Who is Midge? ‘Barbie’ lore, explained

Barbie lore has taken over pop culture. The response to the new film is similar to the first wave of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in which casual fans were suddenly fascinated by minor characters and how they fit into the lore of the franchise. Sure, we all knew who Barbie and Ken were, but now there are people doing deep dives into the history of deep-cut characters like Allen and Midge.

You might be wondering: who’s Midge? Well, Barbie newcomer, you are in the right place. Midge is one of the most fascinating characters in the franchise, and part of what makes her fascinating is the controversy that she’s attracted over the years. Midge was such a hot-button character, in fact, that parents felt she was an inappropriate doll for children in the 2000s. Let’s delve into the reasons why.

Who is Midge?

Midge Hadley is Barbie’s best friend. According to the Everything Barbie Fandom, Midge is Irish-American, and is easily recognizable among the other Barbies due to her red hair, freckles, and blue eyes. She made her debut in 1963, and her boyfriend Allen debuted two years later. Midge was posed as a variation on the blonde Barbie mold (her features were purposely made softer and more full, to satisfy parents who felt that Barbie was too mature-looking for girls), but her proportions were identical so that the two characters could share clothes. Midge was discontinued in 1967, and wouldn’t return until the Barbie beach line in 1988.

Midge’s style changed to fit the times, but it was the introduction of the Happy Family line in 2003 that really shook things up. Midge was sold with Allan, who had become her husband, and three children: Ryan, Nikki, and Cassandra. The line also sold a Midge doll that was pregnant with Nikki, which some parents felt was inappropriate due to the fact that Midge did not have a wedding ring on. Some also worried that the pregnant Midge would encourage teen pregnancy among young girls.

Is Midge pregnant in the Barbie movie?

The controversial version of Midge, aka the pregnant version, is the one we see in the Barbie film. She’s played by Emerald Fennell, which is a clever bit of casting given the pearl-clutching response to the character, and the similarly polarizing response that Fennell received for directing the Oscar-nominated thriller Promising Young Woman (2020). Midge will also be joined by her Allan, who’s played by Michael Cera. 

The lack of attention put on Midge in the promos makes sense since she has only a minor role in the film. The comments made by Cera seem to support this reading, especially since his version of Allan has a deep-seated love for Ken (Ryan Gosling). “Well, the way I read it in the script was that Allan is sort of obsessed with Ken, if not in love with him,” the actor told Screen Rant. “I love that he just wants the best for Ken, even if that means Ken not being near him. He wants Ken’s happiness. I thought that was sort of a life of servitude in a way. Distant yearning.”

That being said, Barbie has managed to hide a lot about the true nature of the film so there is plenty for fans to uncover when they catch it in theaters.