Earring Magic Ken, a doll that quickly became an accidental gay icon.Earring Magic Ken was inspired by a survey of young girls who said they wanted a “cooler” and more fashionable Ken doll. Seemingly without much hesitation, Mattel took that feedback and created a doll with bleached quiff hair, tight jeans, a mesh shirt, a leather vest, and an infamous earring.Because he fit nearly every single early-90s gay stereotype, conversations grew around Ken’s sexuality and he quickly became a highly sought-after Barbie especially among gay men—resulting in the doll selling out by Christmastime shortly after its debut.“We’re not in the business of putting c*ck rings into the hands of little girls!” Lisa McKendall, Mattel’s head of marketing and communications, said at the time.Fast forward to today and we have the new Barbie movie from Greta Gerwig is set to hit theaters on July 21, 2023.
