The Barbie and Ken Mugshot meme was taken from a trailer for the 2023 film Barbie. In the trailer, Barbie and Ken go to the "Real World". There, Barbie punches a man in the face after he slaps her butt, and both she and Ken are taken to jail where they get their mugshots taken. While Barbie appears saddened, Ken seems carefree.

Shortly after the trailer's release, the meme gained popularity, with users drawing over the meme with characters of their own or from other media.