Is this pushing it?

I was listening to my favorite morning show on the way in this morning and heard about this doll that has sparked a lot of controversy. Below is the entire article.

Breastfeeding doll with strap on breast for girls sparks controversy today

Roz Zurko, Hartford Pop Culture Examiner
Posted: 03/26/2011 10:18 PM

A breastfeeding doll that comes with fake strap on breasts for your little girl is a toy that many parents are not comfortable with for their kids. This breastfeeding doll is in the news today because it is so controversial, according to Fox News Connecticut.

This breastfeeding doll from Berjuan Toys comes with a top that contains fake breasts. It resembles a bathing suit top for your little girl to put on. It has a flower painted around each nipple for the child to guide the breastfeeding doll to her nipples. The doll makes a sucking sound as it breastfeeds.

"The creation of this breastfeeding doll is to teach little girls how to breast feed a baby and learn about the special bond between a mother and child," according to Berjuan Toys website.

Berjuan Toys calls the doll, “healthy fun” and says that a girl is never too young to learn the healthy message of breastfeeding. Don’t girls have plenty of time to learn about the bonding that breast feeding provides when they get older?

On Fox News, the women on at the news desk were uncomfortable about giving the breast feeding doll to their little girls and thought the breastfeeding doll was a bit over the edge.

The manufacturer of the breastfeeding dolls is in Spain and the dolls have been available online for a few years. They sell for about 100 dollars.
Reference: Connecticut Fox News - Hartford, Berjuan Toys
March 26, 2011

First, I don't know about you but I wouldn't spend $100 on a doll that does that for my daughter. If my daughter really wanted to pretend to breastfeed one of her dolls, she's more than welcome to do so without the strap on breasts.

Second, can't this damage a child in the future? Not all women are able to breastfeed their children or have the desire to. Yes, I understand that it can promote breastfeeding later in life but I just feel like this toy is pushing it a little bit. It reminds me of a toy that was marketed specifically to little girls a couple of years ago that had a complete house including washer and dryer for the little girls to play with.

Maybe I'm a little too sensitive about gender roles. What do you think? Would you buy this for your daughter or granddaughter? Better yet, would you buy this for your son or grandson?