I definitely think it is too gross. I do not think blood and gore is appropriate even at Halloween. This world has way too much violence in it with out adding more.
If you want to make a doll cake make a nice one and give it to someone. You must know somebody who would be thrilled to get a cake.
I have 2 boys 7 and 13, and a 4 year old girl. They would love it, even my daughter. If they watch Freddy, Jason or any of the other scary movies, she's right there.
We are having our Halloween party again this year. I haven't decided what to make yet. 
But I can guarantee that it will have to be scary. They love it.We have black plastic all through the horse barn(minus the horses), and we make a haunted house out of it. Pumkins, and ghost, blood, heads, hatchets and so much scary stuff is everywhere.
Anyway, if anyone has any scary ideas for the treats, I would appreciate the help.
And I say go for the scary doll cake, sounds cool.
I was also thinking maybe making her scary looking... like dracula or frankenstine's bride or something like that... not so much "killing" barbie 
Add another "love it but hate it" vote. I think it's hilarious but I do think it sends a bit of a misogynistic message...I mean, it's a woman who is being dismembered for a laugh. Of course boys would like this but I wouldn't like the message being sent from a parent, even at Halloween, even though the deeper meaning will probably go right over their heads. And I am NOT usually a party pooper, I LOVE Halloween and all of the gross and gory stuff. In this situation, it's not actually the gore that bothers me, I just think for kids, adults shouldn't make light of chopping off a woman's head. Maybe I wouldn't think this way if it was a Ken doll being dismembered?!
However I do think the bride of frankenstien or medusa sound great, and you can really go to town on decorating the dress part in a ratty, gauzy look. Or how about a mummy or zombie, which will allow you some guts and possibly even dismemberment without actually glorifying the killing of the figurine?
OR you even leave Barbie out of it entirely and use a skeleton doll... make it like a ghouly skeleton in a dress? That way the humor is not in the fact that a woman was killed, you're just talking about a mummy...
Just some thoughts about how you might be able to pull of this fantastic cake idea without worrying about offending ANYONE, no matter how many yays and nays you get...
I absolutely LOVE the idea of the skeleton. I am going with that. It takes all the drama out of this situation.
However, there never was a hidden message. Saying I want to make a Halloween themed Barbie cake for their party had replies of yeah let's make her gross and bloody. It's the same thing they would want if I made Ken into a cake.
I LOVE Halloween- I do understand/ respect reservations regarding not sending mysogynistic or abusive messages (especially when children are the audience) however Barbie, in and of itself, sends negative message to girls. One could joke that the cake's theme is another round of Barbie's plastic surgery gone awry. 
Also, LOVE the Frankenstein idea...
That said, I think your cake sounds fun- as long as the kids aren't too young (nightmares, etc)
*** This is just my opinion, and I do respect those of other people. 
however Barbie, in and of itself, sends negative message to girls.
LOL I am totally with you on that, don't even get me started!!!
Oh and Laura_G of course we all know that there is no hidden message, you're just a mom with a fun idea for a good, gross Halloween cake. I just think those of us who are a little wigged out by it just worry about the unintentional message that just sort of comes with the territory if you present it to a roomful of boys. They'll just think it's hilarious but you wonder, will something else "stick"?
Meanwhile, mummys are either gender so there's no unintentional message KWIM?! Maybe even the girls would get a kick out of barbie as a mummy or BofF? I myself prob. wouldn't hesitate to make her a really gross, worm-riddled mummy, or vampire (slb1956) too. It's different than decapitating her. So if you're still up for it, why not still make her gross+bloody like the boys want, just in a different way?!
By the way I went as CARRIE for Halloween two years in a row in my early 20's, so like I said, the idea of gross and bloody is not offensive to me! And I love the idea of completely corrupting the "doll cake" idea too. You should make it a red velvet cake and possibly even fill it with something so it really oozes and gushes when you cut it. Bring on the gore .
What a great idea!! Honestly, however, I would wait till your boys are in the early teens and THEN have a decapitated doll-cake. Cool. Middle-school aged kids LOVE the blood, gore, death, etc., etc., live for it, talk about, think about it, obsess. Kids that age just ADORE this.
(But when the girls are little 1st graders, I'd wait. I'll bet it would be sad for them and they wouldn't 'get' it. I have a 1st gr. nephew and he wouldn't understand why the doll's head was off the body.)
Have fun. Hey - like the idea of a skeleton doll, however. A little bit of anorexic halloween 
We did 'white faces' one year for the vampire look and alot of the adults told my son, "Gee, you really need to get out in the sunshine more often. You look a little pale."
