Ken | |
---|---|
First appearance | March 11, 1961 |
Created by | Mattel |
In-universe information | |
Full name | Kenneth Sean Carson |
Nickname | Ken |
Occupation | At least 40 occupations |
Family |
|
Kenneth Sean "Ken" Carson Jr. is a fashion doll introduced by American toy company Mattel in 1961 as the counterpart of Barbie, who had been introduced two years earlier.
Similar to Barbie, Ken is from Willows, Wisconsin, [1] and has a fashionable line of clothing and accessories (although he made his debut wearing only a swimsuit). [2] In the Barbie mythos, Ken met Barbie on the set of a TV commercial and is her boyfriend, per promotional box inscriptions from his debut until 2018. As of September 2022 [update] , he is perceived as one of Barbie's main friends. Since his debut, Ken has held over 40 occupations, the latest being "beach" (standing in the sand and surveying the waves), as depicted in the 2023 Barbie film.
Ken was introduced as a male counterpart of Barbie by American toy company Mattel in 1961. He was named after Kenneth Handler, son of Barbie creator/inventor Ruth Handler, just as Barbie was named after her daughter. Ken Handler died in 1994 of a brain tumor. [3]
From 1961 to the debut of Superstar Ken in 1977, Ken had straight arms that did not bend. His head could only turn left and right. Ken's hair was made of felt in his first year (known to collectors as the "flocked" hair Ken), but this was replaced with a plastic, molded hairstyle when the creators realized that the felt hair fell off when wet. [4] Superstar Ken featured a dimpled smile, a head that could swivel, bent arms, a more muscular physique, jewelry, and underwear permanently molded to his body. Allegedly Ruth Handler built Ken’s appearance in resemblance to her husband.[ citation needed ]
In February 2004, Mattel announced a split for Ken and Barbie, with Russell Arons, vice president of marketing at Mattel, saying that Barbie and Ken "feel it's time to spend some quality time – apart...Like other celebrity couples, their Hollywood romance has come to an end", though Arons indicated that the duo would "remain friends". [5]
In February 2006, however, a revamped version of the Ken doll was launched, though it was stated that his relationship with Barbie was still purely platonic. [6] [7] In 2011, Mattel launched a massive campaign for Ken to win Barbie's affections back. [8] The pair officially reunited on Valentine's Day 2011. [9]
In 2011, Mattel introduced Japan Ken, the first Ken doll to be included in the "Dolls of the World" collection, which was formerly a Barbie-only line. The Japan Ken doll features a new face sculpt. [10]
In 2021, Mattel announced 15 new looks for Ken. This included looks with different skin tones, body shapes and hair styles. Barbie underwent a similar makeover in 2020. Outside of this change, Ken has not changed much since he was introduced 62 years ago. [11]
In 1993, Earring Magic Ken was released. The style of the doll was thought to resemble fashions and accessories worn by some segments of the gay community at the time, and "Earring Magic Ken" subsequently attained a cult following, becoming a collector's item. [12]
In October 2009, Mattel announced a new Palm Beach line which included a "Sugar Daddy Ken" doll aimed for adult collectors. The said line officially debuted in the spring of 2010. The line proved to be controversial, because of Ken's suggestive-sounding name. The doll had a more mature appearance and came with a West Highland Terrier puppy. Mattel defended the doll's name, saying that the puppy's name is "Sugar", thus making Ken "Sugar's Daddy". [13] The doll's outfit resembled an outfit worn by a socialite seen in Slim Aarons' photo Palm Springs Party. [14]
Ken's best friend, Allan Sherwood (Midge's boyfriend, later husband), was introduced in 1964. In 1968 Brad, the first African American male doll, was introduced as the boyfriend of Barbie's African American friend, Christie, who was introduced in 1967. [15]
Ken's body proportions have been described as unrealistic by scholarly studies (his chest is estimated to be about 27.5% too large for a representative human male). [77] Unrealistic body proportions in Barbie dolls, including Ken's, have been connected to some eating disorders in children. [78] [79] Another controversy has also centered around the visibility (or lack of it) of Ken's male genitalia. [80]
Ken has starred in various roles not disclosed by Mattel in the Barbie media franchise, including the Barbie films, Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse , Barbie: Vlogger, Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures , Barbie's Dreamworld, Barbie: It Takes Two and Barbie: A Touch of Magic .
