The Big Flop - Barbie’s Most Embarrassing Fails with Maddie Wiener and Leah Rudick | 81

Episode Date: March 31, 2025

Think you know everything about Barbie? Think again. We're pulling back the pink curtain on three Mattel missteps that had parents lining up for refunds and PR teams working overtime. From pregnant Midge to “gay” Ken, these Barbie blunders had executives screaming ""Oh no!"" instead of ""Oh Barbie!""Maddie Wiener and Leah Rudick join Misha to unbox some of the weirdest Barbie products of all time Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterListen to The Big Flop on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-big-flop/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Attention, all big flop stands. Are you ready to take your love for the big flop to the next level? Well, Wondery Plus is here to make your dreams come true. With ad-free episodes, early access, and exclusive bonus content, you'll be swimming in a sea of content. Your uninterrupted flop fix awaits. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or in Apple podcasts. It may be hard to remember a time when Barbie wasn't everywhere, but did you know there are some Barbie products that Mattel would love for you to forget about. I'm talking toys they pulled off those shelves so fast you'd think they never even existed.

Well, they did exist. And today on The Big Flop, we're looking at Barbies who got disinvited from the Dream House. It's a trio of epic Barbie family fails. Parents were not happy about this doll. A lot of them complained. They said she was inappropriate.

It depicted Barbie as an incompetent computer engineer that needs the help of dudes to kind of figure out things like, I don't know, rebooting her computer. This is the most iconic, if not infamous, Ken of all time. We are on a sinking ship. You just realized your business needed to hire someone, like yesterday. With Indeed, there's no need to stress. You can find amazing candidates fast using Sponsored Jobs. With Sponsored Jobs, your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates,

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wonder ECA. Just go to indeed.com slash wonder ECA right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com slash wonder ECA. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring? Indeed is all you need. From Wondery and Atwill Media, this is The Big Flop, where we chronicle the greatest

flubs, fails, and blunders of all time. I'm your host, Misha Brown, social media's superstar whose legs also look great in a pair of hot pink stilettos at Your Bestie Misha. On our show today, we have a standup comedian and host of the podcasts, Having Gay Sex and Phone is in the Bag, it's Maddie Weiner. Hi, thank you for having me. Yay, so exciting. Also joining us, our returning guest, Eddie Weiner! Hi! Thank you for having me! Yay!

So exciting! Also joining us, our returning guest, she's an actor, comedian, and fellow social media superstar, it's Leah Rudick! Hi Bestie! Hi Bestie! I'm so happy to be back! Yeah, very different topic than Google Glass. Yes, one that I'm very excited about.

Speaking of, for both of you, what's your relationship like with Barbies? Um, a lot of probably complicated gender feelings wrapped up in that if I'm really going to psychoanalyze. Mm-hmm. And then complicated relationship with the Barbie movie, high expectations. The substance was what I wanted Barbie to be. You know what I mean? But I played with them as a kid, but I also like shaved their heads.

You know what I mean? Yeah, I was obsessed with Barbies growing up. Like I played with them until I was like 12 or 13, even like way beyond. And like in secret, like with a lot of shame. In my childhood home, still to this day, I have like Barbie collectibles. Like it's, it's kind of shame. In my childhood home, still to this day, I have Barbie collectibles. It's kind of sick. I was the kind of person that I, when I was little, I definitely tried to play it off like I really liked G.I. Joes, but I was always sneaking into my sister's room and telling

Barbie, you're a boss ass bitch and you don't need a man. I was definitely that kid. Well, today we are talking about Barbie, because Barbie may be one of the biggest brands in the world, especially after the massive success of the movie. But throughout Barbie's history and incredible success, Mattel has gotten themselves into some trouble because of some truly, what were they thinking, design decisions.

And on today's episode, we're talking about three Barbie products that had people lining up outside toy stores to ask for a refund. Up first, we've got Happy Family Midge, better known as Pregnant Midge. So we all know the iconic duo of Barbie and Ken, but did you know that early on they had a third wheel? It was Barbie and Ken and Midge. Did you know about Midge? I remember Midge.

