I dunno. I kind of like the mental image of some scandalized Mattel employee in the 90s accidentally crashing a gay rave and having the time of their lives lol
Simple explanation for how they didn't figure out it was a gay rave; they never went inside. If they just sent employees to spot who was going into hot clubs, it's entirely possible they got the look while sitting across the street studying all the men going into the clubs, never realizing what was going on. Add a touch of willful ignorance and the hidden advertising of gay bars/clubs at the time and the confusion makes more sense.
Toy story 3 really confused me about Ken's sexuality. Everything about him was gay but ended up with Barbie anyway. My Barbie used to date Action Man 😂
i used to play with barbie when i was a little boy but her couple was a max steel that i had , they looked cute together ! and about ken , well i already knew about him but i was never been interested on him perhaps because i couldnt identify myself with him back then , i prefered to play more with my darth maul doll, my tarzan action figure , my prince phillip and quasimodo (from the hunchback) and sometimes with the red power ranger i had (the only one i had from the series hehehehehehe) but most of the time i used to play i was the boyfriend of barbie , i think i was in love with her , now im looking for a real barbie ! hehehehehehe :D
I have him! Certainly in my Barbie world he's gay! This has been one of my favorite reviews you've ever done. I had never heard any of the "back-stories" about him. I always assumed he was called gay simply because of his campy outfit. So sad to hear that Mattel got defensive about him. Barbie eventually did ditch Ken for awhile in 2004 when she met Blaine, the dashing boogie boarding Australian. ❤️
@@smb-c3po the problem is if you don't censor yourself you risk getting your comment instantly deleted and you risk getting your account terminated. This happened to my old account back in 2019.
This is curious, when I was little I also thougth that Ken was gay(yeah my parents where so open minded they explained those things to me when I asked, I was very smart for my age) 😂😂😂 I never used him as Barbie's boyfriend, just as her friend. I think you're right, in 80's early 90's men dressed like that, and some also wore make up, and it was fine. Omg, the explanation about the ring was hilarious😂😂😂😂😂😂.
I remember back in the 80's when guys got their ear pierced, the saying was, "Right is wrong and left is right." Meaning if you got your right ear pierced it meant you were gay.
I thought you were going to say something about his earring. Some people think that when men wear earrings they have to wear it on a certain ear. One ear was “the gay ear.” And if you wore the earring on that ear that meant you were gay. I’m from America so I’m curious as to whether or not that silly belief is shared elsewhere. Also, that earring looked so cute on you!!
In Germany we say: „Links ist cool, rechts ist schwul.“ This rhymes and means: „Left is cool, right is gay.“ I don‘t know were it comes from. At first I heard about it when I was a kid.
Like always, its the parents who got mad and not kids. Kids would just play with him even if he was a real gay with a bf doll included. Each barbie era reflects fashion of the time, and considering Madonna success back then, leather underground etc - it is normal to put it on a fashion doll. Kids would see a leather guy on Tv anyway. I think he is gay, maybe bisex, and I agree all ken dolls always looked like gay bff. All my kens were always dating Action Man 😍😍😍
just for reference, Karl Smallwood from the Chanel Fact Fiend made a video about this subject where he explained the same points but with a Little more input. i love this ken and you are so lucky to have him!! he is so rare!!
It's a cool idea, even if not intentional, it suits him. Imo it's time mattel or any other toy company made an openly gay doll. They've made so many couple, wedding or family sets and thus i wish one of those was two girls or two boys together, not as friends but a loving couple. It is a normal thing.
OK, showing my age here, but my "friend" and I had these and we would get pairs of Ken outfits for each other. One set that I remember were motorcycle jackets, of course. I found the Ken's in the clearance bin at a drug store, the next week after it was on the news shows.
@@steev75 Remember this was 30 years ago....but there where 1 item Mattel fashion packs for both Barbie and Ken during the pink box marketing stage. I'm sure an ebay search would bring one up every so often.
I have also a magic earring ken, i love him so much, but mine is the made in Venezuela version and he doesn't have a faux jacket, he instead has a normal cloth jacket. Awesome review and i'm really glad that we can see a lot of reviews of old Barbies and other dolls 💕
You’re just too adorable in this video, Joey! I’m envious of your new Ken. My kids had him in the 90s but unfortunately he disappeared. Maybe he ran off to San Francisco. 😃
The back story is real I remember when it happened. They wanted to create a doll that people during that time could relate to and so someone from Mattel did in fact go to a rave for inspiration but didn't realize he was at a gay party. His hair is how alot of people did their hair during that time they would dye the front blonde or another color and the back a different color. I thought he was cool with his piercing but during that time if a man had one of his ears pierced depending on which side he got pierced it meant he was gay so of course noone would buy this ken doll for me. He was controversial because he was dressed how gay men dressed during that time. He was in fact the first official gay ken doll. It was not intentional to make a gay ken doll but it happened. People were quite upset about this particular ken doll because during that time being gay wasn't as accepted as it is today. Alot of people did not buy this doll and complained about it during that time.