Billy Flanigan appeared as Ken in "Disney’s Magical World of Barbie". [81] René Dif appeared as Ken in the music video for "Barbie Girl".
Ken appeared in the Toy Story films from Pixar from Toy Story 2 onward. In the third film, which he appeared in as one of the henchmen of the film's villain, Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear, he was voiced by Michael Keaton. [82]
American Rapper Lil B likely named his 2017 mixtape Black Ken after Ken, as the cover art for the mixtape depicts Lil B and some of his female friends as dolls in the same style as Barbie. [83]
Atlanta rapper Kenyatta Lee Frazier Jr., known professionally as Ken Carson, got his name from the doll as he wanted to "live better than him". [84]
In 2019, Pete Davidson and Julia Fox were a part of a photo shoot in Paper magazine, where Davidson posed as Ken and Fox posed as Barbie. The photo shoot was created for the 'Break the Internet' series of the magazine, which was made popular by Kim Kardashian's popular "Champagne Incident" portrait. [85]
Various iterations of Ken appear in the 2023 live-action Barbie film, with the lead Ken played by Ryan Gosling, and others by Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ncuti Gatwa, Scott Evans and John Cena. [86] Gosling received widespread critical acclaim and various accolades, including a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Ken is named after Ruth Handler’s son Kenneth. [87] In the 1960s Random House books, the character's surname is given as Carson. Barbie and Ken's surnames were taken from the name of Mattel's ad agency Carson/Roberts. [88] Ken's middle name is Sean. [89]
Mattel, Inc. is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in Los Angeles by Harold Matson and the husband-and-wife duo of Ruth and Elliot Handler in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. Mattel has a presence in 35 countries and territories; its products are sold in more than 150 countries. Mattel consists of three business segments: North America, International and American Girl.
Barbie is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler, manufactured by American toy and entertainment company Mattel and introduced on March 9, 1959. The toy was based on the German Bild Lilli doll which Handler had purchased while in Europe. The figurehead of an eponymous brand that includes a range of fashion dolls and accessories, Barbie has been an important part of the toy fashion doll market for over six decades. Mattel has sold over a billion Barbie dolls, making it the company's largest and most profitable line. The brand has expanded into a multimedia franchise since 1984, including video games, computer-animated films, television/web series, and a live-action film.
Ruth Marianna Handler was an American businesswoman and inventor. She is best known for inventing the Barbie doll in 1959, and being co-founder of toy manufacturer Mattel with her husband Elliot, as well as serving as the company's first president from 1945 to 1975.
Bratz is an American fashion doll and media franchise created by former Mattel employee Carter Bryant for MGA Entertainment, which debuted in 2001.
Since Barbie's introduction as a teenage fashion model in 1959, the doll has been portrayed with many careers. Dolls are sold with sets of clothes and accessories that fit the career being portrayed. For example, the Lifeguard Barbie playset includes a Barbie, an outfit with shoes, a lifeguard chair, a dolphin, and a life preserver, while the Spanish Teacher Barbie includes a Barbie, an outfit with shoes, flashcards, a Spanish quiz, an easel, a notebook, a key chain, and a hairbrush.
Polly Pocket is a toy line of dolls and accessories first founded and designed by Chris Wiggs in 1983 and licensed by Bluebird Toys from 1989 until both entities/properties were acquired by Mattel in 1998.
Totally Hair Barbie is a fashion doll, in the Barbie line by Mattel, that was released in 1992. The doll's extra-long hair reached all the way to her toes and at the time, she had the longest hair ever for a Barbie doll at 11.5 inches in length. She is notable for being the highest selling Barbie doll in history.
