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class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--cm-riser"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="SpaceHolr-oayp fXtswJ ad-height-hold"></div><div class="StickyHeroAdWrapper-eNLJUc gStsdY ad-stickyhero ad-stickyhero--standard ad-stickyhero-enable-mobile should-hold-space"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--hero"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--hero" data-no-id="bsvhps"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--display-hero" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--display-hero"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><div class="SpaceHolr-oayp fXtswJ ad-height-hold"></div><ma id="ma-ntent" tabx="-1" class="BasePageMaContent-kFvAuh ewPCZH page__ma-ntent"><article class="article ma-ntent" lang="en-US"><div class="ArticlePageLeBackground-EufvU tFsh"><hear class="ContentHearWrapper-clujbs kaZCaf ntent-hear article__ntent-hear"><div data-ttid="ContentHearContaer" class="ContentHearContaer-cGKRbE knDxNq"><div class="ContentHearHedAccredatnWrapper-GFiQf cDNVlV"><div data-ttid="ContentHearTleBlockWrapper" class="ContentHearTleBlockWrapper-cjmSKp cCntXd"><div data-ttid="ContentHearRubric" class="ContentHearRubricBlock-LmpbT eRFpQc"><div data-ttid="ContentHearRubricDateBlock" class="ContentHearRubricDateBlock-kAQcZP fTFWxD"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX kpuNXj bric ContentHearRubricContaer-eTudtt iRsSlw"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Dolls</span></div></div></div><h1 data-ttid="ContentHearHed" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ ContentHearHed-NCyCC iUEiRd jPOabC BjYFU">The Ken Doll Reboot: Beefy, Cornrowed, and Pan-Racial</h1></div><div class="ContentHearAccredatn-lfctVB etVsnJ ntent-hear__accredatn" data-ttid="ContentHearAccredatn"><div class="ContentHearDek-bIqFFZ eASNBN">For s, he achieved in stat by beg a basic, buff, blue-eyed bro. And for years, that was enough. No longer! Startg today, as part of a wi-rangg relnch, Ken has rnrows. And he’s Asian. And he’s skny. Or sometim even fat (sorry, “broad”). Cay Weaver went ep to the valley (and sign center) of the dolls to get an exclive glimpse of Mattel’s new take on the all-Amerin male.</div><div class="ContentHearByle-kmPyCa emiglw"><div class="ContentHearByleContent-dpPmNn DRFq"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl ContentHearByl-cZqgyJ bHLeKI"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH gtxxjM byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd dlWgVJ gnILss byle__preamble">By </span><a class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM ByleLk-gEnFiw iUEiRd fhQbnq dzFUnH eErqIx byle__name-lk button" href="/ntributor/y-weaver">Cay Weaver</a></span></span></p><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH gtxxjM byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd dlWgVJ gnILss byle__preamble">Photography by </span><a class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BaseLk-eNWuiM ByleLk-gEnFiw iUEiRd fhQbnq dzFUnH eErqIx byle__name-lk button" href="/ntributor/spencer-lowell">Spencer Lowell</a></span></span></p></div><time data-ttid="ContentHearPublishDate" dateTime="2017-06-20T06:30:00-04:00" class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ ContentHearPublishDate-eIBicG iUEiRd ivrQAn cZpOSL">June 20, 2017</time></div></div><div class="SocialInsWrapper-hKMEXV ffgPVr social-ins social-ins--standard ContentHearAccredatnSocialIns-jorO fPzfaa ntent-hear__social-share"><ul data-ttid="socialInslist" class="SocialInsList-cHVTIA ivmblD social-ins__list"></ul></div></div></div><div class="ContentHearLeadAsset-hGbumP fEknXh lead-asset ContentHearLeadAssetWrapper-hfXHEc Grck lead-asset--width-fullbleed" data-ttid="ContentHearLeadAsset"><figure class="ContentHearLeadAssetContent-kOfYSG dRGWbI"><div class="ContentHearLeadAssetContentMedia-bLEIpi jjhWdS lead-asset__ntent__photo"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW jvZaPI rponsive-asset ContentHearRponsiveAsset-bREgIb hONbnm"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz ccdiSo"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa ContentHearRponsiveAsset-bREgIb hONbnm rponsive-image"><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w, 1920w, 2240w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Image may nta Head Human Person Willa Fzgerald Doll Toy Advertisement Collage Poster and Geia Gibbs" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></picture></div></div></span></div></figure></div></div><asi class="PersistentAsiWrapper-VGrR oEIBz persistent-asi persistent-asi--align-left" style="posn:absolute;top:to;height:to" data-ttid="PersistentAsiWrapper"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB jNgrSF sticky-box ContentHearPersistentAsi-fsnAmQ dFzKzm"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="SocialInsWrapper-hKMEXV ffgPVr social-ins social-ins--has-background ContentHearSocialIns-jzJiyg ctaZl social-ins--share"><ul data-ttid="socialInslist" class="SocialInsList-cHVTIA ivmblD social-ins__list"></ul></div></div><div class="StickyBoxPlaceholr-grPmrg dxAvXx"></div></div></asi></hear></div><div data-attribute-verso-pattern="article-body" class="ArticlePageContentBackGround-cNiFNN kJkLmH article-body__ntent"><div class="ArticlePageChunksContent-etcMtP eRxRjL"><div data-ttid="ArticlePageChunks" class="ArticlePageChunks-fLyCVG eSsnKa"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa edvONh body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><div class="GroupCalloutWrapper-bPWknp gjCHDP llout llout--group llout--group-4" data-ttid="GroupCalloutWrapper"><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed llout--group-em llout--group-em-1"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="This image may nta Head Doll Toy Human Person and Figure" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed llout--group-em llout--group-em-2"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="This image may nta Accsori Tie Accsory Head Doll Toy Human Person and Figure" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed llout--group-em llout--group-em-3"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="This image may nta Doll and Toy" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed llout--group-em llout--group-em-4"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="This image may nta Doll Toy Human and Person" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure></div><p><strong>Meet Ken:</strong> He is a beefy Asian man wh 20/40 visn who equently works out of doors.