And we're closing out the show, as we do every episode, with a little extra bit of info from my colleagues at Smithsonian magazine.

Ken is dressed in an elegant but boxy-cut suit with shoulder pads and a purple corsage and is ready to take Barbie out for a night on the town. First of all, what amazing leaps and bounds we've made in doll hair technology by the ’70s that we have Quick Curl Barbie.We can't list them all here, but this is what you'll get for some of your favorite childhood toys (depending on their condition, of course). Just like them, these girls would find a Barbie that came in a cute but conservative outfit, a watch to keep an eye on the time, a box of pretzels, and a book on a diet (Yikes). But the Ken that was issued had, most famously, the earring, but, you know, a leather vest, a mesh shirt … dramatic transformation in wardrobe from prior Kens. Like, Ken is only relevant insofar as he has Barbie's attention, or insofar as he's connected to her.

But the realities of mass production threw a wrench in the plan when, according to the 1995 book Barbie’s Queer Accessories, a supervising engineer at Mattel’s Japanese manufacturing plant found that removing both the underpants and lump would simplify the production process, therefore cutting a half-cent in manufacturing costs for each Ken doll. Klimek: I wrote a companion piece to Emily’s article about different Ken dolls through the years, and I wanted to compare notes about this simultaneously iconic and overlooked doll. Normally, he reflects whatever kind of movie star or sports star or singer is popular or famous at the time,” said Joey Jarossi, a content creator who hosts the doll-enthusiast YouTube channel Beauty Inside a Box. And there have been moments where Barbie's been more progressive, when they've really tried to offer different body types for Barbie and sell Barbie in different races, or have Barbie have these amazing careers. But with dolls constantly on offer now, some of the dolls from throughout Barbie’s long life so far have become far rarer than anticipated.He seemed to be on his way to a longer run as Ken's best pal, but he was discontinued the same year. And then I think at some point, Mattel announced, “Barbie and Ken are breaking up,” or after 50 years, “Oh no, they're back together. And while she is something of a recolor of another legacy doll, the fact that only 600 were made brings her value up quite a lot. To put a fine point on it, an early Ken accessory set titled “In Training” included a pair of white cotton briefs, two dumbbells, and a book titled “How to Build Muscles. It's undeniable, though, that Barbie is an international phenomena, with as diverse a line of styles, jobs, accessories, playsets, and spin-offs as the most successful action figure lines for boys like GI Joe or Transformers, but Barbie has done it all within her own brand.

But something about Gosling’s mesmerizingly ditzy Ken—combined with the most elaborate movie marketing campaign in ages—may finally be Kenough to turn that corner for good. Moreover, it's just an awesome looking doll that hangs among the coolest out there (even if it's a touch weird to create Founding Father dolls in the first place).The name comes from the two different looks that this doll came equipped with: a "Day" outfit that featured a smart business suit, smartphone, and attache case. Silkstone Barbie dolls are crafted from a higher-grade plastic that almost feels more like porcelain than actual plastic, and the dolls made from this material have risen quite a lot in value because of how infrequently Mattel uses the material.

While not necessarily an offensive term, depending on its use, it has an unfortunate connotation that this doll couldn't escape.Rock n' Roll was all the rage in the 1980s, so it makes perfect sense that Barbie would come out with their own version of a rock star Ken doll. While there doesn't seem to be any incidents of that actually occurring, the threat was there anyway. And so I don't know that we've seen Mattel play with Pride, you know, as much as one might think, given where we are culturally in this moment, or as people increasingly publicly identify as nonbinary or as gender fluid. Original brunette Ken is worth more if he comes with all of his accessories — his box, wrist tag, swim trunks, sandals, beach towel, stand and booklet. That slender doll with blond felt hair wears a red bathing suit and comes with red sandals and a yellow towel.