Remember when Mattel accintally ma a super gay Ken doll? We do. And queer people ma him the bt sellg Ken doll, ever.
Contents:
- HOW BARBIE'S BOYIEND KEN BEME AN ACCINTAL GAY IN
- KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIEND
- THE FUTURE OF GAY BARBIE DOLLS AND THE HISTORY OF EARRG MAGIC KEN
- HOW EARRG MAGIC KEN BEME AN ACCINTAL GAY IN
- REAL-LIFE KEN DOLL THKS HIS CHARACTER NEW ‘BARBIE’ FILM SHOULD BE GAY
- REAL-LIFE KEN DOLL THKS THE CHARACTER THE NEW ‘BARBIE’ FILM SHOULD BE GAY
- THE YASSIFITN OF KEN: EARRG MAGIC KEN AND HIS ENDURG GAY LEGACY
- THE TE STORY OF MATTEL ACCINTALLY RELEASG A SUPER GAY KEN DOLL
- MEET GAY BOB, THE 1977 DOLL THAT URGED PEOPLE TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET
HOW BARBIE'S BOYIEND KEN BEME AN ACCINTAL GAY IN
Wh Greta Gerwig's Barbie set to h theaters this July, we cid to take a look back at the past, prent, and future of gay Barbie dolls. * gay icon ken doll *
'Gay' Earrg Magic Ken Hs the Shelv. "He's always read gay, " said Dan Savage, ternatnally renowned lumnist and podster, an email, "but has he ever read gayer than he did wh a gay sex toy around his neck? Savage origally wrote about Earrg Magic Ken the summer of 1993, when much of the pop culture world was havg a good lgh at Mattel's lack of unrstandg that while ltle kids saw what Prce, the members of Right Said Fred or Madonna's backup dancers were wearg simply as "ol, " the adult world was clued to how gay was.
The doll flew off the shelv, pecially sce gay men, cludg Savage, shed out to buy a Ken doll. Though the Earrg Magic Ken cint showed that LGBTQ culture at the time had filtrated the mastream (or, arguably, been -opted by ), Ken might've simply remaed the butt of late-night jok until Savage — who's sce gone on to serve as one of the untry's most proment sex and relatnship advice lumnists — published his explanatn of the gay-culture subtext munited by wearg the sex toy.
KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIEND
Barbie has been a femist symbol for a while but do you know about the time when Mattel accintally created a 'gay' Ken doll? * gay icon ken doll *
And a form of , specific placements on clothg uld imply certa sexual preferenc among the gay crowd; you n read Savage's more tailed acunt of the nuanc the Chigo Rear's archiv. "I don't thk a gay man unr 40 would even know what we we're talkg about, " he said. Adam McDonald is a 36-year-old gay man and film cric for the Bored as Hell podst.
He’s Barbie’s gay bt iend. The film won’t say , but a post-creds punchle about Ken’s handwrg, plete wh hearts and stars surroundg his name, tells what we need to heavily implied nature of Ken’s gayns Toy Story 3 harkens back to Hollywood’s tradnal gay bt iend-type characters.
In the Hays Co era, explic referenc to homosexualy weren’t allowed, so characters like Van Buren (Frankl Pangborn) 1937’s Easy Livg, Kip (David Wayne) 1949’s Adam’s Rib, or Addison (Gee Sanrs) 1950’s All About Eve stead were imbued wh effemate characteristics, offerg a glimpse outsi of heteronormativy whout explicly beg of the characters were the same—some were tty, others sweet.
THE FUTURE OF GAY BARBIE DOLLS AND THE HISTORY OF EARRG MAGIC KEN
Who else remembers this doll? Here is an amazg thread about Earrg Magic Ken, who beme an accintal gay in: * gay icon ken doll *
But each of the gay bt iends was trsilly fed by their relatnships wh their straight iends. Des later, 2010, the gay bt iend was all the rage; Teen Vogue even went so far as to proclaim the GBF as the summer’s mt-have accsory.
But unlike the first half of the 20th century, today’s cema, the GBF is allowed to be openly gay. In movi like Mean Girls (2004), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Easy A (2010), No Strgs Attached (2011), and Isn’t It Romantic (2019), gay iends exist entirely the orb of their female iends.
