Barbie and Ken to reunion?
from AntBlog701

Barbie and Ken to reunion?

Two years ago, I reported Ken and Barbie to split? Barbie broke up with her old boyfriend, Ken, she was with Blaine. Barbie and Ken split like the real life, and the new romance with Blaine ended. (Well, it's closer to reality, but still not as exciting as Desperate Housewives.)

According to The New York Times, it's the sale. Barbie's label company (or manufacturer), Mattel, is still making profit, but Barbie's sell is not that good. Can Ken save Barbie?

I don't play Barbie.

A Makeover of a Romance (New York Times, free registration):

Now, after a heart-wrenching, two-year separation — for the record, it was her idea — Ken and Barbie are headed for a romantic reunion, according to their handlers. Ken's new attraction? A makeover, set to be unveiled today at a news conference in Manhattan, that finds him sporting a more rugged jaw line, wearing cargo pants and listening to Norah Jones.

Like a desperate publicist trying to revive the moribund career of a Hollywood star, Barbie's manufacturer, Mattel, is pulling out all the stops to put her back on her feet. For nearly 50 years, Barbie has been at the heart of Mattel's success, but now the very qualities that long drew girls to her — a squeaky-clean image and virtually no electronic bells and whistles — are turning them off.

Barbie's dream house is in disarray. Sales have plunged, retailers are cutting back on shelf space for her and, for the first time, a competitor has edged her out as the No. 1 fashion doll in the United States.

related blog entry:
Ken and Barbie to split? (13 February, 2004)
related link:
A Makeover of a Romance (The New York Times, 9 Feb 2006)