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A former toy owner has claimed Barbie was never for the broke and downtrodden but, rather, for the rich/privileged -- however, as the Queen once said ... recollections may vary.

A fierce debate -- which has largely been one-sided -- unfolded on Twitter this weekend ... this, after comedian Avery Edison posted a tweet that clearly PO'd Barbie fans everywhere, who came out in droves to correct her take on the doll's affordability, historically.

In her OG remarks, which have been deleted, she wrote ... "don't know if this is entirely fair but when someone says 'I grew up loving Barbie' I hear 'my family was not poor.'" She goes on to describe kids who had Barbies growing up as ones who "had savings accounts and went on vacations." Avery also cheekily invited Barbie discourse in a follow-up tweet.

Welp, Twitter was definitely up for it -- users flooded her comments and retweets en masse with a lot of eyebrow-raising and questions ... like, where were you buying your Barbies?

The reason ... it appears Barbie dolls are actually pretty damn cheap, and perhaps always have been -- which flies in the face of what AE was suggesting -- namely, that they were indicators of class and wealth, which is something most people don't seem to agree with.

In fact, some even pulled up old catalogs dating back to the '60s and '70s ... and there, too, the dolls look to have been reasonably priced. American Girl dolls, by contrast, are the "rich kid" toys -- at least that seems to be consensus on Twitter. In other words, Twitter was screaming "WRONG!!!" and quite loudly too. So, what does the original tweeter think now?

Well, she's lamenting the fact this has turned into such an aggressive virtual dunking at her expense, and she's defending herself by saying she was simply sharing her personal memories and offering musings/light-hearted analysis as it relates to the upcoming movie.

AE also slams people resorting to personal attacks for her take, noting how toxic the app truly is ... regardless of who owns it. It's a double-edged sword, really -- Twitter is the town square for debate, but dogpiles are common ... oftentimes over something as silly as this.

Halle Bailey's 'Little Mermaid' got tons of backlash when it was first announced, but now that it's out -- it seems folks are more curious than angry ... 'cause they're flocking to see it.

Disney's latest live-action adaptation hit theaters this weekend -- a 4-day one at that -- and so far, 'TLM' is cleaning up in ticket sales ... projected to land on a record-setting box office haul, with an estimated $120 mil-$130 mil to its name by the time Monday rolls around.

Some analysts have the film pegged to make more than $130MM -- but Disney's hedging their bets, saying it'll probably be closer to $125 MM domestically. Overseas, the movie is said to likely draw an additional $80 mil ... so it could hit around $200 mil soon enough.

That's great for the Mouse House, as this movie reportedly had a budget of about $250 million -- so they need this one to continue doing numbers for a bit to turn a profit.

While there's certainly excitement for the debut weekend, time will tell if Ariel has legs to go the distance in the weeks thereafter. As we reported, "Aladdin" star Mena Massoud recently opined he didn't think it'd hit a billion like his movie did ... which came out pre-pandemic.

Funny enough, with these estimated figures, 'Mermaid' is actually on pace to overtake what "Aladdin" achieved in 2019 -- and it's on a new list of Memorial Day weekend titans. If all goes according to plan, 'TLM' should sit at fourth behind "Top Gun: Maverick," "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End," and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

Reports of bomb threats made to several Target stores over three different states have now been classified as a hoax -- and it seems someone was trying to plant a false flag.

Target locations in Utah, Ohio and Pennsylvania -- spanning the greater Cleveland, Salt Lake City and Pittsburgh areas -- reportedly received correspondence Friday threatening to blow up several sites ... and all the emails sent referenced the Pride Month display controversy.

At first, it seemed the threats were coming from folks boycotting Target for supporting Pride Month -- but, Cleveland 19 News published a screenshot of the email in question, and it actually appeared to come from an LGBTQ+ ally angry about Target's decision to back down.

The note -- which was sent by someone named Alsan Akhmedov -- reads in part, "Target is full of cowards who turned their back on the LGBT community and decided to cater to the homophobic right wing redneck bigots who protested and vandalized their store."