I've actually heard of her. I feel like I had a Midge. Really? I mean, it wasn't just the pregnant one, right? There were other- No, Midge has been around a couple different times. Women are more than motherhood, okay? Yeah, there were other midges.

Also, I feel like I shouldn't say that name. I know, it feels very problematic. It feels like we're saying a slur or something. It sounds like a slur for pregnant women. Honestly, we could make that. We should take back the word midge. I'm nine months midge. All right, well, let's go back to the beginning. When the original

Barbie debuts in 1959, she's an instant hit. That year alone, Mattel sells 300,000 Barbies. And because Barbie is such a huge success, Mattel, of course, decides they need to expand their line of dolls. So in 1961, Barbie gets a boyfriend named Ken. We'll have more on him later. And then in 1963, Barbie gets a BFF. And this bestie is only the third doll to be introduced in the Barbie line, but these days she's almost completely forgotten. Barbie's BFF is Margaret Hadley Sherwood, aka Midge. Yeah, Mattel doesn't just introduce Midge so Barbie has someone else to hang out with when she needs a break from Ken.

Midge is also created because parents are concerned that Barbie is too mature. So as a way to address those complaints, Mattel intentionally designs Midge to be less fashionable. I'm really like, I'm Mitch. Like I understand this woman. It's like tragic. Yeah. One author who wrote a book on Barbie says, Midge was intended to sort of be like a less sexy, more wholesome counterpart. A Barbie historian, very cool job if you can get it, says, people that worked for Mattel felt Barbie might be so glamorous that little girls couldn't identify with her. They wanted to create sort of a

less glamorous friend of Barbie, so they created Midge. Oh, you literally couldn't create one female character because women have to be sexy and approachable and cool but not intimidating. So literally, as soon as you invented a doll, you were like, it has to be two people. Like that should show you how impossible it is to be a woman. They were like, this is like a split personality. Here's the weird thing. Even though they want Midge to be less fashionable, they also want kids to be able to dress Midge up in all of Barbie's clothes.

That means that Mattel gives Midge the exact same body as Barbie. So how can she be less fashionable if she can literally wear all of the same fashion as Barbie? We have to have the non-hot one, but she still has to be hot. Like she still has to fit in all of Barbie's clothes. And let's actually take a look at the first Sears ad for Midge.

That's so insane. What if she had an ugly friend? Here's her friend Gertrude and she watches as she is a model and has a boyfriend and she's just happy to be there. What are you talking about? Poor Midge. Poor Midge. Poor Midge. But she's the same size, luckily. But how would you describe Midge overall in that advert? Sad.

Side character. Just like an empty vessel, yeah. So basically, all Mattel does to make Midge the ugly sidekick is give her freckles, give her red hair with curls on the bottom, and make her eyes slightly farther apart than Barbie's. Jesus Christ. Is this why you invited us on the podcast? Go on YouTube, if you're listening, go on YouTube right now and tell me this isn't

Ken auditioning a new Midge. I'm sorry. Sorry. No, not that we're... But I was like freckles, brown hair. No, we are Midge. I actually take back everything I said about her. She sounds really cool.

And actually she probably has a lot of interesting things to say if you let her, I don't know. I feel like I have this memory of Midge being like this hot, like siren redhead, but maybe it evolved. Yeah, this is the very first Midge. So sadly, Barbie and Midge's friendship, it doesn't last. When Midge hits shelves, the general public thinks that she's a snooze, so Mattel stops producing Midge dolls in 1967.

Surprise, surprise, kids were not excited to buy a doll that was explicitly meant to be a less exciting version than Barbie. Like, I don't know what they were thinking. And what's even worse for Midge is that Barbie doesn't go without a bestie for long. Two years later, in 1969, Midge gets replaced by Barbie's new best friend, PJ, and PJ is even able to talk. And what does she say? Hi, I'm Barbie's best friend, PJ. Ha ha!

