Magnificent Bastard

Monday, February 17, 2025



Muammar Gaddafi: The Man Who Would Be Ken

Muammar Gaddafi: The Man Who Would Be Ken
Fifty years ago today, on March 11, 1961, Mattel unleashed a tiny cultural revolutionary upon an unsuspecting world. He was 12 and a half inches tall, he was made from Japanese vinyl, his name was Ken. Ken's influence on the American psyche cannot be overstated -- when you see bros wearing brocade, when you see musclebound peacocks like The Situation and Pauly D. bragging about how much laundry they do, blame Ken.

But surely Ken's most eager student has been Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi, who has completely internalized Ken's three rules for cultural domination. 1) Never wear the same outfit twice. 2) Rule with an iron fist....but sheathe that fist in a velvet glove. 3) A true leader doesn't just say he can wear many hats -- he actually wears them.

Ken Muammar Gaddafi
Ken Muammar Gaddafi
Ken Muammar Gaddafi
Ken Muammar Gaddafi
Ken Muammar Gaddafi

Earlier: Son of Gaddafi Rebels Against Dad's Bad Style With Entirely Different Kind of Bad Style

POURCAST

BETA

Polar Vortex

  • 3 oz American rye whiskey
  • 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica)
  • 1/8 ounce Fernet Branca
  • 2 dashes Regans' Orange Bitters
  • 1/8 ounce yellow Chartreuse

Shake the whiskey, vermouth, Fernet Branca, and orange bitters. Swirl the yellow Chartreuse in a chilled martini glass and slowly pour in the arctic cold cocktail. Finish with an orange peel.


In-Depth Polar Vortex Coverage:

MB Pourcast: Polar Vortex Cocktails for Everyone

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