It continues, "We won't stand idly by as the far right continues to hunt us down. We are sending you a message, we placed a bomb in the following targets." Four Targets in OH and one in PA were referenced ... the Utah stores were not mentioned in this specific message.

All of those stores -- plus some in Utah, which also received bomb threats -- were evacuated ... but after preliminary investigations, cops are now saying this whole thing is fake.

Some law enforcement agencies have reportedly said the email looks to have originated from overseas, and that there was no credible threat upon inspection at the Targets mentioned. Cops in Utah -- where the stores also appear to have been sent a similar email -- said the same thing ... calling the bomb threats "bogus." In other words, disinformation.

Taylor Swift has not spoken publicly about her breakup with actor Joe Alwyn in April ... but she's now singing about it, or so it seems.

The pop star digitally released "You're Losing Me" on her website Friday and her fans went wild, diving into her lyrics, looking for clues about the couple's split.

In the song, Taylor ponders pulling the plug on her 6-year relationship with Joe, asking ... "Do I throw out everything we built or keep it?"

Taylor then goes further, belting out ... "My heart won't start anymore for you 'cause you're losing me."

She also alludes to the end of their romance, declaring ... "You don't know what you got until it's gone" ... a famous line from Joni Mitchell, although that was about a parking lot!

Taylor's fans really honed in on lyrics suggesting Joe rejected the idea of marrying Taylor. She sings, "I'm the best thing at this party/And I wouldn't marry me either/A pathological people pleaser/Who only wanted you to see her."

Whatever the case ... Taylor started dating musician Matt Healy soon after she parted ways with Joe. Like Taylor, Joe has yet to officially comment on their split.

Bill Cosby's Cliff Huxtable character is sparking a furious online debate over whether he should be named one of the top 10 TV dads -- this after all of his legal woes involving sexual assault.

Cosby played the role of Cliff -- the beloved doctor -- in the popular '80s sitcom, "The Cosby Show," and, as a result, became an instant icon to all families.

But all that came to a crashing halt in the 2010s when he was accused of drugging and raping multiple women. In one case, Cosby was prosecuted and convicted of aggravated indecent assault, and sentenced to 10 years in prison. But Cosby's conviction was later overturned, and he was released after nearly 3 years behind bars.

Twitter users have compiled a list of the 10 best TV dads -- starting with Danny Tanner (Full House), then Dan Conner (Roseanne), Tim Taylor (Home Improvement), Philip Banks (Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air), Carl Winslow (Family Matters), Phil Dunphy (Modern Family), George Lopez (The George Lopez Show), Andy Griffith (The Andy Griffith Show), Mike Brady (The Brady Bunch) and Al Bundy (Married... with Children).

People are asking whether Huxtable should be on the list for obvious reasons -- but it seems many on Twitter are arguing on his behalf, although they still have mixed feelings.

One person wrote, "So Cliff Huxtable is trending because he wasn't included in a list of top 10 TV dads. Who can't forget about a rapist who played an OBGYN that conducted vaginal exams in his basement?"

Another person said, "Cliff Huxtable was one of the greatest TV dads of all time. Bill Cosby is a sexual deviant who got away with rape because of a technicality. We can say one without compromising the other."

A third individual pointed out ... "Separating Cosby from Cliff Huxtable is a tough ask, but the character was undeniably a great one -- and an important one. He belongs on the list."

So we gotta ask ...

Roger Waters is clapping back at criticism over the Nazi-themed getup he wore during two recent Berlin concerts ... insisting he's not a fascist.

The rock star took to Twitter Friday, posting a lengthy statement detailing his defense of his Gestapo-like appearance during his May 17 and May 18 performances.

Berlin Police have opened a criminal investigation to see if Waters' outfit -- a black trench coat with a red armband -- incited the crowd by glorifying Nazis and, therefore, disturbed the peace. Waters was flanked by men dressed as Nazi stormtroopers firing toy machine guns.

Waters now says his critics have launched "bad faith attacks" designed to "smear and silence" him because they don't agree with his political and moral views.