I think you're right about it being a coincidence that Ken looks like the stereotypical early 90s gay club patron. However, it is rather humorous how the whole situation played out. If you dress up as gay Ken during Pride Month, definitely make a video of your outfit!
Not really any new hip cool fashion was probably started by the gays, and then the straights copy. By Mattel looking for some fresh youthful inspiration for fashion it automatically made it gay. Doomed from the start.
My eldest daughter was also born in 1992!! I remember when this Ken came out. He was controversial at the time. The nineties was a very controversial decade!! :D
The Earring Magic dolls are my all time favorite! I have Barbie, Christie, Midge, Theresa and Ken in and out of the box. Ken, like Barbie, was named after Ruth Hadler's son, who was rumored to be gay and died from AIDS in 1994 in NYC. He was married, but was in the closet. I just find it interesting because when this controversy was going on, it is around the same time there were rumors about Ken Handler being gay in NYC.
Joey, this video was so funny!! I loved your review. I never really considered adding Earring Magic Ken to my collection, but now I really want one! And I absolutely want to see your pride outfit!
omg this video was everyrhinggg!!! thanks for sharing this story with us 😂 and omg yes you _definitely_ have to pull off this look for pride 🌈 i also have a theory that Barbie herself might be pan/bi based off some of her movies and the barbie vlogs videos haha, really wish Mattel would actually make them publicly gay!!
I have him! He is my favorite Ken, i am born in 2000, but i love his fabulous 90s look, he is one of the most handsome Ken i ever seen, i think that this version is absolutely gay, and also the new ones, because when Mattel introduced the new body types ( board and slim ) they said: “Ken is straight, or maybe he is gay, who knows”. So now Ken is above all a friend of Barbie, he can also be her boyfriend, but it doesn’t have to be just that
I bought this Ken off the shelf at TRU (ToysRus) when he was released, because he looks fantastic! I think some Mattel designers snuck him past TPTB in production initially & then the conservatives here in the US made a fuss about his appearance. Little kids don’t care, they just play with the dolls. It’s the adults who bring all of their unresolved sexual baggage to the table, & try to ruin it for the rest of us. You’ve inspired me to take my Earring Magic Ken out of his box so that he can hang with my BMR 1959 “Ken Green” & his green haired Fashionista kid! 🥰
Yes-kids just want to play with the dolls! Agreed! Before this video, I hadn’t heard of this Ken. But he looks great, and the story about the controversy regarding him tells a lot about society at the time.
My neighbor as a kid had a big shelf of Barbies in the guest bedroom that her mom bought her and were meant as "special" Barbies that would never be opened and sell for thousands of dollars as collectables when she was an adult. So when my sister and I would go over to play Barbies (some of her lesser Barbies were able to be played with) or Nintendo we would all inevitably end up sneaking into the room and she would show off all of the different Barbies, and occasionally, carefully pry open a box or two so that we could look in on the actual doll. Earring Magic Ken is the only one I remember clearly, I think she even refered to him as the gay Ken (she was a very "worldly" 6th grader). So when I found out about how he was adopted as a gay icon and removed from the shelves I was amused. This memory popped into my head randomly so I began searching the internet for this Ken doll and the controversy behind him turned up which led me to your video. I'll be checking out more of your videos! The only other Barbie I remember clearly was one my sister and I had that had roller skates and if you ran them against a surface a few times they'd sort of flick like a disposable lighter and set off little sparks, and could even give you a bit of a rug burn.
Ahoyhoy! I love how you actually play with most of your collectibles. Toys are meant to be played with. I believe unless they are falling apart, or there are only like ten or less of a vintage toy, there is no reason to leave it on its box.
2 Rings Up! Wow, watching you initially tread so diplomatically, through that necklace description, made me genuinely laugh out loud! This just became my fave of all your videos!
Love it. Mattel dolls seem to be behind the times to me, though - you say he came out in the 90s, but I graduated in 87 and half the kids at school dressed like this and the region I lived in was about 3-5 years behind on style. When I saw the BMK line, I thought, "that is so 90s!", yet it's supposedly modern. This video was worth the watch just for the bleeped words lol.
I remember the media kerfuffle about this doll when he was introduced. This doll happened to hit when I was mainly collecting other lines. I did buy a few then-current dolls that year, but I just never liked this Ken doll's hair, so I didn't get him. That two-tone thing just wasn't it.
Apparently, there's an (official) couple of postcards of Earring Magic Ken and Secret Hearts Ken on a date. One is of them in a convertible and another is of them in a restaurant playing footsie!
Ahhhhhh..... those were the days when “gay/queer” was just applied to gay men..... and it was just an underground subculture..... in Latin America he wasn’t really pulled and stayed in stores.... since people didn’t really know the “controversy”....
