Ken (Barbie)
| Ken | |
|---|---|
| Mattel character | |
Ryan (left) and Ken (right) dolls sold at stores
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| First appearance | c. 1961 |
| Created by | Elliot Handler |
| Voiced by | Sean Hankinson |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | 40 occupations |
Ken is a toy doll introduced by Mattel in 1961 as the fictional boyfriend of toy doll Barbie, introduced in 1959. Similar to his female counterpart, Ken had a fantastically fashionable line of clothing and accessories. In the Barbie mythos, Ken and Barbie met on the set of a TV commercial in 1961. Mattel has never specified the precise nature of their relationship. Since his debut, Ken has held at least 40 occupations. He was invented by Elliot Handler.
From 1961 to the debut of Superstar Ken in 1977, Ken had straight, non bendable arms and a head that 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 felt hair was found to fall off when wet. 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. The woman who made the Ken doll made it to resemble her husband.
Ken's best friend, Allan Sherwood (Midge's boyfriend, later husband), was introduced in 1964. The first African-American male doll, Brad, was introduced in 1968, as the boyfriend of Barbie's African-American friend, Christie, who was introduced in 1967. Brad was voiced by actor Terry Carter.
The unrealistic physiques of Barbie and Ken caused comment. Although Ken is thought to stand 6-feet tall in accordance with Barbie's 1:6 scale, Yale University psychologist, Kelly Brownell, stated that to size up to what Barbie looks for in a mate, "a man would have to grow 20 inches taller and add nearly eight inches to his neck circumference, 11 inches to his chest and 10 inches to his waist to resemble the muscular Ken."
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.
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