Is Sugar Daddy Ken Barbie’s Most Controversial Ken? Not Compared To His ‘Cocky’ Bro – TheShockNews

Barbie could also be a beloved model amongst generations of individuals, however it additionally has a protracted historical past of breeding controversy. Not each mother desires their daughter to emulate a teenage style mannequin, in spite of everything — not even when she grows as much as turn into President, an astronaut, or perhaps a rock star. However Barbie’s principal squeeze (and occasional groom), Ken, hasn’t been exempt from controversy, both.

For a lot of his existence, Ken has adopted alongside within the path Barbie cast, changing into a designer, a guitarist, and a fellow astronaut. However generally his style sense or perspective has postpone customers who consider Barbie as a healthful position mannequin. Two of the very best examples of this centered across the notorious Sugar — or Sugar’s — Daddy Ken and Earring Magic Ken renditions of the character. The latter was ridiculed for a fairly explicit-looking piece of jewellery slung about his neck, the previous for his title.

There have been an entire bunch of notorious examples, and lots of followers will recall Greta Gerwig making enjoyable of them in “Barbie.” As a matter of truth, at the very least two of these characters pop up within the film, together with many others. However what made Sugar’s Daddy Ken so notorious, and why did Earring Magic Ken discover himself on the middle of a publicity firestorm?

Sugar’s Daddy Ken induced a little bit of a stir when he was provided as much as customers in 2009, if solely due to his suggestive title. As ABC News reported on the time, regardless of Mattel’s protests that the doll’s title was a reference to his small white canine, customers knew precisely what a “Sugar Daddy” was. The doll was produced and offered in a restricted version, and was solely accessible for a few yr.

For all of the outrage he sparked, there’s one necessary factor that audiences by no means realized about Sugar’s Daddy Ken: his title referred to his pet canine, and he was by no means supposed to be provided to kids as a play toy. The doll was a part of Mattel’s unique line of collectible Silkstone dolls. These figures — fabricated from extra delicate stuff than plastic — are focused at grownup and teenage fashionistas. It is a demographic that makes up a big p.c of the secondary Barbie shopping for market and loves merchandise that remind them of Mattel’s high-quality days of yore. That is one thing Mattel itself confirmed: “On the finish of the day, this assortment is focused towards adults,” Mattel spokesperson Michelle Chidoni advised ABC on the time. “Whereas the title of the doll does refer again to the canine, I believe individuals are going to interpret it as they need to interpret it.”

Happily, because of the reputation of the “Barbie” film, Sugar’s Daddy Ken was re-released in 2023 , although he was offered with a barely completely different outfit and coiffure (see above).

That redesign Mattel used for the doll’s 2023 re-release was deliberately designed to resemble the costume and coiffure Sugar’s Daddy Ken (performed by Rob Brydon) wears within the “Barbie” movie. Sure, which means you may completely see this Ken within the Margot Robbie-starring film. Although his cameo is a quick one, Gloria (America Ferrera) instantly acknowledges him (as a Mattel worker, she would) and is extremely excited. He instantly clears up the confusion over his title, stating, “I’m not a sugar daddy. That is Sugar, and I’m her daddy,” clearing up these rumors as soon as and for all. However, after all, Gloria is aware of why he’s been discontinued.

Other than this look, Sugar’s Daddy Ken and his pup aren’t seen within the movie. They don’t seem within the background of some other scenes, not even in the course of the “I’m Only a Ken” dance. The short cameo is unquestionably sufficient to whet the appetites of nostalgia followers — followers who additionally seemingly bear in mind the Ken standing behind him and Sugar.

Whereas Sugar’s Daddy Ken induced a stir, there’s one other doll that was so controversial, rumors swirl to at the present time claiming he was pulled off of retailer’s cabinets! Earring Magic Ken got here with an earring (clearly), however folks actually took discover of his necklace with a big, metallic ring on it. Whereas there are different charms that accompany the bauble on Ken’s silver chain, when it’s seen by itself, it seems to be like Ken’s sporting … properly, an object used for male sexual endurance that’s not one thing we will seek advice from by title in a household publication.

Mattel was pleased with the slick Ken refurb, apparently oblivious to the approaching controversy. “We by no means would have achieved this a couple of years in the past,” Lisa McKendall, supervisor of selling communications for Mattel, advised the New York Times. “However now you see extra earrings on males. They’re extra accepted in day-to-day life. We are attempting to maintain Ken up to date.”

She later instantly denied to the Chicago Reader that the necklace was supposed to appear to be that piece of sexually express jewellery. But it surely was too late, and the press consideration resulted within the creation of an city legend that this Ken was impressed by queer rave tradition. Regardless of the gossip, and regardless of rumors that the doll was recalled, Earring Magic Ken remained on the cabinets for a full yr — as is typical for many of Mattel’s playline dolls — earlier than being discontinued.

As you could have seen from watching the movie or seeing the picture above, Earring Magic Ken can be within the “Barbie” film, showing in the identical scene as Sugar’s Daddy Ken. He’s performed by American actor Tom Stourton and introduces himself to Gloria as properly, claiming that his earring is magic. It’s not defined if these two Kens are supposed to be a pair, however they current themselves to Gloria collectively and appear to spend time with one another socially.

It’s price noting that Earring Magic’s infamous necklace just isn’t current as a part of his film costume, which is unquestionably the form of element that solely an grownup would discover about “Barbie.” As a substitute, it’s been changed by the basic Barbie brand hanging round his neck from a series. However, hey — at the very least the doll’s iconic vest survived the interpretation to live-action!

All through the “Barbie” film, a variety of notorious dolls present up apart from Earring Magic Ken and Sugar’s Daddy Ken. When Gloria and her daughter stroll as much as Bizarre Barbie’s (Kate McKinnon) home to attempt to discover Margot Robbie’s Barbie, they’re each amazed and horrified to satisfy a number of of them.

Notably, there’s a Skipper doll whose bosom grows every time she raises her arm. That is based mostly on an actual doll launched in 1975, Rising Up Skipper (Erica Ford), that was discontinued resulting from her controversial … attributes. Additionally there’s Barbieland’s solely Midge (Emerald Fennell), who occurs to be eternally pregnant. She’s additionally instantly based mostly on an actual doll — Comfortable Household Midge from 2002, who got here with a rounded, pregnant stomach that could possibly be pried off so kids may pluck a child from inside her. Then, they might snap a brand new, flat abdomen into place and play mother or father with the kid. Dad and mom protested, and the doll was pulled from Wal-Mart cabinets quickly afterward.

Midge and Skipper each have deep Barbieland histories. Skipper has lengthy been Barbie’s little sister, at first portrayed as a woman of roughly ten, then aged as much as be a younger teenager. The character has by no means been retired, and Mattel continues to supply adolescent Barbies underneath that title.

Midge, in the meantime, was Barbie’s finest buddy for years. Much less glamorous than her bud, she’s the identical age and dimension as her mannequin compatriot. The doll was discontinued as an everyday character within the Nineteen Sixties when she was changed by PJ, a youthful, hipper-looking flower energy sort. Midge has been introduced again right here and there since then, having been revived as a playline character within the Nineteen Eighties earlier than being married off to Alan within the Nineteen Nineties. Regardless that the 2 characters had been united in plastic bliss on the time of the discharge of the Comfortable Household line in 2002, the controversy over her being pregnant has saved Midge out of Mattel’s playline, and the doll has largely been used completely within the firm’s higher-end collectible releases ever since.