Damn, Mattel. That's gold. So let's take a look at PJ, the doll that stole Barbie's friendship from Midge. Oh, boy. Excuse me? That is an aggressive fringe. New and groovy talking PJ.

Yeah, could you describe what she looks like for the listeners? I think the appropriate term now is sex worker. And we love that for her. We do love that for her. I mean, what is the yellow boa and the like turf bangs and then like her face is swollen like an alcoholic. Like every friend that I look back at pictures before they went to AA is what her cheeks are doing. It's kind of impressive they built that into a doll. Yeah.

You know who this reminds me of? It's like Amy Poehler being the cool mom in Mean Girls. Yes. Yeah. That's a good descriptor. Yeah. Who would you rather hang out with? Midge or PJ?

Yeah, I think Midge is more my speed. I'm a board game gal. Yeah, Midge is like book club friend. Oh my God. Is Midge in the closet, gay, in love with Barbie? Oh my gosh. Yeah, they just didn't know. They were like, she's like a girl,

but she's, her fashion is less so, a lesbian. You're describing a lesbian. You're describing like a kind of mask in the closet lesbian. Yes, yeah. But you know, being replaced by PJ isn't Midge's biggest flop. In 2002, Mattel brings Midge back in the Happy Family playset,

and in this playset, she's married to another doll named Alan. So, still real deep in that closet. Does the name Alan ring a bell? Wait, because that's who Michael Cera plays in the movie, right? Yes. Yeah, Fully, Lavender Marriage, Beard. Yes, in the Happy Family play movie, right? Yeah. Fully lavender marriage, beard. Yes. In the Happy Family playset, not only are Midge and Alan married, they have a kid named

Ryan. And most importantly, Midge is also pregnant. Now Mattel's idea is that this pregnant Midge doll can be a kind of learning tool for kids who have a younger sibling on the way. Mattel says pregnant Mge is a wonderful prop for parents to use with their children to role play family situations. Let's take a look at the ad for this new midge.

-♪ Big midge, Ellen Ryan, some baby makes four. Happy family with room for one more. Dr. Robbie on call. It's a girl. God, that makes my skin crawl. The hair is giving tradwife. The whole thing. The outfits are giving tradwife too. But cool that Barbie was a doctor.

Progressive. Yeah, but I mean, like, I feel like there's like an ethics violation being the doctor of your ex best friend. That's true. Also how sad to be, I think at this point we can say it's canon in the closet lesbian, your baby is being delivered by your friend that you're in love with who has a career because she doesn't have a kid. Devastating.

On multiple fronts, devastating. Yeah. Yes. In the early hours of December 4th, 2024, CEO Brian Thompson stepped out onto the streets of Midtown Manhattan. This assailant starts firing at him. And the suspect... He has been identified as Luigi Nicholas Mangione. ...became one of the most divisive figures in modern criminal history.

I was meant to sow terror. He's awoking the people to a true issue. Listen to Law and Crime's Luigi exclusively on Wondery+. You can join Wondery+, the Wondery app, Spotify, or Apple podcasts. Now, we have got to talk about the bonkers design of the doll. Mattel built this midge with a detachable baby bump. Now, we have got to talk about the bonkers design of the doll. Mattel built this midge with a detachable baby bump. That's right.

You can pull her stomach off, pull out the fetus, I mean, baby, and then put that baby right in her arms. You can also put the baby back in her stomach and stick it back on her. You've really got to see it to believe it and we've got a clip of Joey Jorosi of Beauty Inside a Box breaking it down for us. Let's take a look. So I'm just going to lift up her dress and there you can see the pregnant belly. It does look kind of strange. It looks very alien. And what's even more

alien about this whole thing is you can like take the belly off and then you can like put the baby you have to like shove the baby's legs like right up so that it can fit and then you put the baby back inside her. There you go. Completely normal. Nothing strange about that. I mean, this is a horror. This is a horror film. It's so bizarre. It's so scary. But what do you think the folks at Mattel were thinking when they designed this doll? Girls will love it because girls just this is the girls dream right like I

