Yes, Mattel really did release a Sugar Daddy Ken and a Pregnant Midge doll

Margaret Darby
·4 min read
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Emerald Fennell as Midge in “Barbie.”
Emerald Fennell as Midge in “Barbie.” | Warner Bros Media

Allan is all the rage right now.

The widely forgotten Mattel doll made a cameo in the “Barbie” movie and has been described by many as the unsung hero of the film.

“He is an icon. He is the moment. He is Allan,” one fan said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Following the “Barbie” movie’s release, original-issue Allan dolls (which were discontinued in 1966) are skyrocketing in value. Before the movie, Allan dolls were selling on eBay for roughly $36 to $76 each, according to TMZ. Now, the starting price for Allan dolls has reached $150, and in some cases, more than $300.

But Allan isn’t the only forgotten Mattel doll release featured in Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” movie. The director went deep within the Mattel archives to find several of the most forgotten — and strange — Barbies and Kens ever released by Mattel.

In the movie, these offbeat toys all live with Weird Barbie — a toy that was never actually released by Mattel — and share their woes of getting forgotten within Barbieland.

Here are all the wild backstories of the forgotten Barbies featured in the “Barbie” movie.

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Pregnant Midge

Barbie’s best friend, Midge Hadley, was introduced by Mattel in 1963. Midge was complete with freckles and modest makeup as a response to critics who believed Barbie was too mature-looking, according to Polygon. Midge’s downfall came in 2002, when Mattel released a Pregnant Midge doll, complete with a detachable pregnant belly and toy baby inside.

Walmart pulled the Pregnant Midge doll following complaints from customers who were “not happy with the pregnant Midge doll,” and feared the toy could promote teenage pregnancy, per CNN Money.

Released: 2002.

Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken

One of the most controversial dolls featured among the pack of “forgotten” dolls was Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken, otherwise known as Sugar’s Daddy Ken (this Ken came with a fluffy white dog named Sugar).

Sugar’s Daddy Ken was released as part of Barbie’s 50th anniversary in a Palm Beach Barbie line geared towards adult collectors, per ABC News. This Ken dons classic Palm Beach fashion. Despite his suggestive name — a sugar daddy is an older man who pays a younger woman for companionship — Mattel claimed the name referred to Ken’s pet dog, Sugar.

“At the end of the day, this collection is targeted toward adults,” Mattel spokeswoman Michelle Chidoni told ABC News in 2009. “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.”

Released: 2009.

Growing Up Skipper

In a feeble attempt to teach young girls about puberty, Mattel released Growing Up Skipper — an updated version of Barbie’s younger sister, Skipper, that gets taller and grows breasts when her arm is twisted backward (as demonstrated in the “Barbie” movie), per CNN. Wind Skipper’s arm back forward, and her sudden development would disappear. She was also given a friend with the same features: Growing Up Ginger.

Growing Up Skipper was discontinued two years after her release, in 1977, after being met with backlash for, perhaps, obvious reasons.

Released: 1975.

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Tanner the dog

Another amusing cameo in the “Barbie” movie came from Tanner the dog, who leaves plastic poo pellets behind him as he moves. The toymaker released a Barbie and Tanner play set in 2006. The set included a plastic “scooper” with a magnetic end so kids could pick up Tanner’s droppings.

After just a year on the shelves, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled roughly 683,000 Barbie and Tanner play sets due to safety concerns that the small magnet within the “scooper” accessory came loose.

“Magnets found by young children can be swallowed or aspirated. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforation or blockage, which can be fatal,” the recall noted.

Released: 2006.

Video Girl Barbie

The FBI came for Video Girl Barbie. This bizarre doll had a real video camera in her necklace and a small LCD screen on her back so kids could view recordings made from a “doll’s-eye-view.”

Less than a year after Video Girl Barbie’s release, the FBI issued a warning that the toy was a tool that could be used by pedophiles, per CNN. The FBI “cyber crime alert” did not cite any misuse of the doll, but warned of the possibility.

Released: 2010.

Hello Barbie

In 2015, Mattel released Hello Barbie, a doll that used similar technology as Apple Siri and would listen and respond to what kids said through a microphone. The toy was met with a “host of security and privacy concerns,” per CNBC.

The toy earned the nickname “eavesdropping Barbie” and was described by many parents as “creepy,” according to The Washington Post.

Amid concerns, the toymaker defended the doll. “Mattel is committed to safety and security, and Hello Barbie conforms to applicable government standards,” Mattel said in a statement, per The Washington Post.

Released: 2015.