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Consumer reception
[td][/td] [td]== Consumer reception ==[/td]
[td]== Consumer reception ==[/td] [td][[Kitsch]]-minded gay men responded to this press by buying the doll in record numbers, making Earring Magic Ken the best-selling Ken model in Mattel's history.<ref name=":11">{{cite news |last=Melendez |first=Mel |title=Show Me Your Billy |work=Prism |date=Fall 1997 |url=http://www.journalism.sfsu.edu/www/pubs/prism/oct97/P1.Billy.html |access-date=2007-12-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/1998022...m.sfsu.edu/www/pubs/prism/oct97/P1.Billy.html |archive-date=February 20, 1998 }}</ref> The doll debuted in stores for around {{Inflation|US|11|1993|r=2|cursign=$|orig=yes|fmt=eq}} and had completely sold out by the Christmas season, largely due to gay men buying the doll in droves.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Beck |first1=Jef |title=The Man Behind The Doll presents Earring Magic Ken |url=http://www.manbehindthedoll.com/mbtd_earring.htm |website=www.manbehindthedoll.com}}</ref> Due to high demand, Chicago's [[FAO Schwarz] created a wait list, and, allegedly, some shops in San Francisco began to sell Earring Magic Ken for prices ranging between {{Inflation|US|17|1993|r=2|cursign=$|orig=yes|fmt=eq}} to {{Inflation|US|24|1993|r=2|cursign=$|orig=yes|fmt=eq}}.<ref name=":0" /> (The latter claim was disputed in the Bay Area Reporter in October 1993 by the general manager of San Francisco FAO Schwarz.<ref name=":7" /> According to him, only a few gay men were coming into his store, and Earring Magic Ken was selling better in New York and Chicago than San Francisco.)<ref name=":7" /> Earring Magic Ken was also popular with gay men in the United Kingdom, and sold well at the toy shop [[Hamleys]] in 1993.<ref>Robinson, Nigel. "Beyond our Ken?" ''The Pink Paper,'' Aug 20 1993, p. 26. ''ProQuest.'' Web. 25 Apr. 2023 .</ref> Toy scalper Mr. Barger told the ''Wall Street Journal'' in 1996 that Earring Magic Ken was so popular that he was able to re-sell him to specialty shops at premium prices.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Journal |first1=Joseph PereiraStaff Reporter of The Wall Street |title=Toy Scalpers Buy Scarce Items, Then Resell Them at a Profit |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB835566746105679000 |work=Wall Street Journal |date=24 June 1996}}</ref> Richard Roeper, writing for the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times|Chicago Sun Times]]'', referred to him as "The [[Cabbage Patch Kids|Cabbage Patch Doll]] of the summer of '93."<ref>Roeper, Richard. "New Ken Doll Big Hit with the Guys, Too: [LATE SPORTS FINAL Edition]." ''Chicago Sun - Times,'' Aug 03 1993, p. 11. ''ProQuest.'' Web. 25 Apr. 2023 .</ref>[/td]
[td][[Kitsch]]-minded gay men responded to this press by buying the doll in record numbers, making Earring Magic Ken the best-selling Ken model in Mattel's history.<ref name=":11">{{cite news |last=Melendez |first=Mel |title=Show Me Your Billy |work=Prism |date=Fall 1997 |url=http://www.journalism.sfsu.edu/www/pubs/prism/oct97/P1.Billy.html |access-date=2007-12-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/1998022...m.sfsu.edu/www/pubs/prism/oct97/P1.Billy.html |archive-date=February 20, 1998 }}</ref> The doll debuted in stores for around {{Inflation|US|11|1993|r=2|cursign=$|orig=yes|fmt=eq}} and had completely sold out by the Christmas season, largely due to gay men buying the doll in droves.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Beck |first1=Jef |title=The Man Behind The Doll presents Earring Magic Ken |url=http://www.manbehindthedoll.com/mbtd_earring.htm |website=www.manbehindthedoll.com}}</ref> Due to high demand, Chicago's FAO Schwarz created a wait list, and, allegedly, some shops in San Francisco began to sell Earring Magic Ken for prices ranging between {{Inflation|US|17|1993|r=2|cursign=$|orig=yes|fmt=eq}} to {{Inflation|US|24|1993|r=2|cursign=$|orig=yes|fmt=eq}}.<ref name=":0" /> (The latter claim was disputed in the Bay Area Reporter in October 1993 by the general manager of San Francisco FAO Schwarz.<ref name=":7" /> According to him, only a few gay men were coming into his store, and Earring Magic Ken was selling better in New York and Chicago than San Francisco.)<ref name=":7" /> Earring Magic Ken was also popular with gay men in the United Kingdom, and sold well at the toy shop [[Hamleys]] in 1993.