Midge was sold pregnant with a tiny baby inside her magnetic removable womb. Needless to say, this led to controversy, with some consumers saying the doll was inappropriate for children and promoted teen pregnancy. In addition, Midge initially had no wedding ring and was packaged without Alan. Customers complained so loudly that Walmart pulled the dolls off the shelves.
