Mattel debuted this doll in 1993, after surveying a focus group of five-year-old girls who expressed that they wanted Ken to have a “cooler” look. That’s how we ended up with a Ken doll who has a single pierced ear, a purple mesh top, a leathery vest, and, crucially, a silver chain around his neck attached to a circular object that looks an awful lot like a cock ring. Although Mattel ardently denied that that was what the necklace was meant to be, columnist Dan Savage wrote for the Chicago Reader at the time that the cock ring was the queer accessory de rigueur for everyone, including lesbians.
Although Earring Magic Ken was only available on shelves for six months, it is reportedly the best selling Ken doll ever made — and frankly, if Mattel brought him back, we’d take five.
Barbie’s “Love Wins” photoshoot
In 2017, Barbie posed on Instagram wearing a “Love Wins” T-shirt alongside a doll inspired by fashion blogger Aimee Song. In a caption to the post, Barbiel nodded to the fact that Song’s t-shirts benefit “different causes and non-profits.” Half of the proceeds from her “Love Wins” shirt went to the Trevor Project, according to her blog. “Such an inspiring initiative and fabulous few days I have spent with Aimee, she’s a doll!” Barbie wrote.
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In 2021, Twitter users rediscovered the photo and cited it as empirical evidence that Barbie has a girlfriend. In a since-deleted tweet, Song herself said, “I am the girlfriend,” according to Teen Vogue. Song also told Teen Vogue that she wanted to use the opportunity to have a doll modelled after her to represent Asians, align with her core values, and inspire children.
“When I submitted the Love Wins T-shirt as my clothing option, they were completely on board with this decision, and I had never felt so proud and inspired to continue influencing what values we look up to and idolize,” Song told the publication. “To see the doll trending on Twitter now, and in such a positive, normalized way, is just a reaffirmation of all the work and progress we’ve made for the LGBTQ+ community.”
Mattel’s gender-neutral dolls
Mattel released its first line of gender-neutral dolls, dubbed Creatable World, in 2019. Unlike Barbie and Ken, the dolls don’t have curves or muscles, and each comes with short hair, a longer wig, and variously gendered clothes and accessories. A video spot for the dolls shows kids of all genders playing with them as a narrator says, “In our world, dolls are as limitless as the kids who play with them.” The innovative line was “designed to keep labels out and invite everyone in.”