</p><p>And, meet Ken: He is a young rerd executive who exprs himself through bold sneaker attire while simultaneoly beg an Ain-Amerin man of average build.</p><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad---ntent"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot---ntent" data-no-id="te45nc"></div></div><p>And, meet Ken: Agast the better angels of his nature, he has bleached his hair peroxi blond, and now is termed to travel on an airplane fort and style.</p><div class="Contaer-bkChBi byNLHx"></div><p>And, meet Ken: He has a man bun, and that’s his whole thg.</p><p>In a ndn of affairs at worst disastro, at bt praved, Ken, Ken, Ken, and Ken are all datg the same woman.</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-1 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p>Her name is Barbie.</p><div class="GenericCalloutWrapper-tojWn dxKJjl llout--has-top-borr" data-ttid="GenericCallout"><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="This image may nta Doll Toy Human Person Figure and Barbie" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure></div><p class="has-dropp">When he buted 1961, Ken (legal name: Ken Carson) was a spdly, anemic fan of sual swimwear. Over the years, he has blossomed to a sculpted, perma-tanned in of Amerin masculy. Even if you never played wh Ken, his ty footfall has reverberated through your life; he charg early the formative years of the fairer sex, settg an impossible standard for mal agast which you will be judged forever. Ken is the first man—or, technilly, nuch—many ltle girls will ever see nu. Consequently, he teach young ladi that men are meant to have bodi like Olympic water-polo players. He’ll teach girls precisely how much taller than women men should be and (sort of) about the different ways men e the bathroom; Barbie’s Dreamhoe, a one-woman mega-mansn, featur a sgle but qutsential nod to Ken’s existence: a toilet seat that lifts up. “That’s very important for Ken om a girl’s perspective,” says Michael Shore, Mattel’s head of global nsumer sights ( means he watch kids play wh dolls). “Bee guys e toilets different om girls.”</p><p>Over time, Ken has been picted as a rappg rocker (Rapp’ Rock’ Ken), a doctor (Dr. Ken), and a sovereign of the Crystal Cav (Kg of the Crystal Cav Ken), but that is what he is rced to: someone who the toilet a myster way.</p><asi aria-hidn="te" class="PullQuoteEmbedWrapper-sc-EoVjf fQbAzo"><div class="PullQuoteDerativeBorr-sc-iUyOLj fAzNVP"></div><div class="PullQuoteEmbedContent-sc-kTcfhx eltaVW"><p>Ken is “nice,” they tell me over and over when I ask them to scribe a doll’s personaly: “a nice guy”; “a solid du”; and, most damngly: “I picture him kd of Ryan Seacrt-y.”</p></div></asi><p>That’s bee Ken is the refully librated ial plement to Barbie—a blank, sg man who do not threaten the stardom of the most telligent, talented, rapp’ rock’ prcs astront all of Malibu. Ken is “nice,” the members of the Barbie team will tell me over and over when I ask them to scribe a doll’s personaly: “a nice guy”; “a solid du”; and, most damngly: “I picture him kd of Ryan Seacrt-y.”</p><p>Well, not anymore. Startg now, Mattel is re-imagg the all-Amerin guy. He may not be as spirg as an imagary female solo homeowner or the first imagary female print, but that don’t mean he n’t have a rich imagary ner life. The cisn to give him some pth marks a new chapter for men, and dolls who are men. From this day forward, Ken don’t always have to look like the most basic at bro ever to get a B- en. He n be plited, myster—maybe even vegan. No more Mr. Nice Ken. (Actually, he’ll still be very, very nice. “We want to make sure Ken reflects a iendly view of the world,” says Shore.)</p><p>One way to make Ken more of a real-live man, Mattel cid, is to put him through a dramatic physil transformatn. And so, on the pk stiletto heels of last year’s announcement that Barbie would henceforth be available taller, shorter, and, most sensatnally, curvier versns, the pany is addg two new Ken shap to s roster and manufacturg them a larger array of sk shas and hairstyl. There will be an “origal”-size Ken wh rnrows. A “slim” Ken wh a fa. A mixed-race Ken wh a man bun. Asian Kens. Lato Kens. A pale whe Ken and a tan whe Ken. A Ken who is wearg a watch. A Ken who is…“broad.”</p><p>And the are <em>all</em> the “real” Ken. Not iends of Ken, like the already extant Brad and Steven and memorative-edn Batman doll “sculpted the likens of Ben Affleck.” Jt Ken.</p><p>This brandg is a radil attempt to alter kids’ psych. Mattel has spent the better part of six s teachg children that Barbie and Ken are whe; that Barbie and Ken are sculpted like Hellenistic statu, only pornier, spe lackg genals; that Barbie and Ken have iends—that some of their bt imagary iends are black—but that at the end of the day those iends are not que A-list superstars like Barbie and Ken. But a few years ago, sal started to tumble. Millennial moms clared Barbie out of sync wh their valu. Sudnly centivized to embrace urant clivy, the toymaker had two choic: upend the entire Barbie universe by promotg all her iends to equal stat or keep Barbie and Ken at the center of and jt make everyone—regardls of race, shape, or hairstyle—Barbie and Ken.