Ken's finally been given an opportunity to catch up to Barbie!
Photo: Mattel
Barbie has reinvented herself countless times over the past 58 years: She's been an astronaut, a firefighter, a game developer and a president. And most recently, Barbie expanded into a collection that includes all shapes, sizes, skin tones, eye colours, and hairstyles. But what about Ken?! Must he remain a blue-eyed, blonde, typical white guy forever?
Today, Mattel has taken a stand against this injustice and has given Ken a chance to reinvent himself. How will he do this exactly? Through new clothes, a new bod and new hairstyles of course. That's right, Ken now sports a man bun!
Mattel announced today that they'll be releasing 15 new Ken dolls who will be joining the Barbie Fashionistas collection and the 100+ inclusive dolls that have been launched over the last three years. The new Barbie and Ken Fashionistas—or The New Crew, as they like to call themselves—will adopt a more modern look to help young girls and boys relate to the dolls (they vaguely resemble millennial parents, no?)
Like the Barbie Fashionistas that come in sizes tall, petite, and curvy, Ken has three body types: Slim, broad (AKA dad bod) and original. The collection challenges body image issues for boys who have no choice but to compare themselves to the sculpted bodies of fictional superheroes.
Aside from reinforcing the idea that men's bodies come in all shapes and sizes, too, the 2017 Ken Fashionistas dolls come in seven skin tones, eight hair colours, and nine trendy hairstyles—including cornrows, an undercut and the infamous man bun.
Which Ken would you want to—ahem—would you want your Barbie to date?
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