He's 'just Ken' but will the 'Barbie' movie change his popularity?
It's unclear if Warner Bros' "Barbie," which was also co-produced by Mattel, will increase Ken production and sales. But Silver noted that the movie "gave Ken more attention than Ken has received" in decades.
The new attention around Ken following "Barbie's" release has also received pushback. Many note that the movie is about Barbie -- not Ken -- and that's where the spotlight should stay. "A wonderful thing is that through play, children are free to have their dolls take on any type of role that they wish," said Ann Herzog, a clinical instructor of child life and family-centered care at Boston University.
Still, Ken -- like Barbie -- has evolved over time and become more diverse, particularly after Mattel rolled out more skin tones, body types, hairstyles and more for Ken dolls in 2017. Some Kens also have prosthetic legs, wheelchairs and hearing aids. Increases in diverse representation -- with similar changes seen since 2016 for Barbie -- has boosted the dolls' popularity and comeback sales, Silver said.
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