Walmart Sells Black Barbies Cheaper Than White Barbies

Barbie sells herself short.

Walmart has come under fire for reports that the retail giant is selling black Barbies at half the price of white Barbies. So is it racism, or just clearance pricing?

Photos first posted on the humor site FunnyJunk.com appear to show Ballerina Barbie and Ballerina Teresa (who is is darker-skinned) with different price tags. Teresa dolls are shown as being on sale, while the regular white Barbies are at the regular price.

Critics are calling Walmart's pricing of the dolls insensitive to children, who may take it as a devaluing of people with darker skin. Though experts agree it probably wasn't done on purpose, they say Walmart needs to be careful that they don't send out the wrong messages.

Still, Walmart issued a statement saying the pricing was done as a matter of clearing inventory.

"To prepare for spring inventory, a number of items are marked for clearance, " spokeswoman Melissa O'Brien told ABC News.

"Both are great dolls. The red price sticker indicates that this particular doll was on clearance when the photo was taken, and though both dolls were priced the same to start, one was marked down due to its lower sales to hopefully increase purchase from customers."

"Pricing like items differently is a part of inventory management in retailing," she said.

Either way, hopefully they'll settle this in time for Barbie: The Movie.