Happy Birthday Ken.

[Gob]

TIME doesn't stand still, especially for style icons. Take Ken ''Doll'' Carson, who has been with us since 1961 and is thus turning 50 this year.



Back in the day when Ken's hair was made of felt, he was said to be a male model.

His most recent incarnation has lush blond locks and a smart suit. My guess is that he is now a vice-president in an event management company.

Advertisement: Story continues below Ken works out and gets a spray tan. He is wise to the fact that the Californian sun has a strong melt factor, and every now and then he slips away at lunch for a Botox top-up.

Gone are the days of the convertible and the zippy little surfboard; Ken now has a Malibu strapped to the roof rack of the Porsche Cayenne sports utility vehicle he bought last year: OK, the Cayenne's a bit over the top, but he doesn't want to look like a loser.

People often think Ken is gay, that he was just a change of handbag as far as Barbie was concerned, but Ken kind of draws a blank in that area.

Is that why Barbie dropped him, to enormous fanfare from Mattel PRs, back in 2004? Or was it because Ken had started to prefer a relaxing night in with Sudoku rather than a rock concert, flying a plane, hitting the running track for the Olympics or any other wild time for which he had the ideal outfit? Because, even though Ken is a couple of years younger than his former girlfriend, he was boring her rigid with grumbles about builders' bills, traffic and the vagaries of his prostate?

Barbie can keep her pink cocktails, along with the pink Malibu house, the pink Cadillac and the pink swing-seat.

In the past few years, Ken has developed a taste for a single malt. Next holiday, he and Action Man will be heading to Scotland for a golf-and-Scotch tour of the Highlands.

That's where Ken's at now. Man, it should be a blast.

It was 1961
Contraceptive pill sold in Australia.
Manned space flight.
Lava lamp invented.
Kodachrome colour film invented.
Breakfast at Tiffany's released.
Joseph Heller publishes Catch-22.
Born: politician Morris Iemma, surfer Tom Carroll, cricketer Merv Hughes.

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/people/ ... 19ja3.html

[dales]

[Lord Jim]

Born: politician Morris Iemma, surfer Tom Carroll, cricketer Merv Hughes.

Geez, they mention a surfer dude and some obscure player from a minor sport as notable births for 1961, but don't bother to mention that The President of The United States was born that year...

What a bunch of provincial yahoos....

[Sean]

The Prime Minister of Australia was born in that year too...

[Miles]

I was 12 that year.

[Sean]

I was -12.

[Gob]

Born: politician Morris Iemma, surfer Tom Carroll, cricketer Merv Hughes.

Geez, they mention a surfer dude and some obscure player from a minor sport as notable births for 1961, but don't bother to mention that The President of The United States was born that year...

What a bunch of provincial yahoos....

Priorities Jim, priorities....

I met Merve the swerve at a match the year before last.

Much more exciting than meeting any (American) politician..

[Lord Jim]

Am I correct in assuming that Mr. Swerve is the fellow with the dead ferret hanging down the sides of his upper lip?

From the looks of him, I assume he chewed the head off for lunch....