Why Are People Redrawing The Barbie And Ken Mugshot?

Barbie, the most hotly anticipated film of the summer season, seems to have a little bit of everything: comedy, social commentary, drama, romance and, it seems, crime. In the film's latest trailer, Barbie and Ken get arrested. Like almost every other trickle of information about the upcoming movie, this became a meme. But why are people so obsessed with redrawing the Barbie and Ken mugshot picture?

Where Do Barbie and Ken Mugshot Redraws Come From?

The Barbie trailer dropped on May 25th, 2023. Already, the film had inspired considerable attention in memes, possibly because of a highly effective marketing campaign that included putting out photos and stills, like the Barbie movie poster memes that seemed infinitely exploitable.

This specific shot from the Barbie trailer of the couple at the center of the film looped into another ancient meme trends: ship redraws. In this trend, stills and pictures from films get redone in other styles, and it's a way for artists to show off their skills and have fun with the material in front of them. Many have redrawn the Barbie Mugshot picture in this way.

How Do People Do Barbie and Ken Mugshot Redraws?

Usually, the Barbie and Ken Mugshot redraws are "ship" redraws, meaning they feature characters swapped in for Ken and Barbie that have (or are hoped to have) a romantic relationship with each other.

There have been other famous "ship" redraw memes, such as he wants to order, that feature characters redrawn into new contexts.

Why Do People Make Barbie and Ken Mugshot Redraws?

Like other redraw memes, the Ken and Barbie Mugshots give artists a chance to showcase their talents and also to make fan art of their favorite characters. This redraw challenge meme places two characters in a clear situation, and with a contrast between them: not only are the characters in a couple, but one is happy (Ken) and one is sad and concerned (Barbie). The artists get to experiment not just with their style or characters, but also with the expression of emotions on characters' faces.

For the full history of "Barbie and Ken mugshot redraws," be sure to check out our entry on the meme in our encyclopedia for even more information.