As the videos spread beyond China, many viewers questioned whether repeatedly targeting a doll designed to look like a dark-skinned child carried racial implications.
Meet the Natasha Doll
This doll has gone viral in China as it it used as a stress relief doll
In viral videos on Douyin and Xiaohongshu, users punched, stomped on, squeezed, stretched, threw, tore apart, and poured hot or boiling water over the black Natasha doll.
Some clips… pic.twitter.com/AXqftTra38
— Norma Kay (@realnorma_kay) June 10, 2026
While there is no evidence that every person making or sharing the videos intended a racist message, critics argued that the choice of doll made the trend especially troubling. Others said the clips reflected a lack of sensitivity and called for greater awareness of how such content could be viewed by audiences around the world.
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