that must have been what they thought. It's funny that you use the word girl because when Happy Family Midge hit stores people get real upset about her but it isn't the creepy design that gets them. What do you think these people are so upset about? Like a sort of encouraging sex? I don't know. So Barbie is a very young woman and Midge was designed to be her younger teenage friend. Oh, it's a teen pregnancy. So people are livid that they think this doll is promoting teenage pregnancy. And they start complaining to toy stores and retailers big time. One angry customer says, it's a bad idea. It promotes teenage pregnancy. What would an eight-year-old or 12-year-old get out of that doll baby? Another says this about Midge,

there's enough teenagers getting pregnant as it is. I think they're glamorizing it and it's horrible. I don't know if little girls necessarily were thinking like, oh, she's 17 and has a baby. You know, she's just thinking, oh, look, it's a mommy doll. Of course. Yeah. But these are also like, the dolls are so sexualized. Yeah, if you're going to be like,

I don't want my daughter emulating Barbie, it's like, why was this the first thing that piqued that concern for you? Right. Keep in mind, this is the early 2000s, the era of 16 and pregnant and teen mom. So teen pregnancy is an especially hot button issue. Yeah, it feels like sort of an obvious thing like that they would have anticipated the backlash.

They probably should have made it a new character that is like 30. I wish they would have designed her so the baby just came out through her vagina. It's C-section Barbie. Oh my gosh. Well, with all of this backlash, retailers were not taking any chances and they ultimately decide to take Happy Family Midge out of their stores. And this happens less than a year after the doll debuted. And while that would be embarrassing enough, the timing couldn't be worse. The doll is pulled right before Christmas,

which I'm sure you're aware is a pretty big time for toy sales. So Mattel is losing out money pretty big time for toy sales. So Mattel is losing out money in a major way. Note, just before we hopped on this recording, I bought a in the box midge, pregnant midge doll. Really? Yeah, I found it on eBay. I bought it. It's coming. Whoa. Was it so expensive? I mean, for a Barbie, yes, but it wasn't like, it wasn't crazy. Where I wasn't spending $5,000 like on Beanie Babies. That would be crazy. Yeah. So, I mean, why do you think Mattel just didn't make Barbie being the one having the baby? Like, it didn't even have to be a new character.

Just could have been, well, Barbie's not married. Moms would have been mad about that too. Yeah. And they're like, she can do anything. She can be an astronaut and a doctor and a chef. And they're like, she can do anything. She can be an astronaut and a doctor and a chef, and they're like, and a mom, and they're like, that's a lot for any woman. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. That's too many.

You're like, yikes, we're really doomed, huh? You really got to pick one. Well, actually, yeah. One long time Mattel designer said, Barbie can never have a baby and she's destined to never get married because that would end the play situation. That's why I'm not going never get married because that would end the play situation. That's why I'm not going to have kids. It would end the play situation. Yeah, that actually really resonates. That's how I feel about it too.

I'm a midget Stan and I can't wait to get my Barbie in the mail. Yeah, midges cool. So on to the next flop, a career crisis. So we all know Barbie has had a ton of different jobs. Maddie was just naming some of them. She's actually had over 250 since she debuted in 1961. Mattel has made rap musician Barbie, paleontologist Barbie, and even Marine Corps Sergeant Barbie. What career would you want to see Barbie try? Oh, I love an MLM Barbie. I love like,

she invites friends over for her jewelry parties and we'll let them leave without buying something. TikTok shot Barbie. Well, in 2010, Mattel introduces Barbie's 126th career. It's Computer Engineer Barbie. Now, this career was chosen by, it's Computer Engineer Barbie. Now this career was chosen by a vote and Computer Engineer won out over architect, environmentalist, news anchor, and surgeon. And people are excited about Computer Engineer Barbie because it's seen as a really positive choice, a way to encourage young girls to explore careers in STEM. Let's take a look at the doll.

Leah, it kind of looks like she's wearing Google Glass. I know. I was going to say, what is on her face? What is attached to those glasses? Is that like a Bluetooth-speak earpiece? She kind of looks like Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds. Yes. Yes, she does.

