Gimme Some Sugar, Barbie

Consumer Relations

Barbie^® Collector

P.O. Box 620040


Middleton, WI 53562-004

To Mattel and the operators of Barbie Collector:

            I write to you regarding the proposed new model of Barbie for the Palm Beach Collection: Sugar Daddy Ken. It seems Mr. Daddy and (his little dog too) were laughed and shunned out of the ranks of collector’s fashion dolls for embodying the stereotype of a wealthy man who romances young, beautiful women like Barbie. Retailers now say that production of Sugar Daddy Ken is cancelled, and it is this rather than the idea of such a doll that outrages me.

    Never mind that Sugar Daddy Ken is actually Sugar’s Daddy, Ken, Sugar being the adorable terrier. Never mind that most people’s Gaydars bleet like a flock of sheep when they see dapper Ken with his pink leash, tiny canine, ornate jacket, manicured hands and white loafers. Never mind that the Sugar Daddy is a delicious caramel lollipop, and never mind that even with his hair going a bit gray, Ken still has six-pack abs. No, no, someone raises an eyebrow and says that maybe Ken and Barbie are having an unconventional relationship and suddenly you have to cancel.

What’s going on, Mattel? What happened to you’re your sense of courage, of bold innovation? When you introduced Tramp Stamp Barbie, officially under the name Totally Stylin’ Tattoo’s Barbie, surely someone raised a fuss. PETA tells children that if their fathers fish, they’ll probably kill pet dogs and cats, too. Surely they weren’t happy about Barbie’s extensive line of fur and leather fashion. I imagine they threw tiny cans of red paint on the innocent doll. Nobody was cheering about the Barbie-Ken breakup of 2004. But you forged ahead nonetheless, not a care for what anybody thought. So why the double standard? There’s no reason that Ken can’t be as forward-thinking as Barbie, forever pushing the plastic boundaries.

Barbie’s slogan is “Be who you want to be.” Whether the target be a little girl who wants to be supported and loved by a man of a certain age, a little boy who wants to grow up to be successful, happy, and confident, or a puppy who wants a caring owner, Sugar Daddy Ken provides a great role model. Don’t let the naysayers push you into conformity, Mattel. Be who YOU want to be!

Yours with high hopes,

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