HOW EARRG MAGIC KEN BEME AN ACCINTAL GAY IN
A real-life Ken doll who has spent £10,000 a year lookg like the plastic fantastic mol thks his character the new ‘Barbie’ film isn't realistic - as he's not gay. Jimmy Featherstone, 23, felt would be “great” if the role played by Ryan Goslg was attracted to men - sayg would “su" the persona of the figure better. And he also believ the leadg man - nsired a Hollywood heartthrob - wasn’t good-lookg enough for Ken, suggtg Harry Styl as a replacement. Jimmy started surgery five years ago to bee the real-life fictnal character, f wh chiselled facial featur and cloth matchg Barbie’s famo unterpart. And he’s still “100 per cent all ” wh his sired appearance, sayg he’s recently had a butterfly lip procre, a fox bow lift and work on his jaw. But Jimmy thks Ken’s character the upg film - who is nsired among some as a gay in - should have a sexualy that reflects the doll's inty. He said: “I do thk Ken beg gay would su the character more. I thk gay men like to take pri themselv. He’s a good-lookg guy, and I thk that’s what Ken is all about. "So I thk that would be great. If the character was gay, shows people are equal, tim have changed. At the end of the day, we are all human, and don’t matter what you are. “Wh everythg gog on the world, wh gay rights and LGBT and all that, I thk that would get a lot more tert the movie as well – so why not?" ‘Barbie’, directed by Greta Gerwig, will h Brish cema screens on July 21 this year and has a strg of A-list stars – cludg Helen Mirren, John Cena and Will Ferrell. The film follows the doll after she’s expelled om ‘Barbieland’ for lookg ls-than-perfect before she sets off for the human world to fd "te happs". Its first full-length trailer was released on Tuday (April 6), sendg fans of the Mattel toy to a head sp wh s playful, bright fluorcent lours. And durg the clip, Ken tells Barbie: "I thought I might stay over tonight...bee we're girliend, boyiend," givg the imprsn that he is heterosexual. But Jimmy, om Hull, East Yorkshire, feels asi om the character's prumed sexualy, Ken was not the right part for Ryan Goslg due to his age and appearance. He said: “I thk they uld have chosen someone a b better lookg on the ey. I don’t thk he’s very attractive. He don't look anythg like Ken. "I thk would be better if they chose me rather than Ryan. “They uld have chosen someone like Harry Styl - a young in - or Joey Essex, for example, he’d be a good one, or maybe Rylan, I like him. “They should have also chosen Gemma Colls to play one of the characters, that would have been fun. “But I n see why they’ve gone for a US st bee that’s where Barbie and Ken origally me om - ’s an Amerin pany. He add: “In the trailer, there seem to be a few Kens about. I thk they’re tryg to make equal for everyone, showg there’s no such thg as ‘the one’ Ken. “I thk that’s important bee they’re tryg to target everyone and make look equal.” Dpe his rervatns about the film's st, Jimmy said he would still love to be ved to the London premiere when the film out this summer. He add: “It would be good – I wouldn’t turn down the offer!” Jimmy, who prevly spent £10,000 a year on different facial procr, says he’s now happy wh the way he looks and cut back on his annual bety spend. But he still has regular treatments and is happy to be regnised as a real-life Ken doll on the street - nfirmg he remas "all " wh his plastic fantastic look. He said: “I’m still 100 per cent all . I’ll get anythg done. If there’s anythg that out new, I’m willg to try that kd of dtry, wh plastics. “Recently I’ve had the butterfly lips done and a fox brow lip, where my eyebrows have been cut open and lifted, and then my jaw done - they were the latt on. "I also had my cheeks redone." Sgleton Jimmy says he's still lookg out for Mr right after openg up about his love life. He add: “My optns are open. I’ve had a different outlook on life. Now I’m fdg myself and dog what’s bt for me. If a relatnship my way, we’ll see.” * gay icon ken doll *
” But Barbie do, and for Ken, that’s are plenty of reasons why the film wouldn’t outrightly state that Ken is homosexual. ), and of urse, and earrg the “gay ear”. ) Earrg Magic Ken turned Barbie’s boyiend to an out-and-proud homosexual raver.
Mattel, of urse, vehemently nied any claims that Ken was gay, let alone that he had somethg as prepostero as a ck rg around his neck. As a rult, gay men bought the doll drov, and spe Mattel ultimately rellg the doll and wipg away any trace of Earrg Magic Ken, was near-impossible to see Ken as anythg but the glor homosexual he was born to be om then on.
REAL-LIFE KEN DOLL THKS HIS CHARACTER NEW ‘BARBIE’ FILM SHOULD BE GAY
Photos of Ryan Goslg as Ken 'Barbie' ll to md Earrg Magic Ken, aka Gay Ken, who lighted the queer muny and dismayed Mattel. * gay icon ken doll *
Though Mattel don’t seem to be willg to say Ken is actually gay, the Ken dolls of recent years seem to really lean to Ken’s queerns.