She's wearing glasses. She's got little Bluetooth headphones in, she's got a book or a laptop, a purse. Yeah, is that, that's a purse or a laptop bag? What's in her other hand? A little hat? Or is that a cell phone? Oh yeah.

What's the pattern on her shirt? Oh, it's like a computer. It's like coding. Yeah, you know how you wear your job on your shirt? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you know how you wear your job on your shirt? Yeah. Yeah. Yep, so... Oh, it's got a little laptop on it. Oh, my God.

How are we feeling about that? That seems like... It seems reasonable. It seems reasonable. I mean, it's better than a fetus. Way better than a fetus. So the doll itself isn't what winds up being the problem, even though it looks like she might be wearing Google Glass. Uh, by the way, don't forget to check out our season one episode

on Google Glass featuring Leah Ruddick. No, what winds up being a big issue is the book written to go with the doll. Oh. The book is called Barbie, I Can Be a Computer Engineer. Uh huh. The book flies under the radar until 2014 when an author and screenwriter named Pamela Ribbon reads it and what she finds in the book makes her mad enough to blog about it. So to give you a little preview of what's in store, the blog post is called Barbie fucks it up again. It's not going to go well for

Barbie. So let's take a look at this book, which starts with a conversation over breakfast between Barbie and her sister Skipper. Maddie, could you read this page of the book in your best storytime voice? Breakfast one morning, Barbie is already hard at work on her laptop. What are you doing, Barbie? Ask Skipper. I'm designing a game that shows kids how computers work, explains Barbie. You can make a robot puppy do cute tricks by matching up colored blocks. So far, how are we feeling about the book?

She's coding, working on a little game. So far, it seems fine. So far, so good. Let's take a look at another page. Leah, could you take over the reading duties? Sure. Your robot puppy is so sweet, says Skipper. Can I play your game?

I'm only creating the design ideas, Barbie says laughing. Oh no. I'll need Steven's and Brian's help to turn it into a real game. Bro! Oh my God. Yeah can we see the direction we're going? Wait that's so insane. It would have been so easy not to fuck it up.

Like, I can't believe it. Also who the heck are Steven and Brian? They're not any... They're not even characters in the world. They're not even characters in the world. They're not even characters in the world. At least ask for Alan. So, yeah, it doesn't make Barbie look like much of a computer engineer if she has to go to two randos named Stephen and Brian for help.

And the book does not improve from there. Barbie's computer gets a virus, and Barbie doesn't even seem to realize what's going on until her little sister explains the situation to her. And guess who winds up having to come to the rescue? Steven and Brian, of course. So, Maddie, could you read this page? It will go faster if Brian and I help, offers Steven. Great, says Barbie.

Stephen, can you hook Skipper's hard drive up to the library's computer? Sure, says Stephen. The library computer has excellent security software to protect it. It'll go faster if you just let us do it. I mean, this feels like the beginning of a porn. So what do we think of these two mansplainers in the book? When have you ever seen an IT department that looked like that? Yes.

Like, if there was ever a time to push body positivity in the Barbie universe, it was the male IT department. You don't get to be like, men are better at computers and also they're hot. That's the trade-off, is when men are better at computers, also they're hot. That's the trade off is when men are better at computers, neck beard. Let's see it. So in her blog post, Pamela writes,

Steven and Brian represent every time I was talked over and interrupted. Every time I didn't post a code solution in a forum because I didn't want to spend the next 72 years defending it. Steven and Brian make more money than I do for doing the same thing. Mm-hmm. So, yeah, how do you feel Mattel execs are feeling after that one?

Well, it seems like they just don't learn their lesson. You know, it just keeps going and going. Well, the Mattel screw-up is about to get an even wider audience because Pamela's blog post, eviscerating this book, goes viral. Getting picked up by outlets like Gizmodo, NPR, and ABC News. So what would you do in this case if this story is blowing up on national news? I mean, rewrite the book. Get a man to rewrite the book. book. Yeah, I mean, they need to figure out something because more and more people hear about this book. And of course, they take to Amazon to share how upset they are about the book's message. So could you two do some back and forth on some dramatic readings of these Amazon reviews? Should we do it angry? Like, how dramatic? Are we going?

