Ken is stepping into the spotlight ahead of his 65th birthday this March, and fans are just learning Barbie’s on-again, off-again boyfriend’s full name, Kenneth Sean Carson.
The long-overdue realization comes as Mattel announces a “new era” for Ken in a recent Instagram post.
At 65, Ken appears ready to try something new and doesn’t revolve entirely around Barbie. Let’s just hope this newfound independence doesn’t lead to a “Mojo Dojo Casa House” sequel.
Ken was introduced by Mattel in March 1961 and was named after Kenneth Handler, the son of Mattel co-founders Ruth and Elliot Handler.
Despite sharing a name, Kenneth Handler said in a 1989 interview with the Los Angeles Times that he doesn’t see himself reflected in the doll.
The original Ken’s all-American, surfer boy image didn’t resemble his own teenage experience. “I played the piano and went to movies with subtitles,” Handler said, “I was a nerd — a real nerd. All the girls thought I was a jerk.”
Originally marketed as Malibu Ken, the perfect teenage boyfriend, the doll spent most of his time in Barbie’s shadow. But, Ken may be finally ready to prove that he’s “Kenough.”
According to Mattel’s Instagram post, Ken’s decided “he needs to see what else is out there.”
Better late than never.
Mattel said it developed the autistic doll over more than 18 months in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.