I♥that you blurp out 🐔ring, with the Barbie logo. 😆 I want the Ken and Barbie clip-on earrings. I would wear them both. 90s and 2000s were all mixed-matched socks, 2 shirts, etc.
well if you can search ken from the 60s and 70s , he was more manly , even he looked like more a doll for boys than for girls! oh my! ken ! what happened to you??!
I love these videos so much! you always just look so delightfully happy to talk about dolls and thats so great and puts me in a great mood too! keep up the great work. Also loving kens look, I think I need to re create this outfit also!
**SPOILERS WATCH OUT** I'm glad I binged your videos before watching the Barbie movie which made Earring Magic Ken's brief appearance that endearing! His hair was more like Kurt Kobain's hair rather than the slicked-back George Michael hair but still 😍😍
Also, someone (from Mattel?) put him on a couple of postcards with Secret Hearts Ken where they appeared to be going on a date and then on a date, Honey, he is very gay and he has a brunette bf!
I love how people totally missed the point of a doll line with the gimmick of attaching charms. 🙄 If Mattel’s PR department had explained them as JUMP rings which were intended to hold the charm accessories, the crafting community could have gotten behind the entire line. There was so much potential for this line to encourage creativity in kids of any gender identity.
Well this got interesting really fast and i already knew this video would not be for kids because of the title and i thought to myself if Ken was gay i would not judge at all because i dont judge gay dudes or lesbian girls im totally cool with it but accept im not gay though im straight so anyway i wanna say that my concerns are that Ken likes Barbie though so how is he gay about that and another question is that there is boys that wear purple and even pink clothes i love purple and pink and im a boy and im not gay but i can totally understand the story about the fuck rings and stuff yeah i can see that but honestly i dont think Ken is gay because he loves Barbie and 2 there boys who wear purple and even pink as well so my opinion is that Ken is not Gay to me
I finally got him recently hes definitely the most fabulous ken. I did my hair like him once it looks very debbie harry style. Never knew the stories behind him thanks for the great review
I mean companies will do that where they send somebody out for whatever reason it may be. I’ve known friends who ended up at a gay bar where everyone knew it but them ...they literally thought the dudes that were in there were just “close buddy buddy” type. By the time they left it was brought to their attention. That was yrs ago ...from the 90s as well I think. Barbie has been known to create dolls that r very controversial..they play dumb but they know what their doing ...it’s like the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction. Celebrities and companies do shit like that to raise sales or grab the attention of the public ..etc ....they are all adults at Mattel ..I strongly believe that’s what the necklace was implying and i think they chose the light purple and blond hair ..b/c young girls like anything girly. Maybe not as intended but they definitely created Ken to hav that “gay” vibe. From 1988 and on ...50% of owners were adult collectors. Many times I feel they make Barbie to appeal both to children and adult collectors.
the story of this doll is hilarious... those were the days when Mattel was producing inclusive dolls without knowing it :'D now that i think of it, the peroxyde blonde hair gives me a strong Billy Idol vibe...
Ken is wearing dress shoes because he put on a shirt, vest and erring really quick to go to a rave afterwork. He made sure to get there before they ran out of E.
I think the story is that it was not necessarily a gay rave, just a disco club pretty popular with LGBT people at that point, but not officially. They wore these rings to identify themselves but it wasn't just gay men. Still dubious though I support Ken being bi tho, or maybe gay with Barbie being his beard!
i could be wrong, but in the netflix show, barbie dream house adventures, it seems that ken isnt Barbie's boyfriend anymore??? i havent seen the whole series, just a few clips but everytime i see ken he seems to just be hanging around his friends. like in barbie life in the dream house it was super clear that barbie and ken were a thing. and i dont know how reliable this is but i did hear someone say ken is asexual? could have also been a head canon though idk lol
I love your videos! First of all, I don’t care what anyone says, this Ken is gay 😂 It’s interesting that the pierced ear wasn’t controversial in this case. He is wearing the earring on his left ear which means he’s straight. “Left is right, right is wrong" … I’m sure Mattel was aware of “the code” when they made that choice.
I had this Ken doll when I was a little girl! I always thought that was like a rockstar! 🤣 I never liked his hair, I had a blonde Ken with an elegant white dress (I don't know which was, but surely was early 90's) and I played much more with him. Now I think he's really cool, but still the hair are not quite nice to me...
Gday, enjoy your channel. Do you collect any more Kens? Would also love to see a your reaction to the Cutie reveal barbies (I know your not normally a fan but 🤔)
Good for Ken! He was always just an accessory for Barbie. Barbie needs a new boyfriend, let Ken be gay. I bought the African BMR Male doll. He looks like the first drag queen doll. I love HIM! I am going to make him some wings too. Barbie is getting with the times it's very cool. I loved this review.
