Barbie. A style icon created by Mattel. Everyone knows who she is. With hundreds of variations what version of her what is the most popular? Although, popularity is subjective and changes moment to moment. Rather, let’s rephrase the question to ask; what’s the highest-grossing Barbie doll in Mattel’s history? Oddly enough, it wasn’t Barbie herself. It was Magic Earring Ken—widely considered the gayest Ken ever made.

Now, let’s rewind. Ken dolls were never as popular as Barbie. In an effort to boost sales, Mattel conducted a thorough survey of five-year-old girls. The question? Should Barbie dump Ken? The girls said no—but agreed Ken needed to look cooler, like he actually belonged on Barbie’s arm. He just needed an update in style.

So, what did Mattel do? Like any group of clueless straight men in the pre-internet 90s, they ventured into raves to see what the “cool guys” were wearing. These raves were, of course, predominantly attended by gay men. Unbeknownst to them the Mattel designers took inspiration from queer club fashion; a tight purple mesh shirt, chrome jewelry, and—here’s the kicker—a circular necklace that many adults instantly recognized as a cock ring.

Yes, they sewed one onto his shirt, too. Subtle. Maybe not.

Five-year-old’s obviously didn’t understand the coded language of queer fashion, or the subversion of traditional masculinity. Neither, apparently, did the Mattel designers—or maybe they did and just wanted to see what they could get away with.

Regardless, Magic Earring Ken became an overnight sensation. Gay men rushed to stores, buying up the doll in droves—finally, a Ken who looked like them. But backlash quickly followed. Parents weren’t thrilled about the sex toy accessories. Just six weeks after his release, Magic Earring Ken was pulled from shelves and returned to the (Mattel) closet, never to be seen again… except on eBay, where he now fetches a pretty penny.

There’s a poetic ending to this bizarre tale: whenever someone at Mattel looks at the sales records, they’re reminded that the best-selling Ken of all time is Magic Earring Ken—the flamboyant, rave-inspired, misunderstood queer icon. Rather than there heteronormative over-sexualized Barbie doll.