“Weird Barbies” have finally gotten the recognition they deserve this year. In Greta Gerwig’s box-office-smashing “Barbie,” Kate McKinnon portrays a disheveled doll who’s been played with “too hard.” Her face is scribbled on, her blond hair is chaotically chopped, and she’s often in the splits. Weird Barbie’s presence among the slew of other perfectly manicured Barbies and Kens clearly struck a chord: following the movie’s theater debut in July and Prime Video debut in September, viewers have shown off their own botched dolls from childhood, creating a social media trend that still makes us laugh to this day.
Over on TikTok, Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” soundtracks countless footage of Barbies that’ve undergone some pretty extreme makeovers. “I feel so bad for my barbie. She’s walking around in barbie land like this!” one user wrote over a clip of a shaved doll head attached to two plastic legs without a body or arms. Other videos show a doll stuck in a beer can, one with its detached head tied to the end of a ribbon, and another with a tiny picture of Eminem inexplicably taped over the face. Watching each’s doll’s unveiling is hilarious, nostalgic, and relatable all at the same time.
The Weird Barbie appreciation doesn’t stop there. In recent months, tons of creators have shared makeup tutorials inspired by McKinnon’s quirky character, and we can already tell she’s shaping up to be a popular Halloween costume pick this year. One TikToker even had the idea to host a “make your own Weird Barbie night” complete with paint, fabric, and other art supplies for friends to customize their own doll. Plus, in August, Mattel released a limited-edition Weird Barbie doll that’s since sold out online, proving she’s the standout star of 2023.
Read ahead to watch the funniest Weird Barbie TikToks we’ve come across, and get in on the fun by posting your own mangled toy for all to see.