By Dania Haider
Centerspread Editor ’04

So it turns out Barbie has a new beau. Barbie was introduced to children all over the world by Mattel in 1959, and her boyfriend Ken made his debut two years later in 1961. Their relationship must have dulled, because after 43 years, Barbie has a new man in her life, a music-lover named Blaine. Word on the street is that Blaine digs his guitar, loves hanging out in music stores, adores hip hop, and wants to be a radio DJ.

The Generation Girl line was discontinued in 2001 along with some of Barbie’s multicultural friends. However, there was still a demand for a new male adult doll. Introduced by the Generation Girl line, Blaine promises to bring a Barbie and her new friends a new wave of coolness. Mattel claims that Blaine is a more mature version of the “Totally Yo-Yo Zach” that was set to come out sometime last year. Zach was reportedly too old for the Skipper line, so he was never produced. This year, after modifications on Zach, Blaine was formed. With his “hair” and longer sideburns, Blaine models the kind of guy that Barbie, who has been remodeled herself several times, would fall for. Mattel plans on releasing Blaine in June of 2004.

Blaine is not the only male doll introduced into the line of Barbie’s friends. In 1988, Mattel introduced “Steven,” giving Ken a friend. This African-American doll became Barbie’s friend and Christie’s boyfriend. In 1997 Steven was sold wearing a swim suit; his head mold changed, and he was now known as Jamal. These dolls were introduced as a part of Mattel’s Shani line meant to reflect the influence of their cultural traditions.

For Skipper, Barbie’s younger sister, there was Kevin, who debuted in 1990 with huge, turquoise eyes. After six total versions of Kevin, Skipper’s former beau will be discontinued along fellow ex-boyfriends Ricky and Scott.

Unfortunately, it looks like nothing remains constant, not even in our childhood world of Barbie and Ken. Despite Barbie’s malformed girlish figure, it seems as if even these dolls have come to represent the inevitable changes of real life.