María adopted her first ksimerito on November 2nd. She arrived in a colorful box that she doubles as an incubator along with a list of detailed instructions. In addition to an identification card, a birth certificate and a vaccination record. It was a good day. María -from Seville, nine years old, with her own channel on YouTube, Los Juguetes de Hadabuena- already had in her hands the baby doll from Mexico, exhausted at this point in Spain and which has raised controversy: the ksimerito. It's "super cute," she proclaimed to her fans.

The little babies, with bright colors, heads and big eyes, have caused a furor this Christmas. They are the star toy. On the website of their seller, El Corte Inglés, they appear as out of stock for days. And in physical stores they also announce that they are out of stock. Not even accessories to complement the creatures.

But the arrival in Spain of the ksimeritos, in October 2018, has not only been successful. It has also generated a lot of controversy. They are accused of being sexist, of promoting the macho role of women. Also to promote consumerism and dependence on the Internet among its most dedicated audience: girls between six and 12 years old, like María.

The Ksi-Merito babies were born in the Mexican company called Distroller, but in Spain it is another, CIFE Group, who is in charge of distributing them. And with success. Vanessa Salamanca, national director of the company, assures Chronicle that the doll "has exceeded any expectation." "The initial forecast sold out," she adds. In less than two months, until December 14, 2018, more than 100,000 units were sold throughout Spain, according to the Expansión newspaper. And the total number of Spanish sales? Salamanca explains that they are counting them, but that they surely exceed two million euros.

Reyes' star toy is part of one of the three lines of items that the Mexican brand offers under the name Neonatos. They are dolls the size of the palm of a hand with the appearance of babies. The first were created in 2012 and have their own history, according to which they came to earth from the planet Neonatitlán. And there are varieties. The price is high: from 46 euros. And, according to the game, paying it the girl pays for the "adoption fee". The buyer also receives detailed instructions to take care of them.

But that is not all. As a kind of complement to the experience, Distroller created the character of nurse Tania, who is a woman of flesh and blood. An actress. She, through continuous videos broadcast on YouTube and at points of sale, gives advice to mothers to keep her ksimeritos healthy. And, of course, she suggests what accessories to buy to achieve it: vitamin containers, a dental chair, a diaper bag... Its price? From six to 40 euros.

In Mexico, the success of the brand is already relevant. Its Neonatos line is a leader in nurturing toys, according to a Mexican publication specializing in economics. Thus, they have achieved significant results with more than 2.5 million babies purchased per year. The mind behind these dolls and all Distroller products is Amparo Serrano, a designer who rose to fame for her creations with the caricatured image of the Virgin of Guadalupe (the Virgencita Plis range) and who in 2015 was on the list of most powerful women in Mexico produced by Forbes.

The controversy that has been generated around these toys stems from one of her ads, which added six million views before being removed from YouTube. In the video, girls appear dressed as perfect housewives in the Doris Day style who are only dedicated to taking care of their dolls (the ksimeritos), going to the hairdresser or cooking. The accusation: that they enhance gender stereotypes.

Teresa Agustín, spokeswoman for Fundación Mujeres, one of the organizations that has spoken out on the matter, explains that the campaign that came from Mexico impressed them "a lot": in her opinion, it is an "absolutely sexist and embarrassing" ad that in Spain has a place. And the newborn? "There are many ways of seeing it, it is also a way of caring," says Teresa. "The ksimeritos are outside any ideological, religious or political position," she replied from the company.

Nurse Tania has not liked the health sector in this case either. "We find once again that in a commercial product the image of the nurse loaded with clichés and stereotypes already past is exposed", denounces Mar Rocha, spokesperson for the Nursing Union (SATSE). Both this center and the College of Nurses and Nurses of Barcelona (COIB) complain that an "outdated", "anachronistic" and "retrograde" representation of the profession is offered. From the School they also ask that all the promotion of the ksimeritos be withdrawn. In her opinion, the character of the nurse works "like a common thread in a toy that treats health as a compulsive consumer good." In fact, the Barcelona nurses have sent two formal complaints to CIFE and El Corte Inglés expressing their dissatisfaction. Still no answer. "It is a different way of playing... We from the company show our admiration and recognition for the nursing profession," replies the company spokesperson.

The debate does not end there. It has been said that these plastic babies can generate dependence on the Internet due to the series of videos by nurse Tania, and encourage consumerism in children. Because the care of a doll (baby) is associated with the purchase of accessories (medicine). The expert in game psychology Rosario Ortega explains it this way: "Anything that means that an object or toy is given to the child, that is, that he directs his attention to another video or to buy another object, is conditioning. What it implies orient the child's mind in a direction that doesn't exactly have to coincide with his psychological needs". For Ortega, "the game is and should always be a basic activity of spontaneous and natural learning." Nuria Guzmán, educational psychologist, agrees: the risk is learning "excessive" care, too detailed and directed. The controversy is served. And the ksimeritos, exhausted.