Ken and Barbie’s Dog Problems

Barbie and Ken are worse at keeping their dogs than Jon and Kate. Only days after Mattel announced the projected March launch of Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken (“Sugar” is the moniker of the adorable white dog on the other end of Ken’s pink leash), they have abruptly cancelled the product with no explanation. Perhaps they got cold feet after Ken’s high-fashion apparel, toy dog, and name drew criticism and mockery from the online community. Either way, this is not the first time Mattel has had problems giving their dolls some canine companionship. A few years ago, they launched a Barbie play set that included Tanner, a Golden Retriever, who would “eat” dog food and, a short while later, poop on the floor. Luckily for Barbie, she had a magnetic pooper scooper to clean up the mess. It wasn’t so lucky for the children, however, as the magnets posed a choking hazard, resulting in a product recall. Sugar Daddy Ken had been intended for adult collectors but, despite the fact that his dog does not make little magnetic messes, he won’t be hitting the shelves.