Yeah. OK. 100%. I work as a software engineer, which is a male-dominated field. It is exactly these stereotypes and portrayals of girls like the one in this book that are the driving force behind the lack of girls wanting to enter these lucrative technology fields. This book is part of the problem.

This is possibly the most irresponsible children's book ever published. The title really should be, Can I Be a Computer Engineer? And the answer, according to the book, is no! Silly Barbie, take all that hard programming stuff to the boys. It will be faster if they just do it for you. Arrrrg. Yeah, yikes. Over 100 people weigh in on the book's Amazon page. And as you might expect, the book's rating takes a massive nosedive down to a measly one and a half stars. Are there any positive reviews? Yeah. A guy being like, this makes me feel really strong, actually. I actually really liked

it. A girl being like, I can't read, this is probably fine. It's also so crazy that like that means the Mattel executives, like their misogyny is so deep that even with like a huge profit incentive, they were like, I thought women would like this. Like it costs them millions of dollars. So you have to infer that then they were like, we really thought that you guys can't code and this would be cool. You're like, you actually thought that you guys can't code and this would be cool. You're like, you actually thought this.

Yeah. This is just the way it is. Yeah. Well, they weren't the only ones getting it because people don't just vent their frustrations on Amazon. They start to focus on the book's author as well. And she gets a ton of angry emails, which prompts her to apologize, saying she's sorry if she let stereotypes slip into the book. Now, the author.

J.K. Rowling? Is it J.K. Rowling? Allegedly. Allegedly. Allegedly. So yeah, the author, she also points a finger at Mattel, implying that they were the ones responsible for the book's sexist content. She says, I was on a deadline, it's possible stuff slipped out or I quietly abided by Mattel without questioning it. Maybe I should have pushed back and I usually do, but I didn't this time. Well, the heat is really getting turned up for Mattel. And in response, the company offers an apology. They write, we believe girls should be empowered to understand

that anything is possible and believe they live in a world without limits. We apologize that this book didn't reflect that. All Barbie titles moving forward will be written to inspire girls' imaginations and portray an empowered Barbie character. I don't love the use of the word believe and imagination. They're like, if you want to live in a fantasy land where girls are good at computers, we'll lie to you. Yeah. They weren't like women can code.

They were like, if you want to run with this narrative, I guess we'll go with it. It's like not great. That's so true. So, Mattel quickly makes sure that the book is taken out of circulation, but at this point the damage is done. It's a massive embarrassment for Mattel.

They were trying to make a more empowered Barbie, but they did the exact opposite. And instead of finally getting some good press about Barbie and STEM, they wind up reinforcing people's perception that Barbie is totally sexist and Mattel's reputation takes a major hit once again. So, meh. Well, for our final act, as promised, we're talking about Ken. And not just any Ken, Earring Magic Ken.

Excuse me? How can this be a flop? Because this sounds like a miracle. I have to say, this is my favorite story of the three. So as I mentioned, Ken makes his debut in 1961. And just like Barbie, there have been tons of different Ken dolls over the years. He's been everything from a basketball player to a barista, even a saxophone player. But by the early 90s, Ken's popularity is waning enough

for Mattel to conduct a survey asking girls whether they think Barbie should kick him to the curb and get a new man. Ken wins this defacto recall vote, but consider him officially unnoticed. Then, in 1993, Mattel launches a Barbie who wears earrings and also comes with a pair of clip-on earrings that are big enough for a kid to wear, basically letting the doll and the kid be earring buddies. Her name is Earring Magic Barbie. Now Kens are often designed to match whatever Barbie is wearing, and that means that when Mattel introduces Earring Magic Barbie, there's got to be an Earring Magic Ken.

Well, we do have a photo, so let's take a look at Magic Earring Ken. Yo! Yeah, describe Earring Magic Ken's outfit. What's the vibe? The vibe is like, sells ketamine on the Jersey Shore. Like, yes. Like, highest level of spray tan, frosted tips. I don't know what that, like a vinyl vest? Yeah, purple, like leather vest. Yeah.