Its just unfortunate that stereotypes have given this doll such a controversial history. While I can definitely see this ken as a icon for gay men, this isn't how all gay men dress or represent their sexuality, so really its more so homophobic ppl and soccer moms who start controversy for things they don't understand. I especially enjoy that you pointed out that men dressed like this and this kind of fashion was popular until homophobia rolled in and took over this toxic masculinity idea how men should represent themselves. Like crop tops, short shorts, wearing pink, etc. is now associated with being gay. Since then and even now, its unfortunate that men's sexuality is labeled by their interests. I personally feel anyone should dress and express themselves any way they want as long as it isn't offensive, hurtful or toxic. It's why I've been on board with dolls nowadays that express that, showing kids it should be fine to be who they wanna be. I played with barbie as a kid, and today still do.
The WuffinartsTM sadly there is a lot of prejudices and ignorance nowadays , i used to play with dolls when i was a boy and still i collect them , i love barbie ! But many people judged me as gay and afeminate or queer etc even the y Didnt know me first , i always Heard the words gay but i didnt know what it really meant until i was like 16 or 17 ! Because i d never like men , just women , and i am still manly and feel and dress like a man , Also i think súper skinny jeans and short shorts are more for men than women , it makes you look and feel more manly , well homophobia was no my problem but yes with ignorance , remember don’t confuse ignorance with homophobia like the 99% of the people of the world seems to
I always thought that Ken was the creepy guy who would follow Barbie around semi-uninvited because of their mutual friends and pined after her love. This was my neverending theory as a child lol. Clearly I didn't like him.
In 90s hetero Rave days this outfit wasn’t really gay. The Cockring around his neck also wasn’t that big of a deal. In 90s newspapers it was never about the outfit - it was always about his earring that he wore „on the gay side“ of his head
Even watching Barbie movies as a kid or the tv series he never acted straight even my 10 year old self was turning their head like Um you sure he’s straight. They constantly pushing ken and Barbie but you can’t fool me
I dunno. I kind of like the mental image of some scandalized Mattel employee in the 90s accidentally crashing a gay rave and having the time of their lives lol
I love the idea and find it hilarious that they were blind to the gay energy throughout the rave.
Simple explanation for how they didn't figure out it was a gay rave; they never went inside. If they just sent employees to spot who was going into hot clubs, it's entirely possible they got the look while sitting across the street studying all the men going into the clubs, never realizing what was going on. Add a touch of willful ignorance and the hidden advertising of gay bars/clubs at the time and the confusion makes more sense.
I dunno, sounds like a Tobias situation from Arrested Development 😂
I wish Mattel would remake this doll now, in 2020, and own the Gayness!
Omg! That would be iconic!!
It's 2022 and still no remake.
I would definitely buy it! ^.^
I always think Ken was gay a long time
He is the happiest he's ever been now that he's free to be his true self and wear charms wherever he wants, lol
Toy story 3 really confused me about Ken's sexuality. Everything about him was gay but ended up with Barbie anyway. My Barbie used to date Action Man 😂
Same here! 😁
Mine dated action man too(& beauty & the beast Ken). 😉😁
i used to play with barbie when i was a little boy but her couple was a max steel that i had , they looked cute together ! and about ken , well i already knew about him but i was never been interested on him perhaps because i couldnt identify myself with him back then , i prefered to play more with my darth maul doll, my tarzan action figure , my prince phillip and quasimodo (from the hunchback) and sometimes with the red power ranger i had (the only one i had from the series hehehehehehe) but most of the time i used to play i was the boyfriend of barbie , i think i was in love with her , now im looking for a real barbie ! hehehehehehe :D
Johnny West was my Barbies boyfriend while Ken was out trawling the bars!
He was Metro
I still want to believe the rave story, the Mattel employee was just as oblivious as the main protagonist in every harem anime.
A perfect example of bad research: this doll
Berry Stein tbh i think this is the best mistake ever made
Ofc the research stories can be false 🤔 idk. It’s hard to know history, especially regarding 🌈s.
I have him! Certainly in my Barbie world he's gay! This has been one of my favorite reviews you've ever done. I had never heard any of the "back-stories" about him. I always assumed he was called gay simply because of his campy outfit. So sad to hear that Mattel got defensive about him. Barbie eventually did ditch Ken for awhile in 2004 when she met Blaine, the dashing boogie boarding Australian. ❤️
Barbie and Ken got back together in 2011 and are still together to this day, but no one said he can't still be queer
“maybe Ken’s bi” 😂 This video made me smile. Thanks for sharing.
Every time you said co** ring I CRACKED lmfao this review is pure treasure
Don't censor yourself.
@@smb-c3po the problem is if you don't censor yourself you risk getting your comment instantly deleted and you risk getting your account terminated.
This happened to my old account back in 2019.
@@dragondude9637 That's bullshit, we need to fight back against the fascist authoritarian AI.
