‘I’m just Ken,’ Ryan Gosling’s character sings in Barbie – but is he more than that? Movie is giving the doll attention he hasn’t had in decades
- Since the release of Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster film starring Margot Robbie, with Ryan Gosling as Ken, Barbie’s boyfriend has received new attention
- Who is Ken as a toy and how has he changed? The doll’s history, from his tuxedo-wearing days to his status as a queer icon, and the prospects of a hike in sales
“I’m just Ken,” Ryan Gosling’s character sings in the Barbie movie. On and off the big screen, it is Barbie’s world and Ken is just living in it.
As reflected in Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster film about Mattel’s famous doll, Barbie has always been more popular than Ken. For every Ken doll sold today, there are generally eight to 10 Barbies sold, according to Jim Silver, a toy industry expert and CEO of review site TTPM (Toys, Tots, Pets & More).
It is unclear if Warner Bros’ Barbie, which was co-produced by Mattel, will increase Ken production and sales. But Silver noted that the film “gave Ken more attention than Ken has received” in decades.
Ken was first introduced back in 1961, two years after Barbie hit store shelves. But he has not had nearly the same impact on the Barbieverse since.
“Barbie’s world is about Barbie. And (to some), Ken may be an accessory of sorts,” said Ed Timke, an assistant professor of advertising and public relations at Michigan State University in the United States, pointing to years of marketing that has, naturally, put Barbie centre stage.