Fashion dolls are dolls primarily designed to be dressed to reflect fashion trends. They are manufactured both as toys for children to play with and as collectibles for adults. The dolls are usually modeled after teen girls or adult women, though child, male, and even some non-human variants exist. Contemporary fashion dolls are typically made of vinyl or another plastic.
What's Her Face! was a line of customizable dolls that straddled the line between traditional fashion dolls and creative activity toys. Made by Mattel, the line ran from 2001–2003, and enjoyed only a modest success in a market dominated by Mattel's iconic Barbie and MGA Entertainment's Bratz dolls. Following the discontinuation of the What's Her Face! line, their body molds were used for the Wee 3 Friends line of Barbie-related dolls. Several fashion, wig, and activity packs were also released for the What's Her Face line.
The Bild Lilli doll was a West German line of fashion doll launched by Greiner & Hausser GmbH on August 12, 1955 and produced until 1964. Its design was based on the comic-strip character Lilli, created by Reinhard Beuthien for the tabloid newspaper Bild. The doll was made of polystyrene, came in two sizes, and had an available wardrobe of 1950s fashion. The Lilli doll was copied, and altered to some degree, for Mattel upon the direction of that company's co-founder, Ruth Handler. Mattel acquired the rights to Bild Lilli in 1964, and production of the German doll ceased in favor of Mattel's new vinyl doll, which they called Barbie.
Earring Magic Ken, also known as "Gay Ken" and "Fey Ken", is a model of the Ken doll introduced by Mattel in 1993 as a companion to its Earring Magic Barbie figure, one of five dolls in the Earring Magic Barbie line.
Elliot Handler was an American inventor, businessman, and the co-founder of Mattel. With his wife, Ruth Handler, he developed some of the biggest-selling toys in American history, including Barbie, Chatty Cathy, Creepy Crawlers, and Hot Wheels.
The Barbie Basics is a line of collector's edition Barbie dolls. They were created by Mattel designer Bill Greening and were introduced in late 2009 to be officially released in the spring of 2010.
Nicole "Nikki" Watkins is a Mattel fashion doll, marketed as one of Barbie's best friends in 2006. debuted in 1996 as part of the "Teen Skipper" line. Nikki was originally released as Skipper's first African American friend in 1996 as part of the "Teen Skipper" line and as the younger sister of Christie, one of Barbie's best friends. Since 2006, Nikki Watkins has replaced Christie as one of Barbie's friends. Nikki Watkins debuted as one of Barbie's best friends in the Glam Beach Line and later in Fashion Fever Line. Since then, Nikki has been featured in several Barbie doll series.
Barbie Fashion Designer is a dress-up computer game developed by Digital Domain and published by Mattel Media for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS in 1996. The game allows players to design clothing and style outfits. Players can then print off their designs and create clothing for their real-world Barbie dolls. Barbie Fashion Designer was the first commercially successful video game made for girls. After its success, many other girl games would be made, leading to the girls' games movement.
Creatable World is the first line of gender-neutral dolls produced by Mattel. Creatable World dolls differ in design from other dolls produced by Mattel. The design of the doll is unique and is noticeably different from both Barbie and Ken; there are no curves or broad shoulders present on the dolls. The doll does not have breasts like Barbie does and has other features that do not display an obvious gender. The dolls are designed to be versatile: with wigs to change hairstyles and a variety of clothing options. Research and design for the doll line's development took 18 months. Mattel tested the product with focus groups that included children with a variety of gender identities.
Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams is a 2021 animated musical adventure buddy film directed by Scott Pleydell-Pearce, produced by Emory Ronald "Ron" Myrick and written by Christopher Keenan and Catherine "Kate" Splaine.
Allan Sherwood is a fictional character from the Mattel brand Barbie. He was introduced in 1964 as Ken's friend.
Carol Spencer is an American fashion designer. Most of her career from the early 1960s until 1999 was devoted to creating fashion for Barbie.
Her son, Ken, died of a brain tumor in 1994.
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