</p><p>Thk of this strategy as the ice-cream-izatn of Barbie. There are an fe number of flavors, but we refer to them all by the same general name; “ice cream” isn’t necsarily vanilla—and neher is Barbie’s boyiend.</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-2 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p>It’s an trigug ia, ntled a snake p of plitns. What about the morn man necsat a Ken do-over? What are men—and Ken—for 2017? How do a rporatn select the shas of brown will e to reprent black people? Who cis how fat a fat Ken n be?</p><p>Mattel was willg to enterta my qutns, asked wh a Barbie’s nfince, but wasn’t about to send me unreleased dolls the mail. I had to go to the pany headquarters if I wanted a look at the new Kens. And so, borne by the promise that I uld spend a few mut studyg the prototyp as long as I did not photograph them nu, I set off for Ken’s native land: California, near the airport.</p><hr/></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa kFAtaa body ArticlePageBodyGridContaer-jrMoA-d xjuw body__grid-ntaer" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div data-ttid="feature-large-llout" class="CalloutFeatureLargeWrapper-cGjDsT uKfZv"><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="This image may nta Pants Clothg Apparel Human Person Jeans Denim People Jam Charl and Sunglass" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa edvONh body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p class="has-dropp">The Mattel sign center, El Segundo, California, is sort of like the Pentagon, except ’s very difficult to get to. In addn to submtg a ernment ID for electronic snng and wearg a promently displayed visor’s badge for the duratn of their time on se, guts mt sign an NDA at the receptn area. The sign center is where the pany’s ultra-nfintial toy prototyp are vented before beg discreetly sent abroad for manufacturg. It is Mattel’s versn of the Wonka factory, and, acrdgly, every outsir is treated wh spicn.</p><p>Behd the secury sk is a floor-to-ceilg photo, blown up several hundred percent, of Ruth and Ellt Handler, the ceased toy-makg uple who -found Mattel. The two are everywhere the sign center—and this photo particular forc a doll’s terrifyg perspective on visors. A bgraphil exhib the wag area explas that the Handlers met as teenagers at a B’nai B’rh dance 1929; bee Barbie and Ken are named for their children (Barbara and Kenh), one uld extrapolate that Barbie and Ken are, fact, Jewish. One uld also sually make this observatn to an employee at Mattel and then, a week later, fd onelf the recipient of a pole e-mail statg emphatilly that “Barbie has never had a relign.” So perhaps is better to simply know one’s heart that Barbie is Jewish and say nothg.</p><div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--article-mid-ntent" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--article-mid-ntent nsumer-marketg-un__slot---ntent"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><p>From the wag area, I am rted to a blazg pk nference room, where I learn that, as wh Barbie’s relign, the offcial pany posn is that Ken has no age—and also that he is roughly 18, even though he has held many adult jobs. He is perpetually datg Barbie but, spe their many nuptial ceremoni, has never married her. (Per Mattel, all of Ken and Barbie’s weddgs are “dream” weddgs.) Ken has no children but has been sold alongsi a toddler “siblg” for whom he is the only apparent retaker. But the quiet tragedy of Ken’s life as the perfect man? Boys—even boys who like Barbie—don’t re about him.</p><div class="GroupCalloutWrapper-bPWknp gjCHDP llout llout--group llout--group-2" data-ttid="GroupCalloutWrapper"><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed llout--group-em llout--group-em-1"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="This image may nta Human Person Fger and Hand" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed llout--group-em llout--group-em-2"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="This image may nta Human and Person" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure></div><p>That, though, was never the pot of Ken.</p><p>“In the past,” says Michael Shore, “Ken was really viewed as more of an accsory Barbie’s world, to support the narrative of whatever was happeng wh the girls.” Ken was arm ndy, a proponent of Barbie’s enavors, a plement at a rat of about 1:7. Or at least that’s how sal worked over the years—kids own one Ken for every seven Barbi. That’s part of what the iative hop to change. Mattel mt nvce ltle girls, and the adults who le them, that men are fascatg, too. At least enough to get that number closer to two Kens for every seven Barbi. Men—and Ken—aren’t jt Seacrts, after all; they e all shas and shap (and novative fashns). Sometim they are also worthy of attentn.</p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="m0yl8t"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa edvONh body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p>In orr to unrstand what toy men walk around dog all day, Mattel spends huge amounts of time and money analyzg “play patterns”—nsistent ways boys and girls teract wh Mattel products. The “play patterns” often take the form of standard serial-killer-type behavr: strippg Barbie and Ken naked, stylg and re-stylg Barbie’s hair. Storytellg, which the dolls are ed to act out scenars, is the most popular. It’s also where Ken sh. Although he was vented specifilly as a “boyiend” doll for Barbie (herself moled after a sexy figure marketed to German adults the 1950s), Ken’s job scriptn 2017 has broaned tremendoly: His purpose now is to reprent all the possible male characters nceivable the universe.</p><p>“When kids are really young,” says Shore— Barbie terms, really young means about 3 years old—“a lot of [storytellg] is about unrstandg the world around them. So ’s ‘hoe play.’ ”Often, “hoe play” is set the bathroom, where Ken gets his special toilet seat. It’s also why sce the ’70s, Mattel has released eight Kens wh some form of disappear-able and re-appear-able facial hair; they are perennially among the most popular Kens.</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-3 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p>“You see Barbie and Ken reprentg a lot of the people the kids’ liv,” says Shore. “Barbie uld be ‘sister,’ and Ken uld be ‘brother.’ Of urse, ‘mom’/‘dad,’ ‘mom’/‘uncle,’ ‘mom’/‘iend,’ ‘dad’/‘iend.’ ”</p><p>But jt bee Uncle-Friend Ken liv wh Mom Barbie don’t mean he’s havg sex wh her. Kids generally don’t start imagg Barbie and Ken romantic datg scenars until around send gra. And recent years, Mattel has begun reposng Ken as more of a iend than a pure love tert. (The subtext of Ken beg “tstworthy” and “nice” seems to be: Ken would never sexually asslt Barbie. He jt wants to enjoy her pany on her own terms, vis her at her mansn if that’s what she wants.)</p><p>“We always joke that Ken wh three sentials,” says Bill Greeng, a prcipal signer at Mattel. Greeng has worked at the brand for nearly 20 years and llects dolls on the si. Posssed of an encyclopedic knowledge of Kens, he is lerally livg his Barbie Dream Job. “Your tuxedo, your swimsu, and of urse he’s a prce. Those [were] his three big rol Barbie’s world.”</p><p>But if Barbie’s list of reer fields be more genr-ntral (engeerg, archecture), there’s no reason for her iend Ken to be jt a prce. And so along wh a “spy” and a “vio-game hero,” be plsible for him to be, like Barbie, one of the Fashnistas™ (the le which the new Kens will make their but).</p><p>The diversy ph has siarly lucrative goals. As Ken’s physil form chang to better reflect the creasgly multicultural world Amerin kids hab, the hope is that he will bee a more relevant (and important-to-purchase) character kids’ stori.</p><p>All those aspects be to make Ken the Platonic ial of a 2017 male: iendly; well-groomed; variant of sk lor, hairstyle, and body shape; unthreatened by his female pann’s succs; and unapologetic his study of fashn. He is straight or maybe gay or otherwise so far advanced tolerance-wise that the distguishg featur about him aren’t even worth notg—they jt are. Ken’s doll paradise is an ial society where all cizens suffer om munal prosopagnosia, never able to tell, a given moment, if they’re talkg to Broad Ken, or Slim Ken, or Origal. Ken’s inty, like the box that ntas him, is post-label.</p><div class="GroupCalloutWrapper-bPWknp gjCHDP llout llout--group llout--group-2" data-ttid="GroupCalloutWrapper"><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed llout--group-em llout--group-em-1"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="This image may nta Human Person Workshop Stg Furnure Chair Buildg and Factory" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed llout--group-em llout--group-em-2"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="This image may nta Human Person Birthday Cake Food Dsert and Cake" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure></div><p>In a dark rner of the sign center, a lightls cubby loted a small honeyb of intil lightls cubbi, ss a beg who is God to the Kens: Ray. Ray is Ray Cavalluzzi, the digal sculptor who brgs Kens forth to this unholy world—a tremorls man tasked wh translatg hop to plastic. Whout Cavalluzzi, signers’ visns would rema jt that: ephemeral pictur, llectns of adjectiv, mood boards lan wh puter prtouts of guys lor-blocked tank tops. Ray n make any Ken and every Ken, the Kens of Amerins’ dreams—and some they have only seen nightmar. His workspace is cluttered wh amputated doll limbs.</p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="99fyg"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa edvONh body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p>“They’re all over the place,” he says, bshg asi a pile of exiguo men’s legs. “Like a crab dner.”</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-4 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p>Cavalluzzi’s puter screen glows wh an image of three sexy men stripped down to their cyan blue puter-moled sk. In the middle is Origal Ken: 12 ch tall, wh abs so hard they uld cut dream diamonds for imagary engagement rgs. Next to him, Slim Ken, who is shorter, looks almost boyish, his arms and thighs lackg a gym rat’s fn, his stomach flat and ridgels. Plonked down on the left is Broad Ken. Broad Ken is more filled out than Origal Ken, his torso remag blockish where Origal’s go nve. His shoulrs and thighs are wir, too—though all Kens mt be manufactured wh a prepostero-lookg thigh gap to make easy for their troers to e off and on. (Their gros are flat bee the way fabric bunch at a 12-ch sle would make even the fatt ht of a phall seem extra-proment.)</p><p>I’ll jt e out and say : Broad Ken is a ltle disappotg. Curvy Barbie rri her weight the same way a curvy woman would: ample hips that softly bulge around her flh-lored unrwear, and an ass that jt won’t qu. Broad Ken don’t have a six-pack, but he do have pecs, and abs wh light fn—a far cry om the potbellied “Dadbod Ken” many mentators proposed when Mattel unveiled the re-proportned Barbi last January.</p><p>“Origally,” says Ray, “I ma him pnchy. I gave him a nice healthy gut. So he was the post-holiday Ken.” Ray picks up a haptic styl attached to a small mache on his sk and begs drawg visibly the air. The mache creat s own ristance based on the 3-D image on Ray’s screen, enablg him lerally to <em>feel</em> the digal clay.</p><p>“It was a matter of fdg a balance,” he says. As Ray’s wand glis through the empty air ont of him, mcl bloom unr Broad Ken’s on-screen sk. “You don’t want to go too much.”