Barbie and Barney Backlash Day Date in the current year: December 16, 2025

Barbie and Barney & Friends have shaped the childhoods of several generations of children. The Barbie doll hardly needs an introduction, but here it is. Ruth Handler created Barbie after realizing there was a market niche for dolls resembling adults. Inspired by the German doll Bild Lilli, Handler designed her own doll, named it Barbie after her daughter Barbara, and presented the new doll on March 9, 1959.

Since then, Barbie has become one of the most iconic and coveted toys for children, spawning an extensive media franchise that includes video games, animated series, a live-action film, books, comic books, and other media. It 2006, it was estimated that over a billion Barbie dolls had been sold globally.

Barney & Friends is a children’s television series that aired on PBS from 1992 to 2010. Created by Sheryl Leach, it targets children aged two to five. The show’s titular character, Barney, is a friendly, optimistic purple and green dinosaur who conveys educational messages through songs.

Like Barbie, Barney & Friends has spawned a media franchise that includes two more series, Barney & the Backyard Gang and Barney’s World, as well as a film titled Barney’s Great Adventure. A second film is in development as of 2025. Interestingly, both franchises are owned by the same company. Barbie was Mattel’s first big success, while Barney was acquired by Mattel in 2012.

Despite their immense popularity with the target audience and their impact on popular culture, both Barbie and Barney have faced criticism. For example, Barbie has been criticized for promoting an unrealistic beauty ideal, presenting a narrow version of femininity, and encouraging consumerism. Barney & Friends has been criticized for presenting an overly cheerful world and overly simplistic educational content. Not to mention, many people find the theme song annoying due to its catchy tune and overly saccharine nature, especially when their kids insist on listening to it over and over again.

Ruth and Tom Roy created Barbie and Barney Backlash Day for their website, Wellcat Holidays, which is filled with fun and quirky reasons to celebrate. The purpose of the holiday isn’t to hate on Barbie and Barney; there’s a reason they’re so popular, after all. It simply gives parents the opportunity to introduce their kids to new media and characters.

Barbie and Barney Backlash Day also offers parents a chance to reflect on the media their children consume, as well as reminds them that children need their attention. Rather than leaving kids to their own devices with toys and television shows, parents should talk to their children, discuss their favorite characters, and help them develop critical thinking skills. While most media titles have their drawbacks, we should use them as learning tools instead of prohibiting our children from engaging with them.