This is curious, when I was little I also thougth that Ken was gay(yeah my parents where so open minded they explained those things to me when I asked, I was very smart for my age) 😂😂😂 I never used him as Barbie's boyfriend, just as her friend.
I think you're right, in 80's early 90's men dressed like that, and some also wore make up, and it was fine.
Omg, the explanation about the ring was hilarious😂😂😂😂😂😂.
I was laughing every time it bleeped lol
@@epowell4211 hahaha yeah, me too
I remember back in the 80's when guys got their ear pierced, the saying was, "Right is wrong and left is right." Meaning if you got your right ear pierced it meant you were gay.
This Ken is a gay icon!!!
I thought you were going to say something about his earring. Some people think that when men wear earrings they have to wear it on a certain ear. One ear was “the gay ear.” And if you wore the earring on that ear that meant you were gay. I’m from America so I’m curious as to whether or not that silly belief is shared elsewhere. Also, that earring looked so cute on you!!
I remember hearing about the certain ear thing before just forgot to talk about it in my video
Beauty Inside A Box I don’t even know how that ever got started? And why were kids at my elementary just saying that kind of stuff? 😂
In Germany we say: „Links ist cool, rechts ist schwul.“
This rhymes and means: „Left is cool, right is gay.“
I don‘t know were it comes from. At first I heard about it when I was a kid.
I think you're hilarious, please don't ever stop doing videos. I could listen to you for hours. Ciao from Italy
Thank you!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Like always, its the parents who got mad and not kids. Kids would just play with him even if he was a real gay with a bf doll included. Each barbie era reflects fashion of the time, and considering Madonna success back then, leather underground etc - it is normal to put it on a fashion doll. Kids would see a leather guy on Tv anyway. I think he is gay, maybe bisex, and I agree all ken dolls always looked like gay bff. All my kens were always dating Action Man 😍😍😍
Now the mythology I hear surrounding that doll was because his earring was on the left and guys who wore earrings on the left=gay.
It was the right l believe
just for reference, Karl Smallwood from the Chanel Fact Fiend made a video about this subject where he explained the same points but with a Little more input. i love this ken and you are so lucky to have him!! he is so rare!!
Love the idea of you dressing up like Ken for Pride! I hope you get a chance to do that. Fun review! Great job!
The story about the rave is so obviously fake but I do think it was a series of unintentionally campy choices that came together.
It's a cool idea, even if not intentional, it suits him. Imo it's time mattel or any other toy company made an openly gay doll. They've made so many couple, wedding or family sets and thus i wish one of those was two girls or two boys together, not as friends but a loving couple. It is a normal thing.
Ken is so happy in this look as hes finally allowed to be his fabulous gay self :)
How sweet! ☺️
When bad research accidentally leads to something hilariously unintentional. That's why you check your facts in any project.
lol I loved when you pulled back his vest and said "oooh" 😂
OK, showing my age here, but my "friend" and I had these and we would get pairs of Ken outfits for each other. One set that I remember were motorcycle jackets, of course. I found the Ken's in the clearance bin at a drug store, the next week after it was on the news shows.
Oooo where did you get the motorcycle jackets
@@steev75 Remember this was 30 years ago....but there where 1 item Mattel fashion packs for both Barbie and Ken during the pink box marketing stage. I'm sure an ebay search would bring one up every so often.
I have also a magic earring ken, i love him so much, but mine is the made in Venezuela version and he doesn't have a faux jacket, he instead has a normal cloth jacket.
Awesome review and i'm really glad that we can see a lot of reviews of old Barbies and other dolls 💕
You’re just too adorable in this video, Joey! I’m envious of your new Ken. My kids had him in the 90s but unfortunately he disappeared. Maybe he ran off to San Francisco. 😃
Sees a video on how Ken just might be gay. Immediately clicks. Lol
I’m so happy you have your comments back! Love your commentary and accent ❤️
The back story is real I remember when it happened. They wanted to create a doll that people during that time could relate to and so someone from Mattel did in fact go to a rave for inspiration but didn't realize he was at a gay party. His hair is how alot of people did their hair during that time they would dye the front blonde or another color and the back a different color. I thought he was cool with his piercing but during that time if a man had one of his ears pierced depending on which side he got pierced it meant he was gay so of course noone would buy this ken doll for me. He was controversial because he was dressed how gay men dressed during that time. He was in fact the first official gay ken doll. It was not intentional to make a gay ken doll but it happened. People were quite upset about this particular ken doll because during that time being gay wasn't as accepted as it is today. Alot of people did not buy this doll and complained about it during that time.
that sucks that people were homophobic
I think you're right about it being a coincidence that Ken looks like the stereotypical early 90s gay club patron. However, it is rather humorous how the whole situation played out. If you dress up as gay Ken during Pride Month, definitely make a video of your outfit!