</p><p>For the Barbie team, creatg a perfectly executed regular body is a Sisyphean missn. The cisn to alter the dolls’ appearance stems om a general broang of Amerin bety standards, as lovg yourself has been transformed om a nsolatn prize to an aspiratnal behavr. The plitg factor for Ken is that those standards have broaned more regard to women, possibly bee men already had more leeway wh their appearance. Acrdg to a 1996 study, the odds of meetg a man wh Ken’s ialized shape were about 1 50. The odds of meetg a woman wh Barbie’s: ls than 1 100,000. Make the origal pencil-th Barbie closer to the shape of the average Amerin woman (“curvy”) and the effects are dramatic. To achieve the same drastic visual impact wh Ken, signers would have had to make his body much, much larger. But make Ken too big and crics would argue that he looks unhealthy. Keep him too trim and he’s unattaable.</p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="l5ezih"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa edvONh body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p>And what uld you even ll him?</p><p>“Wh Barbie [ was] clear what was offensive wh the curvier doll vers what wasn’t,” says Michelle Chidoni, a polished, ftly amiable executive om the global brand munitns partment. We are stg a pac nference room surround by Barbi fashns so cuttg-edge that to scribe them would be illegal. But I will reveal to the rear that a great multu of the outfs are both fabulo and fun. “People [ foc groups] didn’t want to be lled ‘pl-size.’ ‘Curvy’ was the clear wner. [But] where ‘curvy’ the female world of fashn has bee somethg that’s sirable and sexy and posive, the men’s fashn world has not gone there yet.”</p><p>Mattel’s nstant aim when scribg body typ is to unearth a marketg term wh “a ntral-to-posive associatn.” They don’t always fd on the first try. Or send. Or third. Inially, their attempt to repture the proud spir of “curvy” for a male doll, the Barbie team borrowed a word om the boys’ clothg dtry: “hky.” Foc-group reactns were disastro.</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-5 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p>“‘Hky’ jt turned off every guy we talked to,” says Chidoni, shakg her head. “A lot were really trmatized by that—as a child, shoppg a hky sectn.” “Athletic” was rejected on the notn that athlet n have vastly different body typ. “Brawny” didn’t fare much better. And so: “broad.”</p><p>But for all the adjective aga, a ctomer walkg through the toy aisle at Target won’t even see “broad” (or “slim,” or “origal”) on the dolls’ packagg; there will be nothg to signify that the dolls are different siz, except, of urse, the dolls themselv. The terms were veloped exprsly for Mattel’s announcement and to facilate onle shoppg. Also not listed anywhere on the packagg: the doll’s race.</p><hr/><div class="GenericCalloutWrapper-tojWn dxKJjl llout--has-top-borr" data-ttid="GenericCallout"><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="Image may nta Doll and Toy" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure></div><p class="has-dropp">Now that we are a natn of woke ba and Tmp supporters, may feel like Barbie waed too long (or way, way too long) to make a ncerted effort at diversy. Rell, however, that the predomantly whe brand has fallen out of favor only recently. Until a uple years ago, Barbie’s sal had been on a general cle sce her but 1959 to an 85 percent whe Uned Stat. On a grand sle, the revamp is occurrg on schle: More than half of Amerin children are expected to be part of a mory race or ethnic group by 2020, acrdg to the Cens Bure. Mattel is changg s standard pictn of the all-Amerin male jt as be fislly wise to do so: as Ameri tips over to a untry of Dad-Neighbor-Boyiends who are ambiguoly diverse race, tra, and fashn. Whatever this is—the dream of the enlightened man or perhaps even jt the dream of a man who seems Brazilian—isn’t such a bad thg to propagate.</p><p>To watch the signers rponsible for givg Ken fac (and rac) at work, I am rted (by no ls than four people—all of whom uld outn me should I make a break for the secret room where Mattel shrks down human women to Barbie siz) to the largt area the sign center, a vast utilarian atelier l wh a batn of skylights and fluorcent tub and divid to a maze of cubicl and open-air worktabl. One such table is lan wh metal stands, on which several dozen pated doll heads of var shap, exprsns, lors, and hairstyl are impaled on spik—an admonory display of ntemptible traors om Tudor England’s hottt town.</p><p>Ken’s body is ma of acrylonrile butadiene styrene plastic—the same sturdy material on the si of most reigerators. The new crop of Kens will feature seven new sk ton (pl ne hairstyl and heads—“face sculpts” pany jargon). If a 3-year-old girl has a biracial black and Lato father, Mattel wants to make easier for her (or her parents) to fd and purchase a rrpondg Ken. But “biracial black and Lato” n manift self humans numerable shas and is jt one possible racial batn.</p><p>“The lors aren’t signed for each specific doll,” Barbie sign VP Kim Culmone tells me her once when I ask how her team term which seven sk shas are worthy of a global dience. (Sce 1982, Mattel has perdilly released non-whe versns of some existent Kens, but the pany would not say which.) “They’re almost signed like a patg palette. So rather than sayg, ‘This doll is Asian and now I’m pickg his sk tone,’ ’s makg sure we have a variety of light sk ton that st a ltle b yellow. Some that may st a ltle pker. Then movg to mid-range and gog all the way to dark.”</p><figure class="AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed"><div class="AssetEmbedAssetContaer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-ntaer"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image"><noscript><img alt="Image may nta Human Person Clothg Apparel Footwear Shoe Advertisement Collage Poster and Kev Thorn" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div></figure><p>Sk lor, of urse, is jt one ditor of racial phenotype. There’s also hair. Face shape. Nose and ey and lips. Bee is cheaper and easier to form to trite short hairstyl, like rnrows, the new Kens all have mold hair—hair patterns cut directly to the plastic of their head and pated—rather than the shy plastic fibers that Barbie swgs around so luxurly. (Barbie’s hair is ma of the same stuff as Saran Wrap.) Although Ken’s hollow head is rotost as a sgle piece of plastic, hair and face sculpts n be paired up and swched around any batn.