Ken (lesser known full name Ken Carson) is a toy doll in Mattel's Barbie line of fashion dolls.
History
Sixteen years after the founding of Mattel by Ruth and Elliot Handler, and Harold Matson, and two years after the world was introduced to Barbie, Ken became a new household name for children and adults alike. Just as Barbie was named after the Handler's daughter, so was Ken named after their only son. [1] Although Ken was not the first male doll in history, he remains to be the most popular. Before Ken there was Buddy Lee in the late 1920s [2] all the way through to the 60s. Though popular at the time, Buddy Lee was not originally intended as a toy and did not survive the trials of time as Ken has. Right before Ken was born, another male doll, Jeff, was introduced to the public [3] but alas, did not appeal to children and was soon retired from the market.
Since 1961, this fictional character has been going steady with America's most
beloved doll, and has changed quite drastically over the years to keep up with his famous other half. In February, 2004, Mattel
announced a split for the couple, with Russell Arons, vice president of marketing at Mattel, saying that Barbie and Ken "feel
it's time to spend some quality time - apart." This made headline news and was discussed on countless blogs on the world wide
web. In an article entitled, "Barbie and Ken: History," by Eric Olsen, the end of the 43-year-old romance was the topic in
question. [4] In a
sense, it was the most talked about breakup of 2004. In February, 2006 however, a revamped version of the Ken doll was launched,
and it appeared that their relationship was official again. [5] [6]
Ken's best friend, Allan Sherwood, was introduced in 1964. He is not to be confused with
Alan, who was introduced in 1990 and married Barbie's friend, Midge. The first African-American male doll was introduced in 1981,
in contrast to Barbie's African-American friend,[ [7]Christie], who was introduced in 1968. [8]
From 1961 to the debut of Superstar Ken in 1977, Barbie's arm-candy featured straight arms and a head that could only turn left
and right. For the first year of his existence, Ken's luscious felt mane rivaled that of Barbie's; however, as his hair was prone
to falling off once it was wet, Mattel introduced a new, plastic haircut for Ken. [9] Superstar Ken featured a dimpled
smile, a head that could swivel, bent arms, a more muscular physique, and jewelry. He also had underwear permanently molded to
his body. As talk about his girlfriend's disproportionate body and unreal beauty standards spread with increasing intensity
throughout the years, Ken tended to be left on the back burner as the boyfriend with the molded-on plastic underwear that no one
talked about. However, if one takes into consideration Ken's equally disproportionate physique, it is not difficult to realize
how Ken also poses unreal standards for the male anatomy. Yale University psychologist,
Kelly Brownell, PhD, recently noted that to size up to what Barbie looks for in a mate, "a man would have to grow 20 inches
taller and add nearly 8 inches to his neck circumference, 11 inches to his chest and 10 inches to his waist to resemble the
muscular Ken." [10]
In 1993 a version of the doll was released called "Earring Magic Ken". The style of the doll was said to resemble popular
fashions among some segments of the gay community at the time, which caused the doll to attain a
cult following. [11]
Though it is not well known, Ken has held at least 40 occupations, from Olympic gold medalist (1974, 1997), to hair stylist
(1991, 1992, 1999). [12]
 Ken c.1968 |
 1968 Ken Doll |
 1960s Ken outfit |
 Jacket label |
Historical Significance
Though it may not be apparent at first glance, Ken is almost as significant in historical context as his famous girlfriend is.
While he may sometimes be overshadowed by Barbie's fame, it is important to recognize the symbol that Ken has become throughout
the years. He is the most poignant male doll to enter the scene as a non-action figure and precedes the He-Man doll by a number
of years. Ken marks the beginning of a new generation where boys no longer had mere
Movies
- 1987: Barbie and the Rockers; Barbie and the Sensations.
Additional information
- The Ken gene in the
Drosophila fly was so named because the gene, when deleted, caused the flies to form without externalgenitalia .
- Mattel (the manufacturer of Ken and Barbie dolls) complained to the video game company Capcom over its Street Fighter game. The game contained a character called Ken, which Mattel argued could lead to confusion with its doll of the same name. In order to avoid confusion, the character in the Street Fighter game was renamed Ken Masters.
References
The ken and barbie gene encoding a putative transcription factor with a BTB domain and three zinc finger motifs functions in terminalia development of Drosophila. Lukacsovich T, Yuge K, Awano W, Asztalos Z, Kondo S, Juni N, Yamamoto D. Arch Insect Biochem Physiol. 2003 Oct;54(2):77-94.'
"Barbie and Ken: History." Olsen, Eric. Blog Critics. {http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/02/15/130739.php} 15 February, 2004.
"How do Barbie and Ken Measure Up?" Berg-Cross, Linda. Psychotherapy Letter. Apr96, Vol. 8 Issue 4, p3, 1/3p. {http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9604241835&site=ehost-live}
Mattel History. {http://www.mattel.com/About_Us/History/mattel_history.pdf} 2001 Mattel Inc.
External links
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