By Buck Wolf

Feb. 17  — Are Barbie and Ken the next J.Lo and Ben? America's favorite blonde and her boy-toy beau are breaking up and milking it for as much publicity as possible.

Barbie is reportedly fed up with Ken after dating for 43 years, and he's moved out of her soon-to-be-renamed Dream House. It's still anybody's guess if we're seeing the actions of "Fiercely Independent Barbie" or "Neurotic Biological Clock Ticking Barbie."

Spokesmen at Mattel insisted, in an actual press release, the two would "remain friends." The famous couple, who met while shooting a commercial in 1961, will continue working together — but expect tabloid reports to follow.

Is G.I. Joe a home wrecker? Perhaps Barbie has been playing around for years, and Ken lacked the guts — not to mention other anatomical parts — to walk away from the relationship. Oh, the tears behind a Malibu tan.

Sure, Barbie is just a plastic toy. But doesn't that describe a lot of celebrities these days? And doesn't she deserve some attention?

All we really know is that Mattel made this announcement in New York at the opening of the 101st American International Toy Fair, the annual convention where 40,000 playtime professionals gather to anoint the next Furby, Cabbage Patch Doll or Tickle Me Elmo.

Hello Kitty Gets Punky

These are tense times for toymakers. Last year, retail sales fell 3 percent, to $20.7 billion, amid the bankruptcies of FAO Schwarz and KB Toys. Wal-Mart is now the world's largest toy retailer in the world, and manufacturers are under ever-increasing pressure to discount their merchandise.

Barbie can hardly be blamed for playing her love life for a little publicity. Just a quick walk through the 1,500 Toy Fair exhibitions shows that some toys are getting attention-grabbing makeovers that would shock Janet Jackson and Christina Aguilera.

Next year, you'll see punked-out "Hello Kitty" dolls, complete with chains and corsets. You'll also see "Swear Bears" — Care Bears with attitude.