As soon as Weird Barbie showed up in the Barbie movie, I felt a jolt of recognition. Finally, there was my most loved Barbie. All my favorites had crazy hair and homemade mismatched clothes. And that’s where the movie got it a little wrong for me- my Weird Barbies weren’t discarded and ostracized from the other Barbies. They were the stars of Barbieland.

What Makes a Barbie Weird

In the movie, they explain that Weird Barbie looks the way she does because she was played with too much. Too me, that’s a sign of a favorite toy. Now, I would never draw on my Barbie’s faces like how she has scribbles, but I would give them makeovers. They got bigger lips, drawn-on eyelashes and bright pink cheeks. Sometimes I’d do them up with Jem and the Holograms style makeup.

I’d take markers and give their hair streaks of color, and then give them haircuts. I wanted to them to all look unique and have their own style. And I always made their clothes. I once did a whole toilet paper couture fashion show. So, the dress with paint splatters and crazy boots was spot-on as far as wardrobe goes.

And the splits? That was accurate. Weird Barbie often ends up in odd positions, most likely after a round of “Let’s make the Barbies dance.” And by dancing, I mean tying yarn around their necks, tossing them over the 2nd story balcony and snapping them back up to make them go flying. This was a favorite activity of mine, and usually left Barbie looking a little rough.

So yes, I did play with them too hard and maybe some limbs occasionally went flying, but it was because I loved playing with them. My Barbies were skydiving daredevils who could take on any action figure. One minute they’re in a fashion show and then the next they’re in a competition to see who can dance their heads off. (it’s a good thing they pop right back on)

Let Barbie Out of the Box

To me, the saddest Barbie is the perfect one, still stuck in the box. Her hair and clothes are untouched, and she looks like a million other Barbies. I always had to make mine unique. I also had to take the special collector ones out of the box and see what their outfits looked like from the back.

Even as an adult, when I started collecting Monster High dolls because I was making their costumes, I couldn’t leave them in the box. I did keep them looking new and refrained from any sky-high dancing antics, but I still took them out of the box and displayed them where I could enjoy them.

And that’s why out of all the Barbies in the Barbie Movie, I picked Weird Barbie as my Halloween costume. She was MY Barbie. And her Weird Barbie Dreamhouse was the coolest house of them all.

Making the Weird Barbie Costume

About the Author

Candy Keane is a digital content creator and long-time cosplayer, most well-known for being on the cover of the Star Wars documentary Jedi Junkies. After making costumes professionally for over a decade, she now writes about geek culture and mom life, and continues to cosplay for fun, while sharing her love of costumes on Instagram @SewGeekMama. Her first children’s book, I’m Going to My First Comic Convention, was published in 2020 and won a Story Monsters Approved award for Excellence in Literature.

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