<ref>Robinson, Nigel. "Beyond our Ken?" ''The Pink Paper,'' Aug 20 1993, p. 26. ''ProQuest.'' Web. 25 Apr. 2023 .</ref> Toy scalper Mr. Barger told the ''Wall Street Journal'' in 1996 that Earring Magic Ken was so popular that he was able to re-sell him to specialty shops at premium prices.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Journal |first1=Joseph PereiraStaff Reporter of The Wall Street |title=Toy Scalpers Buy Scarce Items, Then Resell Them at a Profit |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB835566746105679000 |work=Wall Street Journal |date=24 June 1996}}</ref> Richard Roeper, writing for the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times|Chicago Sun Times]]'', referred to him as "The [[Cabbage Patch Kids|Cabbage Patch Doll]] of the summer of '93."<ref>Roeper, Richard. "New Ken Doll Big Hit with the Guys, Too: [LATE SPORTS FINAL Edition]." ''Chicago Sun - Times,'' Aug 03 1993, p. 11. ''ProQuest.'' Web. 25 Apr. 2023 .</ref>[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]A major appeal of the doll for many gay men was that Mattel did not market it to them on purpose.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Kirchner |first=Paul |title=Forgotten fads and fabulous flops : an amazing collection of goofy stuff that seemed like a good idea at the time |date=1995 |publisher=General Pub. Group |isbn=1-881649-44-X |location=Los Angeles |oclc=32168091}}</ref> [[Rick Garcia (activist)|Rick Garcia]], director of Chicago's Catholic Advocates for Lesbian and Gay Rights, told ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' magazine in 1993 that the stereotypical dress was funny to him because he believed it was an accident, and that it would have offended him if it was purposeful.<ref name=":8" /> In 1993, many newspapers interviewed individual gay men in California to understand the phenomenon. A San Francisco resident described Earring Magic Ken as, "a pariah setting foot in one of America's sanctuaries."<ref name=":9" /> Another California resident, Bill Harley, described Earring Magic Ken as, "A campy, funny thing to have."<ref>Clough, eter. "DAILY PLANET: [FINAL EDITION]." ''The Province,'' Oct 19 1993, p. B3. ''ProQuest.'' Web. 26 Apr. 2023 .</ref> Laguna Beach resident Keith Clark-Epley had more reservations about the toy, saying that, "It's an uptight heterosexual male doll following gay fashion and who is still behind the times," and believed that calling the doll gay could potentially reinforce negative stereotypes about gay people.<ref>Brodeur, Nicole. "Gays Say Earring on Ken Makes Him a Doll for them: [FINAL Edition]." ''The Sun,'' Oct 21 1993, p. 6E. ''ProQuest.'' Web. 26 Apr. 2023 .</ref>[/td]
[td]A major appeal of the doll for many gay men was that Mattel did not market it to them on purpose.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Kirchner |first=Paul |title=Forgotten fads and fabulous flops : an amazing collection of goofy stuff that seemed like a good idea at the time |date=1995 |publisher=General Pub. Group |isbn=1-881649-44-X |location=Los Angeles |oclc=32168091}}</ref> [[Rick Garcia (activist)|Rick Garcia]], director of Chicago's Catholic Advocates for Lesbian and Gay Rights, told ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' magazine in 1993 that the stereotypical dress was funny to him because he believed it was an accident, and that it would have offended him if it was purposeful.<ref name=":8" /> In 1993, many newspapers interviewed individual gay men in California to understand the phenomenon. A San Francisco resident described Earring Magic Ken as, "a pariah setting foot in one of America's sanctuaries."<ref name=":9" /> Another California resident, Bill Harley, described Earring Magic Ken as, "A campy, funny thing to have."<ref>Clough, eter. "DAILY PLANET: [FINAL EDITION]." ''The Province,'' Oct 19 1993, p. B3. ''ProQuest.'' Web. 26 Apr. 2023 .</ref> Laguna Beach resident Keith Clark-Epley had more reservations about the toy, saying that, "It's an uptight heterosexual male doll following gay fashion and who is still behind the times," and believed that calling the doll gay could potentially reinforce negative stereotypes about gay people.<ref>Brodeur, Nicole. "Gays Say Earring on Ken Makes Him a Doll for them: [FINAL Edition]." ''The Sun,'' Oct 21 1993, p. 6E. ''ProQuest.'' Web. 26 Apr. 2023 .</ref>[/td]
