happy birthday barbie

The biggest problem with my childhood Barbie? She was always way too tall to date my brother's GI Joes. Seriously. Talk about a dead-end relationship.

Anyway, Barbie celebrates her 50th birthday Monday...fresh off the heels of a new round of controversy. People are mad about a new Barbie who comes with tattoos. Read more here.

Barbie is physically surreal and often refuses to wear appropriate undergarments. But I'm sure she'll be part of my daughter's closet.

She encourages imagination, and my own Barbie stories revolved around so much more than pretty hair and outfits.

Yeah, I opted for stuff like convention-challenging romances with GI Joes.

Weigh in with your own Barbie memories in the comments section.