Instead of cutting her head off, you could dress her up like Madoussa (sp?)= you know the mythical character with spiders for hair. Make her dress all black and tattered looking, black lacey gloves and spiders for hair. you could attempt to color the body and face whiter to make it look more ghostly.
That way it's not gorry, but not at all girly either!!
Valerie
Medusa had snakes for hair..........
Diane
It's a disgusting idea!!! Don't you watch the news/read the papers? Aren't kids already getting abused, mutilated, etc enough. And we wonder why Kids are sooo cruel. They're cruel because grownups set such good examples. Think about it! Now a loving (?) Mom wants to behead every little girls favorite doll, shatter favorite memories & dreams, and laugh about it???? What kind of message is that? Haven't our little ones suffered enough?
I like guts & gore, scary movies, but there's a time and place for everything. If you're determined to make a doll cake, have an adult party, where no kids see the cake, but be sure you include a beheaded Ken doll. As a female, I would be offended if he still had his on, or not even included.
Or make a pretty doll cake and give it to little girl that you know. It would make her very happy. Now there's a thought! This woman needs a couple of infant girls to raise, so she can really see what girls about. She's forgotten what it's like, I'm sure.
I've really enjoyed CC until now. Yes there's always different opinions but this one really sent me over the top.
It's a disgusting idea!!! Don't you watch the news/read the papers? Aren't kids already getting abused, mutilated, etc enough. And we wonder why Kids are sooo cruel. They're cruel because grownups set such good examples. Think about it! Now a loving (?) Mom wants to behead every little girls favorite doll, shatter favorite memories & dreams, and laugh about it???? What kind of message is that? Haven't our little ones suffered enough?
While I knew everyone would have an opinion, I feel I must reply to yours. I am not mutilating or abusing any children. My children are not cruel. I am a loving mother. It's Halloween. Kids knock on my door in scarier costumes than Barbie having her head cut off. I live in a state where kids still go to school dressed up for Halloween. They still have a huge party for it and a school parade. I know there are some states that don't (we moved here from Texas where they didn't). I made this thread because I wanted to see if people would be offended and because they are I have decided against the cake. I never planned to "laugh about" shattered dreams. I planned to have a creepy Halloween party for kids. If I didn't care, I wouldn't have asked opinions.
I like guts & gore, scary movies, but there's a time and place for everything. If you're determined to make a doll cake, have an adult party, where no kids see the cake, but be sure you include a beheaded Ken doll. As a female, I would be offended if he still had his on, or not even included.
Why is this about male and female? I can't put GI Joe in a dress or I would. My son's 1st grade class watched the Headless Horseman in class. I didn't complain about there not being a headless horsewoman.
Or make a pretty doll cake and give it to little girl that you know. It would make her very happy. Now there's a thought! This woman needs a couple of infant girls to raise, so she can really see what girls about. She's forgotten what it's like, I'm sure.
I've really enjoyed CC until now. Yes there's always different opinions but this one really sent me over the top.
I'm really sorry you were so offended by the idea. As stated above, I have decided to go with a skeleton bride cake.
Obviously Laura_G you are a good mom... I think those that don't get that are in the extreme minority. Have a fun party!!
Good grief smitti1 - you definitely are reading way toooooo much into this. The issue or question was resolved long before your post.
Laura_G - I really liked the idea (great imagination!!) - but like others maybe not for the age group you are entertaining. Your final idea for the skeleton bride is great. Be sure to post pics.
I really applaude your foresight to ask for our opinions - that really shows that you are a loving and caring mother and a person who is concerned about others children. 
I really applaude your foresight to ask for our opinions - that really shows that you are a loving and caring mother and a person who is concerned about others children.
I second that! If you weren't concerned in the first place, you wouldn't have asked anyone for advice in the first place!! Good luck with the cake and be sure to post pics!
I will be straight up...IT'S HALLOWEEN! What good is Halloween without an imagination? So many people these day deprive their kids of things so tiny like the barbie without a freaking head...these are kids, they come up with stuff way worse than this by this age. I think that your kids would have loved your original idea, especially the boys! For goodness sakes, it isn't like you are playing the movie "Saw" at your party where it shows that kind of violence. Lets all just agree to disagree...I think many of you have taken this way too far.
I really can not believe that smitti1 even thought like that. I'm with everyone on this that you asked before doing this cake to see what other cake makers and mothers thought of the idea for the age group that you are doing the party for. As a mother of girls like has been said I think it's a bit much, but a very cool idea!!!!! I never would have thought someone would attack your parenting skills or the fact that you love your kids....that's just crazy. Sorry that is what came of her post....I don't know, but I doubt that is what went thorough anyone elses head...jezzzzzzzzzzz.
Have a fun party....Happy Halloween!!!!