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[td][/td]Revision as of 14:19, 2 September 2025
[/td][td][/td] [td]== Consumer reception ==[/td]
[td]== Consumer reception ==[/td] [td][[Kitsch]]-minded gay men responded to this press by buying the doll in record numbers, making Earring Magic Ken the best-selling Ken model in Mattel's history.<ref name=":11">{{cite news |last=Melendez |first=Mel |title=Show Me Your Billy |work=Prism |date=Fall 1997 |url=http://www.journalism.sfsu.edu/www/pubs/prism/oct97/P1.Billy.html |access-date=2007-12-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/1998022...m.sfsu.edu/www/pubs/prism/oct97/P1.Billy.html |archive-date=February 20, 1998 }}</ref> The doll debuted in stores for around {{Inflation|US|11|1993|r=2|cursign=$|orig=yes|fmt=eq}} and had completely sold out by the Christmas season, largely due to gay men buying the doll in droves.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Beck |first1=Jef |title=The Man Behind The Doll presents Earring Magic Ken |url=http://www.manbehindthedoll.com/mbtd_earring.htm |website=www.manbehindthedoll.com}}</ref> Due to high demand, Chicago's [[FAO Schwarz] created a wait list, and, allegedly, some shops in San Francisco began to sell Earring Magic Ken for prices ranging between {{Inflation|US|17|1993|r=2|cursign=$|orig=yes|fmt=eq}} to {{Inflation|US|24|1993|r=2|cursign=$|orig=yes|fmt=eq}}.<ref name=":0" /> (The latter claim was disputed in the Bay Area Reporter in October 1993 by the general manager of San Francisco FAO Schwarz.<ref name=":7" /> According to him, only a few gay men were coming into his store, and Earring Magic Ken was selling better in New York and Chicago than San Francisco.)<ref name=":7" /> Earring Magic Ken was also popular with gay men in the United Kingdom, and sold well at the toy shop [[Hamleys]] in 1993.<ref>Robinson, Nigel. "Beyond our Ken?" ''The Pink Paper,'' Aug 20 1993, p. 26. ''ProQuest.'' Web. 25 Apr. 2023 .</ref> Toy scalper Mr. Barger told the ''Wall Street Journal'' in 1996 that Earring Magic Ken was so popular that he was able to re-sell him to specialty shops at premium prices.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Journal |first1=Joseph PereiraStaff Reporter of The Wall Street |title=Toy Scalpers Buy Scarce Items, Then Resell Them at a Profit |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB835566746105679000 |work=Wall Street Journal |date=24 June 1996}}</ref> Richard Roeper, writing for the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times|Chicago Sun Times]]'', referred to him as "The [[Cabbage Patch Kids|Cabbage Patch Doll]] of the summer of '93."<ref>Roeper, Richard. "New Ken Doll Big Hit with the Guys, Too: [LATE SPORTS FINAL Edition]." ''Chicago Sun - Times,'' Aug 03 1993, p. 11. ''ProQuest.'' Web. 25 Apr. 2023 .</ref>[/td]
[td][[Kitsch]]-minded gay men responded to this press by buying the doll in record numbers, making Earring Magic Ken the best-selling Ken model in Mattel's history.<ref name=":11">{{cite news |last=Melendez |first=Mel |title=Show Me Your Billy |work=Prism |date=Fall 1997 |url=http://www.journalism.sfsu.edu/www/pubs/prism/oct97/P1.Billy.html |access-date=2007-12-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/1998022...m.sfsu.edu/www/pubs/prism/oct97/P1.Billy.html |archive-date=February 20, 1998 }}</ref> The doll debuted in stores for around {{Inflation|US|11|1993|r=2|cursign=$|orig=yes|fmt=eq}} and had completely sold out by the Christmas season, largely due to gay men buying the doll in droves.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Beck |first1=Jef |title=The Man Behind The Doll presents Earring Magic Ken |url=http://www.manbehindthedoll.com/mbtd_earring.htm |website=www.manbehindthedoll.com}}</ref> Due to high demand, Chicago's FAO Schwarz created a wait list, and, allegedly, some shops in San Francisco began to sell Earring Magic Ken for prices ranging between {{Inflation|US|17|1993|r=2|cursign=$|orig=yes|fmt=eq}} to {{Inflation|US|24|1993|r=2|cursign=$|orig=yes|fmt=eq}}.<ref name=":0" /> (The latter claim was disputed in the Bay Area Reporter in October 1993 by the general manager of San Francisco FAO Schwarz.<ref name=":7" /> According to him, only a few gay men were coming into his store, and Earring Magic Ken was selling better in New York and Chicago than San Francisco.)<ref name=":7" /> Earring Magic Ken was also popular with gay men in the United Kingdom, and sold well at the toy shop [[Hamleys]] in 1993.