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SeaWorld Barbie sinks

SeaWorld Barbie won’t show up for work anymore, as Mattel (MAT) is reportedly pulling the doll from production.

The toy maker is ending the line after criticism from activist groups, including animal rights group PETA, over SeaWorld’s treatment of orca whales, according to the New York Post. Mattel did not respond to a request for comment from Yahoo Finance.

SeaWorld (SEAS) has faced intense scrutiny following the release of the film Blackfish, which documented the theme park’s alleged abuse of animals.

Mattel’s decision to stop promoting the park is a smart one,” said PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman in a statement.PETA is calling on SeaWorld’s remaining partners to follow Mattel’s kind example and drop this orca-abusing park like a hot potato.”

Yahoo Finance Senior Columnist Michael Santoli notes this is not the first company to distance itself from SeaWorld. He says Mattel has little to gain from the partnership, as SeaWorld's performance continues to slump.

“I think a lot of the damage has been done already in terms of the customer response,” he says. “Four percent attendance growth across the entire company, not just at SeaWorld parks, last year. That shows you people have decided that it's not as great an attraction."

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Yahoo Finance Editor-in-Chief Andy Serwer adds that products and attractions can become politically incorrect very quickly.

"What's interesting to me is how our culture shifts and changes, and companies have to respond or try to be ahead of the curve."

Mattel has had its own share of controversy with Barbie. Last year the company faced backlash over a book about Computer Engineer Barbie, which described a technologically challenged Barbie who needs help from friends Brian and Steve to fix her laptop. Mattel issued an apology and discontinued the book.

"There's Barbie herself...Is this is not a good thing to be giving to little girls? Is this an inappropriate model?" Serwer asks. "These are decisions that parents make, and that affects what's going to happen with the product sales."


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