Earring Magic Ken - the controversial Gay Ken Doll they claimed wasn't Gay... did you get one?

I was a kid at the time and even I remember the controversy surrounding "Earring Magic Ken", cock ring and all. Mattel was considering dropping Ken all together cause his sales were low, and they decided to revamp him, and this is what they did thinking he was now "cool", only parents didn't think so. Once the word broke loose, Mattel quickly rushed to get the doll off shelves and discontinued him, but word spread so fast that the doll became the best selling Ken doll to this day within a few days!

Gay men were buying him in droves supposedly. The sales were never matched again, but it did save Ken from being killed off.

However, I did not know that cock rings were used as a statement in the LGBT community back then.

"As gay author and journalist Dan Savage explains in a column about the doll from 1993, in the late '80s and early '90s, besides being a sex toy, a cock ring was the queer fashion statement of the time. Leather daddies wore them stitched to their vests. Lesbians wore them as zipper pulls. Placement on clothing communicated secret preferences to those in the know, much like pierced ears at the time (Ken does have that "straight" at least). And many, many people wore them around their necks as a necklace. Ken included. The accessory was a staple of the gay club culture that was blowing up at the time, a scene Ken would fit right into with his leather/mesh ensemble."

Its a shame all these years later Barbie is still bearding for Ken. This was the only time he was his true self but his handlers never allowed him to come out fully and retracted this fast and made sure Barbie was with him at all times after lol.

If they were real people DL would see right through their bullshit lmao.

Fun fact. Apparently, the position of the ring means that Ken is actually a bottom.

I worked at FAO Schwarz when Earring Magic Ken came out, and they just sat there on the shelves for weeks. Then one day this 'mo who looked exactly like Al the Collector in Toy Story 2 came in and bought every single one we had! Wish I'd snatched up a few myself. I remember Mattel explaining away the cock ring by calling it a 'charm' he can share with his friend Barbie. Awesome.

Share with "Barbie" his beard. In reality hes bottoming for GI Joe.

Ken is a boring white-bread Strait Dude, but his Cousin "Earring Magic" Ken (Ken is a Family Name, lots of Ken's in that family) is a successful Gay Rave Club Promoter.

I remember playing with Barbies with my female relative and I always thought it was creepy that they had smooth bodies. At least with GI Joe they designed it so that they looked like they were wearing flesh colored briefs.

Mine still sits atop my bookcase -- right next to my Harley Davidson Kens and the masturbating Tarzan doll.

GQ did a segment on all the Ken dolls out now.

I love how people speak of him and Barbie like real people

OP did the boyfriend that "practically force fucked," you look like this Ken doll too? Is that how you found the resolve to start this thread so quickly after being, "raped?"

Barbie and Ken split up in the 2000s. She got a new boyfriend called Blaine. Clearly, Ken just couldn't keep living the lie.

R11 I think they're back together now

The first Ken Doll ever commercial

I bought one at the time, should have bought more as there were a lot of them at the store. I also bought the last Tinky Winky when that whole thing was going down about him being a gay pride plot to convert kids.

All that time spent in the sun certainly has aged him.

The cock ring was NEVER used by lesbians. Stop with this LGBT label being applied to anything gay. I remember a news story a few years back about a gay bashing and the reporter states that this happened in a park "frequented by the LGBT" community. NO, it was a GAY cruising area. Ugh..

'Earring Magic Ken' would be a great alternative phrase for 'glass closeted'.

I want this doll now. May hit up eBay

Don't remember that one but I do remember those "openly gay" Billy Dolls from the late 90s: the UPS Billy, the Leatherman Billy, the Cowboy Billy, etc.

I think calling Dan Savage a journalist is pushing it a bit.

R20 this one came first dear... maybe you should have been paying attention to that other poster that copied this one and posted this there.

R21 I don’t remember that at all.

Someone once gave me one of these as a birthday present. It's still in it's box. Valuable?

R25 people sell them on EBay

[quote] Apparently, the position of the ring means that Ken is actually a bottom.

Was there ever any doubt?

eBay is still a thing? I never hear anything about it anymore.

[quote] Pay attention!

Why?

We're not being tested on this, Controllina.

The concept of Big Jim and G.I. Joe spit-roasting Ken (Earring Magic or not) is just wrong.

Ken would love nothing less r31

Surprisingly, not too expensive on eBay. They must have made tons of them.

I may buy one. I find this super gay Ken and his history super fascinating

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