Not really any new hip cool fashion was probably started by the gays, and then the straights copy.
By Mattel looking for some fresh youthful inspiration for fashion it automatically made it gay. Doomed from the start.
Yes, yes, Ken is gay. He's Barbie's true best friend, more so than Midge or the other girls. In the real world Barbie would still be with Blaine 😘
Mattel said : *Ken is not gay* he is Barbie boyfriend.
You : ...yeah ! He is not gay : *He is bi !* (PHOQUE YEAH ! THIS SHOULD BE CANON !)
My eldest daughter was also born in 1992!! I remember when this Ken came out. He was controversial at the time. The nineties was a very controversial decade!! :D
The Earring Magic dolls are my all time favorite! I have Barbie, Christie, Midge, Theresa and Ken in and out of the box. Ken, like Barbie, was named after Ruth Hadler's son, who was rumored to be gay and died from AIDS in 1994 in NYC. He was married, but was in the closet. I just find it interesting because when this controversy was going on, it is around the same time there were rumors about Ken Handler being gay in NYC.
Joey, this video was so funny!! I loved your review. I never really considered adding Earring Magic Ken to my collection, but now I really want one! And I absolutely want to see your pride outfit!
When I found out about this doll I was just waiting for you to review him!!
Great review btw! And he’s such a cool doll ^^
You look so good with that hoop earring 😳💓
omg this video was everyrhinggg!!! thanks for sharing this story with us 😂 and omg yes you _definitely_ have to pull off this look for pride 🌈 i also have a theory that Barbie herself might be pan/bi based off some of her movies and the barbie vlogs videos haha, really wish Mattel would actually make them publicly gay!!
I have him! He is my favorite Ken, i am born in 2000, but i love his fabulous 90s look, he is one of the most handsome Ken i ever seen, i think that this version is absolutely gay, and also the new ones, because when Mattel introduced the new body types ( board and slim ) they said: “Ken is straight, or maybe he is gay, who knows”. So now Ken is above all a friend of Barbie, he can also be her boyfriend, but it doesn’t have to be just that
I bought this Ken off the shelf at TRU (ToysRus) when he was released, because he looks fantastic! I think some Mattel designers snuck him past TPTB in production initially & then the conservatives here in the US made a fuss about his appearance. Little kids don’t care, they just play with the dolls. It’s the adults who bring all of their unresolved sexual baggage to the table, & try to ruin it for the rest of us. You’ve inspired me to take my Earring Magic Ken out of his box so that he can hang with my BMR 1959 “Ken Green” & his green haired Fashionista kid! 🥰
Yes-kids just want to play with the dolls! Agreed!
Before this video, I hadn’t heard of this Ken. But he looks great, and the story about the controversy regarding him tells a lot about society at the time.
My neighbor as a kid had a big shelf of Barbies in the guest bedroom that her mom bought her and were meant as "special" Barbies that would never be opened and sell for thousands of dollars as collectables when she was an adult. So when my sister and I would go over to play Barbies (some of her lesser Barbies were able to be played with) or Nintendo we would all inevitably end up sneaking into the room and she would show off all of the different Barbies, and occasionally, carefully pry open a box or two so that we could look in on the actual doll. Earring Magic Ken is the only one I remember clearly, I think she even refered to him as the gay Ken (she was a very "worldly" 6th grader).
So when I found out about how he was adopted as a gay icon and removed from the shelves I was amused. This memory popped into my head randomly so I began searching the internet for this Ken doll and the controversy behind him turned up which led me to your video.
I'll be checking out more of your videos!
The only other Barbie I remember clearly was one my sister and I had that had roller skates and if you ran them against a surface a few times they'd sort of flick like a disposable lighter and set off little sparks, and could even give you a bit of a rug burn.
If you wear a replica you have to post on Instagram
Ahoyhoy! I love how you actually play with most of your collectibles. Toys are meant to be played with. I believe unless they are falling apart, or there are only like ten or less of a vintage toy, there is no reason to leave it on its box.
What a coincidence! I was just looking for him today on ebay!
2 Rings Up! Wow, watching you initially tread so diplomatically, through that necklace description, made me genuinely laugh out loud! This just became my fave of all your videos!
Love it. Mattel dolls seem to be behind the times to me, though - you say he came out in the 90s, but I graduated in 87 and half the kids at school dressed like this and the region I lived in was about 3-5 years behind on style. When I saw the BMK line, I thought, "that is so 90s!", yet it's supposedly modern. This video was worth the watch just for the bleeped words lol.
I remember the media kerfuffle about this doll when he was introduced. This doll happened to hit when I was mainly collecting other lines. I did buy a few then-current dolls that year, but I just never liked this Ken doll's hair, so I didn't get him. That two-tone thing just wasn't it.
I used to think he was highly Metrosexual.
Apparently, there's an (official) couple of postcards of Earring Magic Ken and Secret Hearts Ken on a date. One is of them in a convertible and another is of them in a restaurant playing footsie!