<ref>Robinson, Nigel. "Beyond our Ken?" ''The Pink Paper,'' Aug 20 1993, p. 26. ''ProQuest.'' Web. 25 Apr. 2023 .</ref> Toy scalper Mr. Barger told the ''Wall Street Journal'' in 1996 that Earring Magic Ken was so popular that he was able to re-sell him to specialty shops at premium prices.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Journal |first1=Joseph PereiraStaff Reporter of The Wall Street |title=Toy Scalpers Buy Scarce Items, Then Resell Them at a Profit |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB835566746105679000 |work=Wall Street Journal |date=24 June 1996}}</ref> Richard Roeper, writing for the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times|Chicago Sun Times]]'', referred to him as "The [[Cabbage Patch Kids|Cabbage Patch Doll]] of the summer of '93."<ref>Roeper, Richard. "New Ken Doll Big Hit with the Guys, Too: [LATE SPORTS FINAL Edition]." ''Chicago Sun - Times,'' Aug 03 1993, p. 11. ''ProQuest.'' Web. 25 Apr. 2023 .</ref>[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]A major appeal of the doll for many gay men was that Mattel did not market it to them on purpose.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Kirchner |first=Paul |title=Forgotten fads and fabulous flops : an amazing collection of goofy stuff that seemed like a good idea at the time |date=1995 |publisher=General Pub. Group |isbn=1-881649-44-X |location=Los Angeles |oclc=32168091}}</ref> [[Rick Garcia (activist)|Rick Garcia]], director of Chicago's Catholic Advocates for Lesbian and Gay Rights, told ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' magazine in 1993 that the stereotypical dress was funny to him because he believed it was an accident, and that it would have offended him if it was purposeful.<ref name=":8" /> In 1993, many newspapers interviewed individual gay men in California to understand the phenomenon. A San Francisco resident described Earring Magic Ken as, "a pariah setting foot in one of America's sanctuaries."<ref name=":9" /> Another California resident, Bill Harley, described Earring Magic Ken as, "A campy, funny thing to have."<ref>Clough, eter. "DAILY PLANET: [FINAL EDITION]." ''The Province,'' Oct 19 1993, p. B3. ''ProQuest.'' Web. 26 Apr. 2023 .</ref> Laguna Beach resident Keith Clark-Epley had more reservations about the toy, saying that, "It's an uptight heterosexual male doll following gay fashion and who is still behind the times," and believed that calling the doll gay could potentially reinforce negative stereotypes about gay people.<ref>Brodeur, Nicole. "Gays Say Earring on Ken Makes Him a Doll for them: [FINAL Edition]." ''The Sun,'' Oct 21 1993, p. 6E. ''ProQuest.'' Web. 26 Apr. 2023 .</ref>[/td]
[td]A major appeal of the doll for many gay men was that Mattel did not market it to them on purpose.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Kirchner |first=Paul |title=Forgotten fads and fabulous flops : an amazing collection of goofy stuff that seemed like a good idea at the time |date=1995 |publisher=General Pub. Group |isbn=1-881649-44-X |location=Los Angeles |oclc=32168091}}</ref> [[Rick Garcia (activist)|Rick Garcia]], director of Chicago's Catholic Advocates for Lesbian and Gay Rights, told ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' magazine in 1993 that the stereotypical dress was funny to him because he believed it was an accident, and that it would have offended him if it was purposeful.<ref name=":8" /> In 1993, many newspapers interviewed individual gay men in California to understand the phenomenon. A San Francisco resident described Earring Magic Ken as, "a pariah setting foot in one of America's sanctuaries."<ref name=":9" /> Another California resident, Bill Harley, described Earring Magic Ken as, "A campy, funny thing to have."<ref>Clough, eter. "DAILY PLANET: [FINAL EDITION]." ''The Province,'' Oct 19 1993, p. B3. ''ProQuest.'' Web. 26 Apr. 2023 .</ref> Laguna Beach resident Keith Clark-Epley had more reservations about the toy, saying that, "It's an uptight heterosexual male doll following gay fashion and who is still behind the times," and believed that calling the doll gay could potentially reinforce negative stereotypes about gay people.<ref>Brodeur, Nicole. "Gays Say Earring on Ken Makes Him a Doll for them: [FINAL Edition]." ''The Sun,'' Oct 21 1993, p. 6E. ''ProQuest.'' Web. 26 Apr. 2023 .</ref>[/td]
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