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This July, Barbie fans can book a stay in Ken’s bedroom, in Barbie’s oceanside mansion in Malibu, California, thanks to Airbnb.
According to the Airbnb description, the mansion belongs to Barbie, but her longtime partner Ken is the host.
Airbnb will choose four lucky guests to stay for free at the bright pink house on July 21st and 22nd. A concierge will welcome the guests and provide a tour of the mansion, arrange meals, and let you try on Ken’s clothes. Guests will also receive a pair of roller skates and a surfboard to take home.
Fans can book a stay at the Barbie mansion starting July 17th, just before the movie comes out.
The movie stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Issa Rae, and Simu Liu. Fans got excited last summer when pictures of Robbie and Gosling in neon outfits and rollerblades were shared.
To create Barbieland, the movie makers used up all the pink paint from one company, causing a worldwide shortage. Sarah Greenwood, the production designer joked that “the world ran out of pink.”
However, a worker at the paint company explained that the shortage was only for a specific bright pink color and was due to supply chain problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2019, the same property was available on Airbnb for $60 per night to celebrate Barbie’s 60th anniversary.
Mattel, the maker of Barbie, has also created pop-up Barbielands in cities like Chicago, and New York.
Vocabulary
- Fan – a person who likes a sport, team, or celebrity; supporter; follower
- Book – reserve; make an appointment
- Stay – a period of time that you spend/stay in a place
- Oceanside – being near or by the ocean
- Mansion – a very large and fancy house
- Thanks to – because of; due to; as a result of
- According to – as ‘someone’ said; as stated by ‘someone’; in the opinion of ‘someone’
- Description – an explanation/clarification that tells people what something is like or how it works
- Belong to – something or someone is owned by or is a part of a specific person or group
- Host – A person or places that organizes and holds an event for other people
- Concierge – a person who helps guests or visitors with various services and information at a hotel or building
- Provide – to give or supply something that is needed or requested
- Arrange – to organize or plan something; to make preparation for
- Try on – to put on clothes or shoes to see if they fit or look good
- Come out – release; debut; become available; launch
- Star – If a film, play, etc. stars someone, or if someone stars in a film, play, etc., they are the main actor in it
- Neon – a bright, colorful gas that is often used to make signs or bright lights; a bright color
- Use up – to finish or consume all of something so that there is none left
- Cause – make something (usually bad) happen; create
- Shortage – limited supply; not enough; too little
- Specific – referring to a particular thing or detail; exact
- Due to – because of; owing to
- Supply chain – network of businesses, people and materials to make a product
- Anniversary – a special date or day that marks a particular event or occasion, like a wedding or the founding of a company
- Pop-up – a store or event that opens for a short time; a temporary store or event
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- What are your thoughts on Barbie and Ken’s mansion being available for a stay through Airbnb? Would you be interested in booking a stay there?
- Have you ever participated in any pop-up events or experiences related to a particular brand or character? How was your experience?
- What do you think about the casting choices for the upcoming Barbie movie? Are you familiar with the actors mentioned?
- How do you feel about the use of a specific color, such as pink, becoming associated with a brand like Barbie? Do you think it is effective marketing? Can you think of other brands with a famous color?
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