Ken said “Gay Rights!” 🏳️🌈
If you do decide to dress up as Ken, please make sure you carry the doll for context lol
Ahhhhhh..... those were the days when “gay/queer” was just applied to gay men..... and it was just an underground subculture..... in Latin America he wasn’t really pulled and stayed in stores.... since people didn’t really know the “controversy”....
I♥that you blurp out 🐔ring, with the Barbie logo. 😆 I want the Ken and Barbie clip-on earrings. I would wear them both. 90s and 2000s were all mixed-matched socks, 2 shirts, etc.
It's also possible that they didn't go inside the rave and just watched people walking in.
Take That popped into my head when I saw this doll. Especially the “do what you like” video 🤔
Love him. I think most Ken's, if not all, are gay. He's Barbie's BFF.
well if you can search ken from the 60s and 70s , he was more manly , even he looked like more a doll for boys than for girls! oh my! ken ! what happened to you??!
Being manly does not make you any less gay and being feminine doesn’t make you any less straight
@@midnightmist2358 i was talking about the way to dress, but in my case , playing with dolls dont make me effeminate or homosexual
He supposed be her husband considering how many times they gotten married.
He is handsome and I want earring magic Barbie
I love these videos so much! you always just look so delightfully happy to talk about dolls and thats so great and puts me in a great mood too! keep up the great work.
Also loving kens look, I think I need to re create this outfit also!
Yes, I like how you can see that dolls are his passion!
*Me in the entire video :* Absolutely ! ...Absolutely ! ...Gurl : Absolutely ! ...yeah : ABSOLUTELY !
...Absolutely yes ! (I NEED this Ken now !)
**SPOILERS WATCH OUT**
I'm glad I binged your videos before watching the Barbie movie which made Earring Magic Ken's brief appearance that endearing! His hair was more like Kurt Kobain's hair rather than the slicked-back George Michael hair but still 😍😍
Thats a funny story the earring magic dolls look more like they are from the 80s but the story is so funny this video made my day
Also, someone (from Mattel?) put him on a couple of postcards with Secret Hearts Ken where they appeared to be going on a date and then on a date, Honey, he is very gay and he has a brunette bf!
oh I Love his hair!!! he does look happy
Hilarious! I’ve watched 4 of your videos and you mention the year you were born in each one! 😅😅🎉 Also great video!
I had a Paul doll (Sindys boyfriend) who was called Glitter Paul and he came with perfume and a very questionable outfit too...
I love how people totally missed the point of a doll line with the gimmick of attaching charms. 🙄 If Mattel’s PR department had explained them as JUMP rings which were intended to hold the charm accessories, the crafting community could have gotten behind the entire line. There was so much potential for this line to encourage creativity in kids of any gender identity.
Joey please do an update of your Disney Princess dolls!
He also only has one earring? Wasn’t there a wear one earring on the left to show you’re gay thing too? Lol I love him 😂
I never knew about that until now wow! Thanks joey i will be eyeing for that ken for now on.
Well this got interesting really fast and i already knew this video would not be for kids because of the title and i thought to myself if Ken was gay i would not judge at all because i dont judge gay dudes or lesbian girls im totally cool with it but accept im not gay though im straight so anyway i wanna say that my concerns are that Ken likes Barbie though so how is he gay about that and another question is that there is boys that wear purple and even pink clothes i love purple and pink and im a boy and im not gay but i can totally understand the story about the fuck rings and stuff yeah i can see that but honestly i dont think Ken is gay because he loves Barbie and 2 there boys who wear purple and even pink as well so my opinion is that Ken is not Gay to me
I finally got him recently hes definitely the most fabulous ken. I did my hair like him once it looks very debbie harry style. Never knew the stories behind him thanks for the great review
Hes referred to as gay ken for his 90s gay ken nightclub look and is a collectors favorite for this reason
I mean companies will do that where they send somebody out for whatever reason it may be.
I’ve known friends who ended up at a gay bar where everyone knew it but them ...they literally thought the dudes that were in there were just “close buddy buddy” type. By the time they left it was brought to their attention. That was yrs ago ...from the 90s as well I think. Barbie has been known to create dolls that r very controversial..they play dumb but they know what their doing ...it’s like the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction. Celebrities and companies do shit like that to raise sales or grab the attention of the public ..etc ....they are all adults at Mattel ..I strongly believe that’s what the necklace was implying and i think they chose the light purple and blond hair ..b/c young girls like anything girly. Maybe not as intended but they definitely created Ken to hav that “gay” vibe. From 1988 and on ...50% of owners were adult collectors. Many times I feel they make Barbie to appeal both to children and adult collectors.
the story of this doll is hilarious... those were the days when Mattel was producing inclusive dolls without knowing it :'D
now that i think of it, the peroxyde blonde hair gives me a strong Billy Idol vibe...
