Culture

The Internet Is Having A Whole Lot Of Fun With The New Ken Dolls

"Man-bun Ken doll just interrupted me to tell me that Bernie would have won."

by Matilda Dixon-Smith  21 June 2017
Ken

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In news that is incredibly 2017: the Ken doll has been given a progressive makeover. Barbie, or at least her boyfriend, Ken, is no longer a dated dudebro with blonde hair, blue eyes and a six pack. Now he’s woke, man-bunned and ethnically diverse.

Y’all, your fave is no longer problematic.

The new range of dolls includes diverse skin tones, hairstyles and body types. Ken isn’t just a swoll gym bro, he’s also slim or “broad”. Ken isn’t just a dumbass beach volleyball player, he’s also a man-bunned vegan fuckboi. He’s the lusted-after, cornrowed head of your University Student Union. He’s a bespectacled sadboi who listens to Radiohead. He’s a fabulous peroxide prince who rocks fur-lined jackets.

With so many new men to peruse and judge, it’s unsurprising to learn that Twitter is practically in metldown over these Woke 2017 Kens.

Of course, the update copping the fiercest roasting is the Man Bun Ken, because there is nothing the internet loves to laugh about (while also sporting the style/salivating after a similarly coiffed barista) more than a man bun.

The new Kens, of which there are 15 new styles, are also copping heat from news outlets who are generally divided about Ken 2.0(17). But could this new deep-thinking, deep-living Ken be the marker of some improved attitudes about diversity when it comes to the All-American Male? “The decision to give him some depth marks a new chapter for men, and dolls who are men,” Caity Weaver wrote for GQ.

The new Kens are joining a diverse Barbie line, to try to create dolls that better reflect our society. And as laughable as some of these Woke Ken Dolls are, that is actually a super noble goal. Cheers to a diverse Mattel!

Mattel undated handout photo of Barbie The New Crew (left to right) : Broad Ken, Curvy Barbie, Original Ken, Slim Ken, Original Barbie, Broad Ken, Original Barbie, Tall Barbie and Slim Ken. Barbie's companion Ken has undergone a wide-ranging makeover with the UK launch of varying body sizes, skin tones and hairstyles including a man bun and corn rows. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday June 20, 2017. Mattel has released 15 new dolls - all named Ken - in his "most diverse line-up to date", starting with two new "broad" and "slim" body types. See PA story CONSUMER Ken. Photo credit should read: Mattel/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.