Like others.. I think it's a great idea.. Don't let smitti1 comments offend you.. I was more offended by her/his statements regarding your questions, than your questions about a cake...
I agree with littlegrahamcracker and bakerbear.
The very fact that you are willing to host a party and put so much work into it for your children shows that you are obviously a wonderful mother.
"Shatter favorite memories and dreams" that's a little extreme.
I want to add one more thing... To personally attack someone by implying that they are not setting a good example for their children and to compare making a gory cake to the horrors that unfortunately exist today with the abuse and mutilating of children infuriates me.
I am a mother of three (2 boys, ages 11 and 3, and 1 girl, 18 months) and the worst thing a person could do to me would be to imply that I am a bad parent. I just think some of those comments were totally uncalled for.
ditto ljdills Totally uncalled for.
tsk tsk Stick to the original question and I'm sure the simple answer would have been:
Ask the other parents.
She cares enough to NOT want to offend. Sheesh. She doesn't need to raise little girls. I have 2 boys myself.
We need a contest. I'd like to see the Bride of Frankenstein and some of the other suggestions. It's too good to not try 'em all.
OMG! Even though I didn't think it was a good idea, I hope I didn't come across as bad as smitti1. I think her comments were way over the top.
As far as the comment about being sure there was a "Ken" doll to keep things on an even keel........the comment about making a doll cake for a little girl or getting little girls to know what they're about took the significance of that remark down the tubes.
Hopefully we live in an age where there isn't so much bias as to what is "girl" and what is "boy". My grandson appreciates dolls and my granddaughter is definitely into sports and competing with the boys.
I think you have taken the opinions of everyone and made a good decision long before smitti1 threw in her vile remarks. JMO
Diane
I think that it is great that you thought about doing a cake for the girls and that you were willing to do what is appropriate for the girls. I know that my girls would have no problem with the cake but I know some that would not like it. I like the Mummy idea or a Frankenstien doll cake.
As for Smitti1, don't let that comment get to you. She said that this is over the top, I think that her reaction is OVER THE TOP!! I could not believe what I was reading when I was looking at her comment. You got opinions from others and even said that you were not going to do that cake. It is Halloween and it is a time to have fun and most kids know that is it not real!
Just a thought...maybe we should refrain from point out specific view points of others and more so generalize our comments! I have seen to many threads get heated because we are pointing fingers.
Even though I am younger and DON"T have kids I would refrain from the headless, bloody, whatever barbie doll. I think you are right for going a different route. The BOYS would like it of course! But, the girls might be traumatized.
I think you can make the barbie looks nice and then do her hair all funky like madussa (sp?) or like a bride of Frankenstein type doll.
SOUNDS LIKE FUN! Wish I was having a party just so I could make a scary cake!
Holy Cow!!! Smitty- Laura was just asking a question. She wasn't going to actually cut a REAL head off. I thought the idea was over the top when I read it only because of the age of the kids. But smitty is way over the top with her comments. Lighten up! It was just a cake and an idea she threw out there and she's not even going to do it now.
Back to the original post. 
I think the skeleton is more apropriate but the original one would be good for an older group of people, in my opinion.
Good Luck and can't wait to see the pics!
OK...Enough Already!....Girls would not be traumatized by this....They would scream and run away. Some boys probably would too!
Kids react because of OUR reactions. I have two little girls (5 and 3) and they would think this is cool. I would not have to put them in therapy over a cake.
The problem today is things are made a big deal, when they really are not.
Do what you think is right! As a mom, you will do what you feel is right in your heart.
WOW! As one of the people who didn't care for the decapitation idea, let me just state (in case I even remotely came off otherwise) that I was in no way offended by the fact that you thought it up, nor do I think you are a terrible mother who deserves a question mark next to a description of you as loving (quote: "loving (?)") Holy cow! Speaking of cruel, that was a really cruel thing to say just because the poster didn't like your idea. For the record you responded with such grace and dignity, kudos to you.
Just a quick note on the male/female thing, I can't put my finger on it but I think it has to do with the fact that historically society has not exactly taken violence against women seriously, and the concern that that outlook perpetuates more violence. Of course there is plenty of violence and gore against men but it always seems that against women it's just more gratuitous, etc. The only thing smitti1 said that made sense was the suggestion that you could "at least include" a Ken doll, i.e. meaning if you had male AND female decapitated cakes, it would wipe the gender issue away. They could even be holding each other's heads. 
I completely understand that you're already planning to go the skeleton route just to avoid the whole violence and Barbie issues, which will be a major headache relief I am sure. Was just hoping to clarify the above a bit. I really hope you have fun making this cake and that everyone at the party loves it. Frankly I think you sound like a fun mom whom I'd like to get to know!
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