Ken is wearing dress shoes because he put on a shirt, vest and erring really quick to go to a rave afterwork. He made sure to get there before they ran out of E.
i love this ken i'm still trying to get one on ebay.
I think the story is that it was not necessarily a gay rave, just a disco club pretty popular with LGBT people at that point, but not officially. They wore these rings to identify themselves but it wasn't just gay men. Still dubious though
I support Ken being bi tho, or maybe gay with Barbie being his beard!
Ken is what you want him to be just like Barbie and friends!
i could be wrong, but in the netflix show, barbie dream house adventures, it seems that ken isnt Barbie's boyfriend anymore??? i havent seen the whole series, just a few clips but everytime i see ken he seems to just be hanging around his friends. like in barbie life in the dream house it was super clear that barbie and ken were a thing. and i dont know how reliable this is but i did hear someone say ken is asexual? could have also been a head canon though idk lol
Earring Magic Ken reminds me of Billy Idol with that hairstyle. I didn't realize that toys were supposed to have a sexual orientation.
I had this as a child ! I am born in '86 and live in Denmark. I loved him ❤
Love the review. Just purchased Earring magic Ken! Also the gays at Mattel knew what they were doing, lol.
I love your videos! First of all, I don’t care what anyone says, this Ken is gay 😂 It’s interesting that the pierced ear wasn’t controversial in this case. He is wearing the earring on his left ear which means he’s straight. “Left is right, right is wrong" … I’m sure Mattel was aware of “the code” when they made that choice.
I had this Ken doll when I was a little girl! I always thought that was like a rockstar! 🤣 I never liked his hair, I had a blonde Ken with an elegant white dress (I don't know which was, but surely was early 90's) and I played much more with him.
Now I think he's really cool, but still the hair are not quite nice to me...
Gday, enjoy your channel. Do you collect any more Kens? Would also love to see a your reaction to the Cutie reveal barbies (I know your not normally a fan but 🤔)
Good for Ken! He was always just an accessory for Barbie. Barbie needs a new boyfriend, let Ken be gay. I bought the African BMR Male doll. He looks like the first drag queen doll. I love HIM! I am going to make him some wings too. Barbie is getting with the times it's very cool. I loved this review.
I used to have ken with real hair and sideburns and mustache ya can put on him
Happy birthday
Vanilla Ice look like and I love his hair
Its just unfortunate that stereotypes have given this doll such a controversial history. While I can definitely see this ken as a icon for gay men, this isn't how all gay men dress or represent their sexuality, so really its more so homophobic ppl and soccer moms who start controversy for things they don't understand.
I especially enjoy that you pointed out that men dressed like this and this kind of fashion was popular until homophobia rolled in and took over this toxic masculinity idea how men should represent themselves. Like crop tops, short shorts, wearing pink, etc. is now associated with being gay. Since then and even now, its unfortunate that men's sexuality is labeled by their interests. I personally feel anyone should dress and express themselves any way they want as long as it isn't offensive, hurtful or toxic.
It's why I've been on board with dolls nowadays that express that, showing kids it should be fine to be who they wanna be. I played with barbie as a kid, and today still do.
The WuffinartsTM sadly there is a lot of prejudices and ignorance nowadays , i used to play with dolls when i was a boy and still i collect them , i love barbie ! But many people judged me as gay and afeminate or queer etc even the y Didnt know me first , i always Heard the words gay but i didnt know what it really meant until i was like 16 or 17 ! Because i d never like men , just women , and i am still manly and feel and dress like a man , Also i think súper skinny jeans and short shorts are more for men than women , it makes you look and feel more manly , well homophobia was no my problem but yes with ignorance , remember don’t confuse ignorance with homophobia like the 99% of the people of the world seems to
I always thought that Ken was the creepy guy who would follow Barbie around semi-uninvited because of their mutual friends and pined after her love. This was my neverending theory as a child lol. Clearly I didn't like him.
Dude bi ken would be amazing
Also you're adorable
We need more retro ken videos 🙌 he was the best
Ahoyhoy There, Fellow RUclipsrino! I just got a Hispanic Ken Doll. I call him "Mexi-Ken." Lol
Even before i watch that video, i ve seen that doll at selling app and i thought same also. And now, after i got these infos i wanna buy it more XD
In 90s hetero Rave days this outfit wasn’t really gay. The Cockring around his neck also wasn’t that big of a deal. In 90s newspapers it was never about the outfit - it was always about his earring that he wore „on the gay side“ of his head
Even watching Barbie movies as a kid or the tv series he never acted straight even my 10 year old self was turning their head like Um you sure he’s straight. They constantly pushing ken and Barbie but you can’t fool me
I have always felt that Ken is secretly gay. Even the regular Ken.
My Barbie was with black action man and ken was Mr bachelor- HmMmmmmMmm