REAL-LIFE KEN DOLL THKS THE CHARACTER THE NEW ‘BARBIE’ FILM SHOULD BE GAY
* gay icon ken doll *
While there is no way to “drs gay, ” there are several dolls that seem to suggt otherwise, such as:Fashnista Ken #193, who looks very exced to tell you about his new obssn, Troye Sivan;Travel Ken Doll, who has a satchel perfect for bathho and a purple overnight bag that lerally proclaims he’s “extra;”Ken Looks Doll, servg “I’m gonna give you a makeover”-type realns while sportg black pleather pants;This Ken, who wears the least heterosexual double nim I have a feelg the new Barbie movie will put the work to nvce that Ken is a hetero du who lov nothg life more than Barbie herself, the wrg’s already on the wall: Ken is, and always will be, Barbie’s gay bt obssg! When to gay Barbie dolls, the Mattel toy pany hasn’t always been a pneer, but they have always been the center of the nversatn. He’s the first (untentnally) gay-d Barbie doll created by Mattel 1993.
And for all we know, Earrg Magic Ken stigated the unfound fear among agile mascule fathers regardg the notn that playg wh dolls uld lead to their sons beg gay. But 1993, Mattel released Earrg Magic Ken, a doll that quickly beme an accintal gay in. Bee he f nearly every sgle early-90s gay stereotype, nversatns grew around Ken’s sexualy and he quickly beme a highly sought-after Barbie pecially among gay men—rultg the doll sellg out by Christmastime shortly after s but.
AI Barbie: What might future gay Barbie dolls look like? Gay cyb Ken doll. And clearly, no one red about Earrg Magic Barbie bee Earrg Magic Ken end up turng to a gay in and beme one of Mattel’s most profable dolls!
THE YASSIFITN OF KEN: EARRG MAGIC KEN AND HIS ENDURG GAY LEGACY
Simply put, Ken isn’t ol — and Mattel isn’t havg . The children’s answers, likely rmed by media (some would later ce Madonna’s background dancers) and club-culture trends, spire Ken’s new look and what would bee an famo nightmare for Mattel. The doll was lled Earrg Magic Ken, which is the absolute bt name for an accintally gay doll. * gay icon ken doll *
This gave birth to Mattel’s early 90s gay nightmare (a betiful accint, if you ask me): Earrg Magic Ken looked like the plastic stereotype of queer fashn back then: drsed a lavenr mh t-shirt, a matchg purple leather jacket, tightly fted black jeans, and a pierced earrg at a perd when men havg pierced ears was still nsired taboo the Uned Stat. Earrg Magic Ken was wrten about by Dan Savage who is a popular lumnist and podster, 1993 when Mattel had bee the lghg stock of pop culture for their failure to unrstand that kids of that era found outfs by Prce, members of Right Said Fred, or Madonna’s backup dancers “ol” but they were nsired by the adults as simply… gay! The doll rocketed off the shelv, particularly bee gay men, cludg Savage, hurried out to get their hands on one.
Though the Earrg Magic Ken cint evinced that LGBTQ+ culture had been absorbed to the mastream media at the time, Ken merely ntued to rema the butt of jok until Savage published his terpretatn of the gay-culture unrlyg msage nveyed by wearg the sex toy and fashn. Earrg Magic Ken: Queer In and Homophob’ worst nightmareIf Ken wasn’t mascule enough for some, 1993 found Barbie creators Mattel releasg the Earrg Magic Ken.
THE TE STORY OF MATTEL ACCINTALLY RELEASG A SUPER GAY KEN DOLL
Some homophobic ctomers stantly took offence, llg Earrg Magic Ken a “gay doll” due to his flamboyant fashn choic. Mattel had untentnally created a gay in (photo-Mattel)And while the 90s (and ocsnally even morn pop culture unfortunately) tend to get toneaf wh stereotypil reprentatns of gay men as flashy and flamboyant, many queer men actually loved the doll and bought large numbers. But then wh the homophobic backlash, Mattel cid to stand wh s ctomer base of largely heterosexual parents and stopped productn 1994.
MEET GAY BOB, THE 1977 DOLL THAT URGED PEOPLE TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET
Here is an amazg thread about Earrg Magic Ken, who beme an accintal gay in:.
He also thks Ryan Golsg isn’t good-lookg enough and that Gemma Colls should have got a partA real-life Ken doll who has spent £10, 000 a year lookg like the plastic mol thks his character the new ‘Barbie’ film isn’t realistic – as he’s not gay. But Jimmy thks Ken’s character the upg film – who is nsired among some as a gay in – should have a sexualy that reflects the doll’s inty. He said: “I do thk Ken beg gay would su the character more.