Ken and Barbie - A Love Story

Ken and Barbie are household names around the world. It is doubtful that many people born in the western world in the past 40 years have not heard of Barbie and Ken, let alone owned one. Barbie was invented in 1959 by Ruth Handler, who was the co-founder of Mattel. It quickly became one of the biggest selling toys of all time and continues to be a success today, despite heavy competition. Barbie's partner, Ken, was introduced in 1961. In 2004 Mattel announced the split of Barbie and Ken with a rather realistic press release reminiscent of real Hollywood break ups, saying that Barbie and Ken "feel it's time to spend some quality time apart." Others even went as far to say that they broke up due to overwhelming pressure from constant public scrutiny or possibly because Ken did not want to tie the knot. It is believed that they were back together again as soon as 2006.

It is believed that Ken and Barbie met on a TV commercial set and from there, a perfect love story began. Mattel launched many clothing and accessory ranges aimed at both Barbie and Ken and their circle of close friends.

The full name of Barbie is Barbara Millicent Roberts and Ken's full name is Ken Carson. Ken originally came with real hair mane but this was eventually changed to plastic to avoid the hair falling off when wet. The Ken doll is known for his muscular physique and permanently molded underwear. 1993 saw the introduction of Earring Magic Ken which gained a cult following within the gay community.

Both Ken and Barbie have consistently come under criticism for their unrealistic body proportions and apparent pressure on young people to conform to particularly body shapes and fashions. Barbie and Ken have always been known for their keen fashion sense, sports car driving and exotic pet keeping ways which many people criticize as being excessive and a symbol for materialistic western culture. Others however simply see it as good fun and a way for children to simply play out a fantasy life with dolls.

There is no doubt that Barbie and Ken are the most famous non-human couple in the history of humankind. Their 40+ year relationship sees them never aging, and always staying on top of fashion trends. More importantly in the eyes of Mattel, they consistently help to keep the Barbie line up alive and well with a never ending supply of accessories, clothing, cars and other gadgets that are still keeping kids occupied today.