</p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="1q06h"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa edvONh body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><p>“For an Ain-Amerin face sculpt,” signer Bill Greeng explas, “the nose is flatter, wir. But we’ve done more blend rac. So even if you have, say, an Ain-Amerin-shaped nose, we might do a Csian sk tone bee we know that there are mixed rac. You fely still have blond-haired, blue-eyed Ken, and you still have an Ain-Amerin Ken, but there are some that uld be: Is he Lato? Is he Middle Eastern?”</p><p>“[Some of the Fashnista Kens] are a ltle b ethnilly ambiguo, and that’s kd of the pot,” says Chidoni. “The pat is where you get the shape of the ey and the shape of the lips, so that really not racial cu as well. You uld have an Origal Ken sculpt and pat differently and get a really different look.”</p><div data-attr-viewport-monor="le-recirc" class="le-recirc-wrapper le-recirc-observer-target-6 viewport-monor-anchor"></div><p>The goals of Mattel’s new Ken exercise are lofty—even if they stem om the adult play pattern of creasg prof margs. It’s hard not to feel hopeful about the effects on kids’ self-teem if stead of beg tght om an early age that people who look like them are ls important, the msage is that they, too, are good enough to be the ma attractn. (For the same reason, Fashnista Barbie and Ken retail for the same price—so neher is more valuable than the other.) But even now, there are lims to Mattel’s willgns to impose diversy. A major stickg pot is non-doll Barbie ntent like vios and books, which Ken and Barbie will ntue to be picted as what the pany lls “the inic characters”—meang the svelte blond, blue-eyed versns. This would appear to unrcut much of the work done by llg everyone, of every shape and lor, “Barbie” or “Ken” doll form. It will certaly tt the lims of 3-year-olds’ abili to prehend the Barbie multiverse hypothis.</p><p>Fundamentally, dolls are for kids who know very ltle about society—s norms and s flaws. And so ’s certaly possible that the tangibl—the sk pigments, the love handl, the vic bate surroundg packagg-appropriate marketg terms—matter more to parents than to children, who are already makg an sane logil leap by pretendg a ty man wh plastic hair is engaged a fulfillg romantic relatnship wh a partially topls mermaid. In the long n, Fashnista Kens may be most valuable their functn as time psul, prervg plastic amber not jt clothg and bety ials but also what’s important to this generatn of Amerin parents: rejectg elism, embracg a wir variety of rac and body typ, puttg one’s hair a ol bun. Mattel knows that, ultimately, don’t matter if children are ntent to play God wh any small humanoid figure; they’re signg kids’ toys for adults. Adults are the on wh cred rds, after all. You’ve got to give them what they want. And what is that the Uned Stat of 2017? A thickset myopic Asian Ken.</p><p><strong>Cay Weaver</strong> <em>is a</em> GQ <em>wrer and edor.</em></p><p><em>This story origally appeared the July 2017 issue wh the tle “Y, We Ken.”</em></p></div></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan full-bleed-ad row-mid-ntent-ad"><div class="StickyMidContentAdWrapper-fSBzwl drzyIa ad-stickymidntent"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--mid-ntent should-hold-space"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--mid-ntent" data-no-id="jebvpp"></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hfxa bDFJoo"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="BodyWrapper-kufPGa edvONh body body__ntaer article__body" data-journey-hook="client-ntent" data-ttid="BodyWrapper"><div class="body__ner-ntaer"><hr/><div role="headg" aria-level="6" class="headg-h6">Watch Now:</div><div role="headg" aria-level="4" class="headg-h4">There’s a Ken Doll For Everyone Now</div><figure class="CneVioEmbedFigure-kCfJjN hdJOda e-vio-embed"><div data-ttid="script-ntaer"></div></figure></div></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 PaywallInleBarrierWhWrapperGrid-fyrGfS jyGBoi"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="body body__le-barrier article__body article__body--grid-margs"><div class="ntaer ntaer--body"><div class="ntaer--body-ner"><asi class="PaywallInleBarrierWrapper-iBnuqk lfXXa-D" data-ttid="PaywallInleBarrierWrapper"><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--paywall-le-barrier" role="prentatn" aria-live="pole" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--paywall-le-barrier"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></asi></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0 ContentWrapperGrid-fvkmBv jfHKjr"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"><div class="body body__ntaer"><div class="ntaer ntaer--body"><div class="ntaer--body-ner"></div></div></div></div></div></div></article><div class="ContentFooterWrapper-jVNdRG dTJkpP ArticlePageContentFooterGrid-ccsXYy eMZRHU article-body__footer"><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"></div></div></div><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="GridWrapper-cAzTTK eRggVV grid grid-margs grid-ems-0"><div class="GridItem-buujkM kHPPIF grid--em"></div></div></div><div data-ttid="ContentFooterBottom" class="ContentFooterBottom-jwWZfC kcbyiW"><div class="ntent-bottom-anchor"></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--article-footer" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--article-footer"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div><div data-attr-viewport-monor="" class="recirc-list-wrapper