Fluffy pink undershirt. Mesh, but I think it's mesh. His undershirt is mesh. Oh my gosh, I think you're right. It's mesh. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. How bold of a choice do you think this was at the time? I think it explains why Barbie's not pregnant.

I mean, if they did recall him, somebody wake him back up to tell him that gay marriage is legal now. Please. Revive him. Let's bring him back. to tell him that gay marriage is legal now. Revive him. Please. Please. That is crazy. Yeah. As far as Mattel is concerned, the biggest, boldest choice that they're making is giving Ken an earring. Now, one Mattel exec says, we never would have done this a few years ago, but now you

see more earrings on men. They are more accepted in day-to-day life. We are trying to keep Ken updated. Yeah, it's one earring on the correct ear and he's staring at you at Stonewall. Like, it's, yeah. I didn't even see the earring because there was so much other stuff going on. Yeah. Yeah. Well, this Ken is actually seen as being an even bolder choice than Mattel expected. To some folks, Ken's outfit looks a lot like the kind of outfit gay men at the time would often wear to go clubbing. So as the doll hits shelves, a lot of people start wondering, is Ken coming out of the closet? So little by little, the

press starts to pick up on these questions about Ken's sexuality and starts writing about them. Wait, that's so funny, they put a hinge in the wrist. Yeah. It's so he can take his earrings out. Right, it's just, there's a lot of mechanics to it, you see. So he can work the computers. He's the IT guy. He replaced Steven and Brian.

Yeah, one gay man who gets interviewed for an article about the doll thinks this Ken is definitely gay. He says he can't think of anything else that Ken could be with that lavender mesh shirt and lavender jacket and his earring and that ring he's wearing around his neck. Speaking of the ring around Ken's neck, Ken's necklace, that is what really causes an uproar and winds up sending these rumors into overdrive. The necklace is supposed to be a holder for the clip-on earrings that come with the doll, like for the kid. However, some people think that the necklace looks like a certain type of sex toy that

certain subcultures of gay men have been incorporating into their outfits at the time. Just to spell it out, people are saying that not only is this Ken gay, he's also accessorizing with a cock ring necklace. I love, I'm imagining like a closeted dad with his wife and his kid gets this and he's like, he's clearly gay. And they're like, why do you say that? And he's like, because that's a cock ring

and it's big in the gay community. And they're like, why do you know that? Like you can't, everything about what makes him gay is so specific that you can't say it or you're showing like how tapped in you are. I was going to make a joke that, oh, what do they think it's that? And they really thought it was that? Yeah.

That's wild. That's so funny. It's a circle. It's like a Rorschach test to prove that you're gay. If you see a circle and you're like, that's to go around a gay man's penis to make, like you're adding so much to that. This doll ruined so many marriages. Absolutely.

Yeah, the story of Earring Magic Ken and his possibly explicit necklace fully blows up. When Dan Savage writes an article about it in the Chicago Reader, Mattel is usually very tight lipped when it comes to PR problems, at least until they have to apologize. But at this point, Mattel has no choice but to send an exec to comment on the rumors. And that Mattel exec says, yes, you got us. That is a cock ring. I'm just totally kidding. Could you imagine? No, what really happens is exactly what you expect. Mattel completely denies that there's anything to this interpretation of Earring Magic can. In the interview with Dan, the Mattel exec saysies that there's anything to this interpretation of Earring Magic Ken. In the interview with Dan, the Mattel exec says,

