The Weirdest Things About Barbie and Ken’s Relationship

When Barbie was unveiled to the world by inventor and Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler, her purpose was clear. Barbie wasn’t just designed to be a doll; instead, she’s always been a symbol of independence and female empowerment. According to the toymaker, the Barbie philosophy was intended to help little girls believe that they could be anything they wanted. Ever since her creation in the 1950s, Barbie has broken gender roles and helped little girls dream bigger. However, Ken was never supposed to be in the picture. Consumers desired a more traditional product, so Barbie’s boyfriend was created due to pressure from the public. 

Unintentionally, Ken became an icon overnight. He was handsome and charming. Combined with Barbie, the two of them made one heck of a power couple. Now, after the release of the hit film “Barbie” by Greta Gerwig, there’s more of a spotlight on the most fascinating (and weirdest) facts about Barbie and Ken’s relationship.

They were designed after real-life siblings

Strangely enough, Barbie and Ken were named after the founder’s children: Barbara and Kenneth. She did so as a tribute when she noticed that her daughter was no longer interested in playing with baby dolls and instead expressed an interest in paper fashion dolls. Since her daughter inspired the idea of the cutting-edge woman doll, it makes sense that she would honor her, but it is a little weird that dolls marketed as a couple were actually brother and sister in reality. 

Ken was created because of angry consumers

Although Barbie was originally designed to symbolize girl power and be totally self-sufficient, consumers didn’t like the idea of a doll that was a single woman. No matter how many fashion looks she served, the public thought a man on her arm was the most important accessory.  Although producing Ken was a risk for Mattel since male dolls traditionally weren’t bestsellers, Barbie’s dream guy came out in 1961 and has been a fixture in Barbie Land ever since. 

There are versions of Ken and Barbie’s meet-cute that conflict

According to the debut Barbie commercial, Ken and Barbie met at a dance, where she saw Ken in “perfectly tailored clothes” for the first time. However, Mattel later stated that the dolls met while filming their first commercial! While that explanation is more meta, what we know for sure is that these two have known each other since 1961, and they fell in love immediately.

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