He says his performances were trying to convey the opposite message in the fight against "fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its forms." He claims Nazi-infused imagery has been woven into his music since the release of the 1979 record, Pink Floyd's “The Wall."

Waters went on to say he has spent his life condemning authoritarianism and oppression and reminded everyone his parents battled the Nazis in World War II. He noted his father died making the ultimate sacrifice.

Taylor Swift is going full throttle supporting Ice Spice ... bringing her onstage Friday in the middle of her Eras Tour in New Jersey.

TS and IS performed the "Karma" remix at MetLife Stadium which was, of course, packed to the gills.

Taylor clued the crowd in on how the collab went down ... "She [Ice Spice] reached out and said, ‘If you’d ever like to do a collab, I would love to.' And what she didn’t know at the time is that when I was training for the tour, I was listening to pretty much exclusively just her music every single day. All day … So I said, ‘Absolutely, when can we do it?’"

She went on, gushing about Ice Spice ... "So we immediately went into the studio and I just not only fell in love with her, but just decided she’s the entire future. … I’ve been around so many artists and so many artists just starting out, but I’ve never been around an artist who’s so prepared and curious and focused on what she wants.”

There was no reference to Taylor's BF, Matty Healy, and the racist comments he made back in February. Healy has apologized, but lots of her fans still aren't buying it.

Paul Walker's memory is truly living on ... thanks to his brother Cody.

Cody Walker and his wife, Felicia, honored Paul by naming their third son after the late 'Fast & Furious' star, who died in a car crash nearly 10 years ago.

After the baby was born April 30, the couple quickly decided on the name, Paul Barrett "Bear" Walker.  They posted an Instagram photo of the baby held by his 2-year-old brother, Colt Knox Walker.

Cody told PEOPLE ... "This November will mark 10 years since we lost my brother, Paul, and I just felt now was the appropriate time (to honor Paul)."

Turns out Cody is the second member of the Walker family to celebrate Paul's memory. Their older brother, Caleb Walker, and his wife, Stephanie, named their 5-year-old son Maverick Paul Walker after the actor.

In the latest F&F installment "Fast X," which was released this month, Paul is briefly seen in a flashback at the beginning of the film.

The city Tina Turner once called home is planning to honor the music legend in a big way ... with a beautiful statue of her.

Bill Rawls Jr., mayor of Brownsville, TN, tells TMZ ... he wants to prominently display the work of art, and he's getting a ton of support from local leaders.

Mayor Rawls wants the piece placed in Brownsville's Heritage Park ... near Carver High School, which Tina attended. Tina was born in Brownsville and lived there during much her youth.

Brownsville's already home to the Tina Turner Museum, so it seems fitting to have the piece smack dab in the middle of her hometown.

He adds, "When Tina stepped on stage, she owned it. We want this statue to represent that passion. Tina was an inspiration to the entire world ... She showed the people of Brownsville no matter where you start, you own your story about where you end up."

Todd Chrisley's son, Kyle Chrisley, is no longer facing criminal charges after being arrested for allegedly telling his estranged wife he'd kill her ... TMZ has learned.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors in Georgia say the charges against Kyle have been dropped because the alleged victim is no longer cooperating.

The DeKalb County D.A. tells TMZ … "After further investigation, review of the evidence and discussion with the victim, based on all facts and circumstances our office declined to prosecute the case."

TMZ broke the story ... when Kyle was picked up by cops in Oklahoma on drug charges back in May 2019, police also found out he was wanted in Georgia for allegedly threatening to kill his estranged wife.

The woman, Alexus Chrisley, initially told authorities in Georgia, Kyle had made death threats against her in January 2019 via text message.

As we reported ... Alexus claimed Kyle sent her a text, saying ... "[N]ot before I end you. Im going to the streets I will get my s**t and take care of this problem with you because if I'm not with you nobody will be. Bye Alexus."

Alexus told police she texted back, "thats a threat to my life" ... to which Kyle allegedly answered, "yes :Lexi it was. Goodbye."

Cops say Alexus also claimed Kyle sent photos of himself pointing a weapon at his head.