Absolutely not. It's a necklace. It holds charms he can share with Barbie. Come on, this is a doll designed for little girls. Something like that would be entirely inappropriate. Okay, Queen. Dan's take on Earring Magic Ken is that the doll is a sign queer culture is becoming more mainstream. Mattel's designers saw these types of clothes and dressed Ken up in them without having any idea about their cultural associations. And he writes, queer imagery has so permeated our culture that mainstream America isn't

even aware when it's adopting queer fashions and more. Well, I'm also like, who do you think designs the Ken dolls? Is it a straight guy? Designing a boy doll? Like, you know what I mean? Right. So despite this, there are still rumors that Mattel knew exactly what they were doing when they designed Earring Magic Ken. A former Mattel employee has reported hearing one of Earring Magic Ken's designers say, they will turn Ken gay with this doll. I mean, 100%. It's like 100% they knew, right? Or it was like one gay guy in the office that designed it and he was like, I know, but the

straight guys who work here do not know. And so I'm going to tell them it's a necklace for charms. And then he snuck it in knowing that that's what he was doing, which kind of is like baller. You know how straight men are always wearing those necklaces to keep their charms on? Yeah, it's still gay. It's still so gay. It's the same as a cock ring. Like what?

Practically. Yeah, he's not gay. It's a necklace for his earrings. What? In the end, Earring Magic Ken only lasted six months on shelves, ending his run the same year he debuted. But here's what's strange about the fact

that Earing Magic Ken didn't last. Before it was polled, the doll actually became quite popular with gay men. One Toy Store manager says, I've heard that a lot of gay men are buying Earing Magic Ken across the country, especially in Chicago and New York. It's tracks.

And Mattel is aware that this is going on. They even comment on the trend, though a Mattel exec goes way out of their way to avoid saying the word gay when they talk about it. This exec just says, if there are other people who enjoy our product, of course we're pleased. Other people. He would crush today. He would crush it. Bring him back. He would slay today. Sliving. He would be sliving, as they say. Yeah. And it's also like you took him off the shelves and you're like,

congrats, Mattel, you did it. Now little gay boys have no interest in Barbie. Good job. Yeah, Mattel really shot themselves in the foot with this one. By taking the doll off the shelves, they missed out on the chance to make some real money off of some customers who were very excited about the doll. And not only that, they also missed out on an opportunity to potentially turn this into a really significant moment. So why not just say, yes, this Ken is gay and proud. But by running in the complete opposite direction, they wound up with nothing, making it a double flop. So here on the big flop,

we try to be positive people and end on a high. So are there any silver linings that you can think of that came about from these three particular Mattel Barbie Flops? I mean, the cock ring is pretty fun. It's comedy gold for sure. I'm really going to stretch with this. Silver lining by them cutting out like, I mean, all the marginal, it was just pregnant women, smart women and gay men. But now, as members of those groups,

we don't get objectified because we were too out there for them to even make a doll of us. Hey. All right, I followed it. I followed it. We got there. I like that. That's great. So now that you've both heard about all three Barbie family flops, Happy Family Midge, the doll that must have seriously confused a whole generation of children

about how pregnancy even works, Computer Engineer Barbie, who got upstaged by two dudes named Steven and Brian in her own book, and Earing Magic Ken, the accidental, or maybe not so accidental, gay icon, which would you say is the biggest flop? I think Computer Barbie. I think Computer Barbie also. Yeah, because that one was so close.

It was so easy. It was such an easy one not to mess up. Yeah. I agree. Okay. Also important question. Which of those three would you want to own and play with? Ken. Easy. Next question.

Oh my God. That Ken doll is huge for bisexual girls who date guys who don't know they're a little gay. And those girls are me. Give me the doll. Oh, that's amazing. I would 100% get the pregnant doll just because it's so weird. Like, it's so fun and weird. I might go on eBay after this. Well, despite a couple of dolls that Mattel would prefer to keep in the attic, Mattel

has held onto major success for decades and Barbie remains a culture icon. Thank you so much to our Barbie girls, Maddie Weiner and Leah Rudick, for joining us here on The Big Flop. And of course, thanks to all of you for listening and watching. If you're enjoying the show, please leave us a rating and review. And if you're joining us on YouTube, please like and subscribe. We'll be back next week with another flop. Remember the 2015 Fantastic Four with Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller?

No? Well, we'll find out how a young hotshot director made the superhero movie into a super letdown. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at wondery.com slash survey. The Big Flop is a production of Wondery and AtWill Media

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