The Magic Earring Ken Doll is a special edition doll created by Mattel in 1992. This doll was a variation of the original Ken Doll, but with an added twist. It came with a magic earring that could change colors with the swipe of a special wand. The doll itself featured Ken in his signature blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in fashionable clothes. However, what set this doll apart was the earring. The earring was a small plastic hoop that could be worn on Ken's left ear.
Tanner was only on the market for a year before being recalled, from 2006-07. As it turns out, the tiny plastic pieces of poop and the magnet in his pooper scooper were deemed possible choking hazards. (Also, maybe, just a little bit weird?) He was ultimately replaced in the Barbie canon by Taffy, another yellow lab.
He makes an appearance in Weird Barbie s house alongside his queer-coded counterpart from Palm Springs, and is played in the movie by English actor Tom Stourton. However, it wasn t quite enough to sway anyone, and the doll was ultimately discontinued -- but he makes a fun, if defensive, appearance in the Barbie movie, played by Welsh actor Rob Brydon.
The earring was a small plastic hoop that could be worn on Ken's left ear. It was designed to change color when the wand was waved over it. The wand was a small, handheld device that emitted a beam of light when activated.
Introducing Earring Magic Ken! He’s wearing a what as a necklace?
Last month, after a week of bidding I acquired one Earring Magic Ken doll. Mattel’s best selling Ken doll.
I know what you might be thinking. Thomas you are an adult, why on earth are you buying a Ken doll? And moreover why is that relevant to your blog?
Disregarding the fact, that I still have several Barbies from when I was a young lass. Earring Magic Ken is special, because he was inadvertently designed off of queer rave fashion of the early 1990s. Specifically, he’s wearing a cock ring as a necklace, which was a known queer fashion statement at the time.
Earring Magic Ken
After reaching out to their audience of young children Mattel learned they would like a new Ken doll to be cooler and more hip. So they went out looking for what was cool and as it happened the queer fashion worming its way into the mainstream was what they picked up as cool. Columnist Dan Savage wrote an article in 1993, the year the doll came out, detailing a really excellent explanation of what was going on. I would highly recommend it as reading for anyone interested in learning more.
“Cock rings exploded (ouch!)—as vest zipper pulls, as key rings, as bracelets; rubber ones, leather ones, chain ones. But the thick chrome variety, the Classic Coke of cock rings, was and is most often worn as a pendant,” (Savage).
In 2017, Savage said in an article by Bryan Young, that he thought the “Earring Magic Ken incident [was] more of an amusing cultural blip than some kind of important moment, noting that neither the doll nor the hubbub is well-known today,” and that he didn’t think that a gay man under 40 would know about it. Well, it’s 2019 and I’m 25, so here we are.
Now I’m a queer historian so I am well aware that I’m an outlier here, because I seek out this kind of stuff. However, I discovered Earring Magic Ken through a decently popular post on Tumblr. A post which currently has over 270,000 notes. That’s no small amount of people and I’m sure many of them, like myself, are on the younger side of things. With projects like Making Queer History and books like “Queer, There and Everywhere” emerging, younger members of the LGBTQ community are getting more and more access to their history. As a result, fascinating tidbits like Earring Magic Ken are resurfacing.
The Tumblr post does admittedly have some misinformation attached to it. There’s a reblog that says that there was no corresponding Barbie for Earring Magic Ken. There were two actually, a blonde and a brunette Barbie as well as a Midge doll, they just didn’t sell particularly well opposite Ken, who flew off the shelves.
Below, I have linked two different iterations of the Tumblr post, as well as a link to the Dan Savage article, the Bryan Young article and a few others.
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Ultimately, Savage thinks the Earring Magic Ken incident is more of an amusing cultural blip than some kind of important moment, noting that neither the doll nor the hubbub is well-known today. "I don't think a gay man under 40 would even know what we we're talking about," he said.
By swiping the wand over the earring, it would change color, transforming from one color to another. The earring had a few different color options, including pink, purple, and blue. The Magic Earring Ken Doll aimed to introduce an element of magic and interactivity to the doll play experience. With the earring and wand, children could pretend that Ken had magical powers and create fun stories and scenarios. It was a way to add an extra level of imagination and creativity to playing with the doll. Although the Magic Earring Ken Doll was a novelty item, it captured the attention of many collectors and fans of the Ken Doll line. It was a unique addition to the existing range of Ken Dolls available at the time. Overall, the Magic Earring Ken Doll was a creative spin on the traditional Ken Doll, bringing an element of magic and color-changing fun to the playtime experience. It was a beloved toy for many and remains a sought-after collector's item to this day..
Reviews for "The Magic Earring Ken Doll: Collecting and Preserving the Legacy"
1. Emma - 2 out of 5 stars
I was really disappointed with the Magic Earring Ken Doll. First of all, the earring is made of cheap plastic and looks like it could break any minute. Secondly, the doll's hair is poorly styled and looks unrealistic - it's not even close to the hairstyle advertised on the box. Finally, the doll's outfit is really tacky and doesn't look like anything a well-dressed person would wear. Overall, this doll is a big letdown and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a quality toy.
2. Mike - 1 out of 5 stars
The Magic Earring Ken Doll is a complete waste of money. The earring is supposed to light up, but it's so dim that you can barely see it. The doll itself feels very flimsy and cheaply made - the limbs are loose and easily detached. Additionally, the clothing is poorly designed and doesn't fit properly, making the doll look ridiculous. Save your money and invest in a better-quality doll that your child will actually enjoy playing with.
3. Laura - 2 out of 5 stars
I purchased the Magic Earring Ken Doll for my niece, but she was easily disappointed with it. The doll's earring doesn't light up consistently and requires you to press it really hard for it to work, which can be frustrating for a child. Furthermore, the doll's hair doesn't look like the picture on the box and the styling is poorly done. The outfit is nothing special and lacks the attention to detail. Overall, this doll didn't live up to our expectations and I wouldn't recommend it.