Ostensibly, it is a business story. Mattel came to the decision that, in light of all the complaints, putting Ken together again with Barbie, was wise. The iconic duo has been marketed to children for 43 years, now. The popularity of pose-able Barbie dolls in all her permutations has been constant. But by 2004, Mattel believed that Ken needed to be replaced. So enter Australian surfer doll, Blaine. It seems, however, that Blaine did not prove to be the windfall for which Mattel had hoped. So the marketing team came up with the idea of engineering a romantic reunion, replete with billboards and other ads that would have us believe that according to Senior Vice President Stephanie Cota, “Barbie and Ken have an epic love story that has stood the test of time.” Despite the attempts of Blaine to win Barbie’s affections, the moment’s allure was trumped by Ken’s constancy. This is not a business story. It is the story of the relationship between God and the people Israel told in plastic. No matter how much the people Israel may be momentarily lured away by the attractiveness of other cultures, ultimately it is the relationship with God that is affirmed. It is the epic story of the Biblical book Songs of Songs.