viewport-monor-anchor"><div class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><asi class="RecircListTextOverlayWrapper-EAayj ikNPKA ContentFooterRelated-kEBiFe kVUuwq"><div class="recirc-list__ntaer"><hear class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ RecircListTextOverlayHeadg-icEzDE iUEiRd fWXTnu iCFeNq">Read More</hear><ul class="RecircListTextOverlayItems-kknlpG lpbERO recirc-list__ems hi-read-more-ad"><li class="RecircListTextOverlayItem-dLTGJZ DRac"><a class="OverlaySummaryItemWrapper-jydJgB eInHsS summary-em-trackg__image-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-1" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset OverlaySummaryItemRponsiveAsset-gAMhYK cOqLsu"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa OverlaySummaryItemRponsiveAsset-gAMhYK cOqLsu rponsive-image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jgsWEn"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/><img alt="How Black Women Rappers Expand What Barbie Could Be" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></div></div></picture></span><div class="OverlaySummaryItemContent-ddGOWz fHZSgO"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX hXmUmf bric bric--wh-bg BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ OverlaySummaryItemRubric-bFqsqT iUEiRd bGlCJj cvqxGA"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Culture</span></div><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ OverlaySummaryItemHed-cljMtD iUEiRd hNEuYK cRpZRn">How Black Women Rappers Expand What Barbie Could Be</div></div></div><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl OverlaySummaryItemByl-bogcUE fjwtNK"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH bfGBQB byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd dlWgVJ gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Heven Haile</span></span></p></div></div></a></li><li class="RecircListTextOverlayItem-dLTGJZ DRac"><a class="OverlaySummaryItemWrapper-jydJgB eInHsS summary-em-trackg__image-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-2" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset OverlaySummaryItemRponsiveAsset-gAMhYK cOqLsu"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa OverlaySummaryItemRponsiveAsset-gAMhYK cOqLsu rponsive-image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jgsWEn"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/><img alt="How Greta Gerwig Reptured Old Hollywood Technilor Magic for Barbie" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></div></div></picture></span><div class="OverlaySummaryItemContent-ddGOWz fHZSgO"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX hXmUmf bric bric--wh-bg BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ OverlaySummaryItemRubric-bFqsqT iUEiRd bGlCJj cvqxGA"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Culture</span></div><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ OverlaySummaryItemHed-cljMtD iUEiRd hNEuYK cRpZRn">How Greta Gerwig Reptured Old Hollywood Technilor Magic for <em>Barbie</em></div></div></div><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl OverlaySummaryItemByl-bogcUE fjwtNK"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH bfGBQB byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd dlWgVJ gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Charl Bram</span></span></p></div></div></a></li><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--read-more"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--read-more" data-no-id="f3d5ds"></div></div><li class="RecircListTextOverlayItem-dLTGJZ DRac"><a class="OverlaySummaryItemWrapper-jydJgB eInHsS summary-em-trackg__image-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-3" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset OverlaySummaryItemRponsiveAsset-gAMhYK cOqLsu"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa OverlaySummaryItemRponsiveAsset-gAMhYK cOqLsu rponsive-image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jgsWEn"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet="" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Oppenheimer’s Costume Digner Lov All of Your Barbenheimer Outfs" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></div></div></picture></span><div class="OverlaySummaryItemContent-ddGOWz fHZSgO"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX hXmUmf bric bric--wh-bg BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ OverlaySummaryItemRubric-bFqsqT iUEiRd bGlCJj cvqxGA"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Style</span></div><div data-ttid="ClampWrapper" class="ClampWrapper-kZxfkB hTTNGO clamp"><div class="ClampContent-hilPkr jVhSBH"><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ OverlaySummaryItemHed-cljMtD iUEiRd hNEuYK cRpZRn"><em>Oppenheimer</em>’s Costume Digner Lov All of Your Barbenheimer Outfs</div></div></div><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl OverlaySummaryItemByl-bogcUE fjwtNK"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH bfGBQB byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd dlWgVJ gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Eileen Cartter</span></span></p></div></div></a></li><li class="RecircListTextOverlayItem-dLTGJZ DRac"><a class="OverlaySummaryItemWrapper-jydJgB eInHsS summary-em-trackg__image-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-4" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset OverlaySummaryItemRponsiveAsset-gAMhYK cOqLsu"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa OverlaySummaryItemRponsiveAsset-gAMhYK cOqLsu rponsive-image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jgsWEn"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 800w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 800w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Michael Cera Breaks Down His 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super gay ken doll