While Kyle is off the hook in this case, he's still got other legal issues ... as we first reported, he was booked for felony aggravated assault in Tennessee back in March after allegedly brandishing a knife during a fight.

Jay-Z and Beyoncé not only bought the most expensive property in Cali's history, they paid cash!!! And speaking of money, take a look at Lauren Sanchez's 20-carat sparkler! So we gotta ask ...

Get ready, Sin City ... Dana White tells TMZ Sports he's planning to bro down with Tom Brady way more in Vegas now that the former NFL star is in line to be part-owner of the Raiders!!!

The UFC honcho sounded thrilled at the idea of it all, too ... saying he'll even pick up the checks when the two pal around at dinners!!

Of course, Brady is not quite a Raiders boss just yet ... while he and Mark Davis have agreed to a deal for minority ownership in the NFL franchise, the league still requires at least 24 of its other owners to give their stamp of approval before it's all greenlit.

But, that feels like nothing more than a formality at this point ... which has Dana pumped.

If you weren't already aware, the two have been buds for years -- Brady actually owns a small piece of the UFC -- and White made it clear their friendship is about to get way more fun.

"I think there's more opportunity for us to hang out now that he's around more in Vegas," White said. "I don't know about working!"

As for how he sees things going with the Raiders once Brady's officially got his stake in the game, White told us he has no doubt Vegas will benefit big time.

It's action-packed when the 'Spider-Man' star Hailee Steinfeld walks out the door, but in this grand exit of hers... she's brought along two daring Spidey-stans who are ready for their next mission. Spin your finest web and capture the discreet differences in these two images.

Giving off-the-shoulder vibes in a power suit... the actress recently made the rounds to promote her latest film, "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," and as Spiderman famously says ... "With great power comes great responsibility", so go ahead and shoot your best shot and trap the changes!

Derek Hough says Ariana Madix makes perfect sense for the next season of "Dancing With the Stars" ... he feels it's the right move for her now that she's captured America's attention.

We got Derek at LAX and the 'DWTS' alum told us Ariana follows the formula for the dancing competition show ... the perfect candidate.

That formula, as Derek explains, loosely goes like this, at least for reality stars ... they get their big break and become household names, then go on 'DWTS' to raise their profile.

Ariana's a textbook example ... she's been dominating headlines since March when she found out her longtime boyfriend Tom Sandoval was cheating on her with their "Vanderpump Rules" costar Raquel Leviss.

Derek says he's been consumed with planning his upcoming wedding rather than paying attention to the Scandoval ... but he knows a good story when he hears one, and he quickly endorses the Ariana move.

The stars were poppin' off on the gram all month long ... clearly feeling themselves and ready like no other for summer. From hot shots by the water to skin-baring selfies ... gear up for the hot days and sunny rays to come with the stars who are showin' off their tums and bums!

Stars like Kendall Jenner hit the beach hard and captured a smokin' bikini shot, Cristiano Ronaldo flashed his sun-kissed abs and threw an underwear shot to his millions, and Christina Milian looked back at it with her buns in the sun ... Summer 2023 here they come!

Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello are enjoying more live music together ... and this time they're at a Taylor Swift concert.

The singers went together Friday to Taylor's show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ ... more evidence they're going strong after linking back up at Coachella.

Check out the pics ... Shawn and Camila are side by side in their suite, and she even puts her hand on his shoulder at one point as they chat before Taylor takes the stage.

Shawn and Camila weren't the only celebs in their group ... Cara Delevingne is there too.

As for their concert outfits ... Shawn is showing off his muscles with a sleeveless white shirt and some blue jeans, while Camila is wearing a black vest, some flashy pants and hoop earrings.

We saw Shawn and Camila earlier this week in New York City, walking around the city with coffee, holding hands and making it look like they're back together.

Remember ... Shawn and Camila dated from 2019 to 2021 and then seemingly got back together last month at Coachella, making out at the famous music festival.

We also saw them together in Santa Monica a couple days after Coachella, so the hookup wasn't just a one off.