Mattel Barbie® Doll Loves T.M.X.™ Elmo

Okay, I admit it. I am not an Elmo fan. I know, I am in the minority, but I was born the same year that Sesame Street first aired and I grew up loving Big Bird, Ernie & Bert, Cookie Monster, Grover, Mr. Hooper, and yes, even Oscar the Grouch. Of course, at some point I stopped watching the show, but somehow, everyone knew about Elmo, that little red monster. What I did not realize was how much the television show had changed and now, to me at least, when I watched it with my own children, it seemed like "The Elmo Show", rather than the show I loved. Okay, so I have my own personal issues with Elmo, but I have not pushed my views on my children, and Elmo has been one of my daughter's favorite Sesame Street characters, second only to Zoe.

My children were not even born when the original Tickle Me Elmo came out ten years ago, and now that my youngest just turned eight years old, the Tickle Me Elmo TMX anniversary edition stuffed toy did not interest them at all. However, when I saw that there was a Barbie doll packaged with a small Elmo doll, I knew my daughter would enjoy it.

This Barbie Loves Elmo T.M.X. Doll set comes with a 11.5" tall blond Barbie doll. Her hair is pulled back into two long pig-tails, and she has red sunglasses perched atop her head. She is wearing a blue tee shirt with "T.M.X" stamped all over it in black with a red image of Elmo in the center, and a red long sleeved shrug over it. Her blue denim mini skirt (which is easily removed thanks to a Velcro closure) has red threads running through it and her silver belt has a close-up picture of Elmo's eyes and nose on the buckle. This skirt is actually a micro-mini, and the doll does not come with any underwear. Some dolls have white underwear painted on, but apparently hers is skin-toned since that area is textured.

Barbie has on low-heeled calf-length black boots and peeking out of the top is Elmo-print fabric. They are not actually socks or stockings, but tubes of fabric about an inch wide which give the appearance that she is wearing socks. The benefit to these boots, as opposed to the shoes that most Barbie dolls come with, is that they do stay on. Not only that, but they are fairly easy to get on and off. In Barbie's hand is a grey pocketbook, with the same close-up picture of Elmo's eyes and nose on it that is featured on all T.M.X. products.

The real star of this set is Barbie's little red friend. He is about 4.5" tall and looks just like the real thing, with outstretched arms, big eyes, an orange nose and a big open mouth. The letters "T.M.X" appear on the bottom of his left foot. When you press his tummy, he laughs for about five seconds. Elmo cannot stand by himself since his limbs are all softly stuffed. His body and head are hard since they house the battery pack. To make him laugh, Elmo requires three button-cell batteries, which he comes with, and which you can make sure work before you buy him by pressing his belly through a hole in the box.

The real Elmo T.M.X. dolls come in a silver box, and this Elmo, while pictured with a miniature version, only comes with a cardboard facade of such a box.

As with most Barbie dolls, the Barbie Loves Elmo T.M.X. Doll set is not intended for children under 3. Any child who enjoys playing with Barbie dolls and who is an Elmo fan, would definitely enjoy playing with these dolls. Collectors keeping this set in the box will enjoy that it has a red furry handle on the top and a both a Barbie logo and an Elmo T.M.X. hang-tag.

While this set does cost a few dollars more than the average Barbie doll, my daughter definitely thinks that it is worth it. Barbie comes with a laughing Elmo, who does venture out to other worlds such as Polly Pocket and Bratz, and is often the hired character for their birthday parties and can be found posing for pictures with various dolls, just as my daughter poses with characters when we meet them at amusement parks or events. Barbie Loves Elmo T.M.X. Doll is a great gift for a Barbie or Elmo lover, though heed the warning on the box that this toy "May Cause Uncontrollable Laughter."