Midge, the pregnant doll mocked in 'Barbie,' may have failed in the 1960s because she was friendlier and 'much more girl-next-doorish' than Barbie, Ruth Handler once said

• Mattel's Midge doll may have failed in the 1960s because she was "less glamorous" than Barbie, Ruth Handler once said.
• Midge had the same body shape as Barbie but a "much more girl-next-doorish" look, Handler wrote.
• A pregnant version of the doll, referenced in Greta Gerwig's movie, was pulled from Walmart in 2002.

Midge, the pregnant character mocked in Greta Gerwig's "Barbie," was originally released in the 1960s but was taken off sale just years later due to poor sales, perhaps because she was less glamorous than Barbie, creator Ruth Handler once said.