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This New Brooklyn Ken Doll Has A Man Bun But No Romphim
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jun 20, 2017
Modified Jun 20, 2017
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Photo courtesy of Mattel
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Jun 20, 2017
Modified Jun 20, 2017
Share
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Today, Barbie announced the arrival of 15 new Ken dolls, and on top of "featuring three body types—slim, broad [some are calling this dad-bod] and original—and a variety of skin tones, eye colors, and modern fashion looks," they also have hairstyles that may suggest a certain regionalism. Namely, this one with the man bun.
More like 2015 Ken, amirite?
Lisa McKnight, Senior Vice President of Barbie, explains: “Evolving Ken was a natural evolution for the brand and allows girls to further personalize the role they want him to play in Barbie’s world.” For example, the role of the narcissistic tool in Brooklyn that Barbie dates despite the man bun expertly groomed atop his head screaming at her to run away.
A publicist tells us, "We found inspiration for our Ken looks from everywhere—from Brooklyn to Barcelona. As a brand that has always reflected the times, Ken with a man bun is a natural fit... and he’s heading to Brooklyn!"
That's right, you can meet this plastic stereotype at Brooklyn Roasting Company at 25 Jay Street in DUMBO on Wednesday, as the coffee house "has teamed up with Barbie to give away free Man Bun Ken dolls to customers rocking a man bun." We regret to inform all involved that man buns are no longer a trend, and that this Ken doll has officially buried them 6-feet further into the ground. Still, if you want to ironically pick one up, be sure to hashtag your photos of it with #ManBunKen.
For now, you're going to have to make your doll his own romphim as we spotted zero in the collection of images for Mattel's new Fashionista collection.
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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