Wh Greta Gerwig's Barbie set to h theaters this July, we cid to take a look back at the past, prent, and future of gay Barbie dolls.

Contents:

HOW BARBIE'S BOYIEND KEN BEME AN ACCINTAL GAY IN

Barbie has been a femist symbol for a while but do you know about the time when Mattel accintally created a 'gay' Ken doll? * super gay ken doll *

'Gay' Earrg Magic Ken Hs the Shelv. "He's always read gay, " said Dan Savage, ternatnally renowned lumnist and podster, an email, "but has he ever read gayer than he did wh a gay sex toy around his neck? Savage origally wrote about Earrg Magic Ken the summer of 1993, when much of the pop culture world was havg a good lgh at Mattel's lack of unrstandg that while ltle kids saw what Prce, the members of Right Said Fred or Madonna's backup dancers were wearg simply as "ol, " the adult world was clued to how gay was.

KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIEND

The doll flew off the shelv, pecially sce gay men, cludg Savage, shed out to buy a Ken doll.

Though the Earrg Magic Ken cint showed that LGBTQ culture at the time had filtrated the mastream (or, arguably, been -opted by ), Ken might've simply remaed the butt of late-night jok until Savage — who's sce gone on to serve as one of the untry's most proment sex and relatnship advice lumnists — published his explanatn of the gay-culture subtext munited by wearg the sex toy. And a form of , specific placements on clothg uld imply certa sexual preferenc among the gay crowd; you n read Savage's more tailed acunt of the nuanc the Chigo Rear's archiv.

IS ALLAN OM 'BARBIE' GAY? 5 REASONS TO THK HE MIGHT BE

"I don't thk a gay man unr 40 would even know what we we're talkg about, " he said. Adam McDonald is a 36-year-old gay man and film cric for the Bored as Hell podst.

Many nsired the doll a gay in. Mattel went on to remove the phrase om the doll’s programmg and also offered refunds to those who did not wish to own the Barbie READ: Is Barbie gay and why is the new movie rated PG-13?

He’s Barbie’s gay bt iend.

THE FUTURE OF GAY BARBIE DOLLS AND THE HISTORY OF EARRG MAGIC KEN

The film won’t say , but a post-creds punchle about Ken’s handwrg, plete wh hearts and stars surroundg his name, tells what we need to heavily implied nature of Ken’s gayns Toy Story 3 harkens back to Hollywood’s tradnal gay bt iend-type characters.

In the Hays Co era, explic referenc to homosexualy weren’t allowed, so characters like Van Buren (Frankl Pangborn) 1937’s Easy Livg, Kip (David Wayne) 1949’s Adam’s Rib, or Addison (Gee Sanrs) 1950’s All About Eve stead were imbued wh effemate characteristics, offerg a glimpse outsi of heteronormativy whout explicly beg of the characters were the same—some were tty, others sweet. But each of the gay bt iends was trsilly fed by their relatnships wh their straight iends. Des later, 2010, the gay bt iend was all the rage; Teen Vogue even went so far as to proclaim the GBF as the summer’s mt-have accsory.

But unlike the first half of the 20th century, today’s cema, the GBF is allowed to be openly gay. In movi like Mean Girls (2004), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Easy A (2010), No Strgs Attached (2011), and Isn’t It Romantic (2019), gay iends exist entirely the orb of their female iends. ” But Barbie do, and for Ken, that’s are plenty of reasons why the film wouldn’t outrightly state that Ken is homosexual.

RENNTRE GRATUE GAY à PARIS, (75)

), and of urse, and earrg the “gay ear”.

) Earrg Magic Ken turned Barbie’s boyiend to an out-and-proud homosexual raver.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* SUPER GAY KEN DOLL

How Barbie's Boyiend Ken Beme an Accintal Gay In | HowStuffWorks .

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