On this day, March 11, 1961, Barbie's friend Ken was "born."

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Tue Mar 14, 2023, 07:10 AM - Edit history (1)

Fri Mar 11, 2022: On this day, March 11, 1961, Barbie's friend Ken was "born."

Sun Mar 14, 2021: On March 11, 1961, Barbie's friend Ken was "born."

Ken (doll)

First appearance; March 11, 1961; 61 years ago
Created by: Elliot Handler

In-universe information
Full name: Kenneth Carson
Nickname: Ken
Occupation: At least 40 occupations

Family:
Edna Carson (mother)
Kenneth Carson (father)
Izzy Carson (sister)
Tommy Carson (brother)
Barbie (girlfriend)

Ken is a doll and fictional character introduced by Mattel in 1961 as the counterpart of Barbie, who was introduced two years earlier. Ken was invented by Elliot Handler.

Ken is from Willows, Wisconsin. Similar to his female counterpart, Ken has a fashionable line of clothing and accessories (although he made his debut wearing only a swim suit). In the Barbie mythos, Ken met Barbie on the set of a TV commercial. He is Barbie's boyfriend, as it is written on every box produced since 1961. Since his debut, Ken has held at over 40 occupations.

{snip}

Name Origin

Like Barbie, Ken is named after one of Ruth Handler's children, Ken Handler, who died in 1994 of a brain tumor.

{snip}

Ken appears to be a high-maintenance boyfriend. I don't think I could afford to keep him around.

#ddsquad
What Makes The Best Ken Doll? Realistic Clothes & Accessories| Hair| Face| Articulation
22,066 views Mar 5, 2022

DelightfulDolls
286K subscribers

Today I’m going to be telling you what I think makes the best Ken doll and what to look for and what to avoid when shopping for one and also where to find some awesome and realistic stuff for them! I hope you find this video helpful and interesting! I really enjoyed putting it all together for you

{snip}

[malthaussen]

1. I'm constantly surprised that Ken is younger than I.

So is Barbie, as a matter of fact.

-- Mal

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. And they haven't aged a bit. What's their secret? NT

[Boomerproud]

3. I had a Ken but was bored by him (can't speak for Barbie) so I would

have Ilya Kuryakin as her fantasy boyfriend. I had a mad crush on David McCallum growing up.