ken ya pay my rent daddy?

Barbie Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken is a Real Doll
by Brett Singer Oct 31st 2009 1:50PM

Categories: In The News, Weird But True, Toys & Games, Fashion & Clothing


The new Ken doll is beyond fabulous. Credit: Mattel Inc.
Barbie and Ken have come a long way since they first came out. But is Ken ready to, um, come out in a different way?

The Internet is all abuzz with news of the Barbie Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken Doll. Retailer Entertainment Earth is taking preorders for the doll, scheduled for release in April 2010.

Indeed.

A word of explanation -- in this case, the phrase Sugar Daddy does not refer to the candy bar. Urban Dictionary describes the term thusly: "A man (usually older and well-off) who financially supports a younger woman (or man) in exchange for sex and companionship.

Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken won't be alone in Florida with his little white dog (readers of the site Topless Robot think the pooch should be named "Precious"). The doll is part of a series called Barbie Palm Beach, which includes the Barbie Palm Beach Swimsuit Doll, the Barbie Palm Beach Caftan Doll and the Barbie Palm Beach Coral Doll, which is the most expensive offering at $174.99. The least expensive of the line, the $14.32 Barbie Beach Party Pool Playset, is sold out at the moment. We truly hope it will be in stock soon. Otherwise where will Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken dunk his pedicure whilst sipping his third Sex on the Beach?

When we first heard about the spanking new Ken, we thought it was a PhotoShopped hoax. Turns out, this Mattel doll is the real deal.

"It's a legitimate concept that leaked out," admitted Michelle Chidoni, Mattel spokesperson.

"We have a group called the Barbie Collector Group, targeted toward the adult, fashion-minded consumer," she told ParentDish, adding that the group is some eight million strong. "The collector community has a message board and this doll concept leaked onto the message board."

"We've explored this character, but it's not finalized," she added. "The concepts that we're talking about now are for 2010-2011. This was a character we explored and that's the long and short of it. But these aren't dolls you'll see at Toys R Us."

This isn't the first time Mattel came up with a controversial Barbie. Last year's Tippi Hedren Barbie, from her role in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, had three ravens attacking her ensemble, much to some collectors' dismay.

Now that we know about the adult collection, we have a few suggestions of our own: Octo-Barbie, Jon Ken/Kate Barbie, Lady Gaga Barbie and our fave, Britney Barbie who sings Womanizer to K-Fed Ken.