By Juliette Tang
Our post-Halloween, sugar-induced depression — that vague feeling of existential disgust brought on by too much candy — continues to rage on this hungover Monday. It arrives in the evil, saccharine form of Sugar Daddy Ken, the unfortunate new Ken doll via the lapidarists at Mattel.
According to Mattel, Sugar Daddy Ken (né “Sugar’s Daddy Ken”) is not the daddy of Sugar Chapeaux, the black Barbie, but of Sugar, the small white dog. And as Michelle Chidoni, spokeswoman for Mattel, told ABC most diplomatically, “At the end of the day, this collection is targeted toward adults. While the name of the doll does refer back to the dog, I think people are going to interpret it as they want to interpret it.”
The only consolation toward feminism is the obvious fact of SDK’s homosexuality. Crisp white pants paired with a bright green statement jacket themselves aren’t enough to imply a same-sex preference, but add to the mix a small toy dog named Sugar who cants about on a bright pink leash and you’re in the territory of grotesque, Bruno-style sexual stereotyping — which is par for the course when it comes to ever responsible Mattel.
Sadly, SDK missed his opportunity to be immortalized in SF’s Altered Babie Show, though of course there is always next year. If Mattel is unfazed by negative publicity and undeterred by the damage they will cause to fragile young psyches, SDK will be unleashed on stores in April of 2010.
And now, if you’re allergic to the gross reinforcement of outworn gender stereotypes, don’t read any further.