In addition to being a revisionist satire on the toy company Mattel, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie included a ton of Easter Eggs for devoted Barbie fans, like a blink-and-miss appearance by Sugar Daddy Ken. Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s screenplay accommodated Barbie-specific references, like a scene featuring Barbie creator Ruth Handler and several discontinued Mattel toys like the Growing Up Skipper and Earring Magic Ken dolls. Margot Robbie plays a self-aware Barbie in a vibrant Utopia filled with many more Barbies and Kens. Some of these products were “just too weird,” as Helen Mirren’s narrator puts it in the film, to take center stage in toy stores.
Growing Up Skipper, for example, was designed to help young children understand the transition to puberty. But in the 1970s, the doll was quickly pulled from the market due to strong opposition from parents who were understandably worried that the toy would sexualize young teenage girls. One doll, oddly named Sugar Daddy Ken, caused consumers to feel similarly divided. A number of Kens appear in the Barbie film, including Sugar Daddy Ken, played by Welsh actor Rob Brydon (The Trip, The Huntsman: Winter’s War). Although he only makes a fleeting appearance at Weird Barbie’s house, Sugar Daddy Ken has a fascinating past.
Barbie’s Sugar Daddy Ken doll was made by Mattel. 2009
Barbie celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009, the same year Sugar Daddy Ken Doll made his debut, although Growing Up Skipper made his debut in the 1970s. Sugar Daddy Ken, a doll from Barbie’s Palm Beach collection, retailed for $82 and was made available to the general public in the spring of 2010. Sugar Daddy Ken appeared to be a little older than other Ken dolls of the era, both in terms of his stylish attire and his sleek, graying blonde hairstyle. Therefore, it was only fitting that Rob Brydon, 58, play him in Greta Gerwig’s film.
In contrast to other Kens who typically wear casual beachwear, this version of Ken, when his flamboyant wardrobe is further examined, clearly reimagines him as an upper-class socialite. Actually, the green blazer with the damask print looked like a certain socialite from Slim Aaron’s famous shot of the “Palm Springs Party.” Instead of a “Mojo Dojo Casa House,” the Kaufmann Desert House in Palm Springs, California, serves as the party’s location. Women’s Wear Daily noted that Aaron was probably the model for Mattel’s Sugar Daddy Ken since his 1970 photo shows a number of partygoers, one of whom is dressed in a similar blazer and white pants. These kinds of references make sense, considering that Mattel intended the doll for adult collectors.
The True Significance Of Ken’s Name, Sugar Daddy
Barbie’s Ken is meant to be ageless, but Sugar Daddy Ken appears significantly older than the other toys. He was never a true “sugar daddy,” though. Rather, Mattel named him that merely because it was his pet dog. A white West Highland terrier puppy was packaged with every Sugar Daddy Ken doll. Accompanied by a pink leash, Ken could be coerced into assuming the role of someone walking their dog. Rather than being a “sugar daddy,” this Ken is officially “Sugar’s Daddy.” Naturally, the lack of an apostrophe and a “s” in the doll’s name caused a great deal of confusion.
The Reasons Behind Sugar Daddy Ken’s Discontinuation & Controversy
An Entertainment Earth screenshot purporting to show that Sugar Daddy Ken is no longer for sale
The doll’s suggestive name turned out to be a mistake in Mattel’s marketing strategy. At first, Michelle Chidoni, a spokeswoman for the toy company, told ABC News that they weren’t concerned because the doll was intended for adult collectors. “I think people are going to interpret it as they want to interpret it,” Chidoni said, despite the fact that the name was clearly a reference to the dog Sugar.
Naturally, Mattel decided to discontinue the gentlemanly Ken doll in response to the overwhelming backlash it received. After only a year of his debut, Sugar Daddy Ken was receiving the same kind of flak as Growing Up Skipper. Barbie collectors find the last Sugar Daddy Kens to be extremely rare because Entertainment Earth, an online retailer of collectibles, lists him as an item that isn’t available to the general public. But with Rob Brydon playing a Ken Doll in Barbie, there will undoubtedly be a resurgence of interest in the long-gone Mattel product. In addition to shattering box office records, director Greta Gerwig has paid homage to the most bizarre parts of Barbie mythology.
Why Did Mattel Permit the Creation of Sugar Daddy Ken?
Apparently, a member of the Mattel design team decided to have some fun, and for whatever reason, management decided to approve the change (at least temporarily). Additionally, the public had fun at Sugar Daddy Ken’s expense. The controversial reception to the doll was discussed in a 2009 ABC News article that quoted a blog post titled “Mattel Has Lost Their Minds.” “This is like one of those jokes Barbies art students do in college to criticize gender roles forced on children by their toys, like Hobo Barbie and Pregnant Trailer Trash Barbie,” exclaimed the author of this iconic piece. But this time, Mattel succeeded. It’s confirmed. It has rocked my world.”
With an official New York Post statement, the noticeably protective Mattel attempted to clear everyone’s doubts: “He’s Sugar’s Daddy,” the announcement read, “as a reference to the dog.” Michelle Chidoni, a representative for Mattel, added to ABC that the collection is ultimately intended for adults. Even though the doll’s name alludes to the dog, I believe that everyone will interpret it in their own way.” Whatever the reason, the perfectly cuffed and coiffed dandy was discontinued after just a year and turned into a collector’s item. Thus, be cautious if you’re hoping to find your own Sugar Daddy Ken (ahem). He’s not easy to come by. He was met with a foreboding notice on Entertainment Earth’s product page that read, “This item is cancelled and no longer available to order.” Oh no. I suppose this Sugar Daddy was simply insufficient.