Yes, I’m totally watching the Barbie movie when it comes out. But I’m going to read this piece in Esquire again first. A deep dive into the terrible wrong that has been done to a good man who only ever wanted to be a good, anatomically correct boyfriend.
Poor Ken.
In popular culture, Ken has become a by-word for pathetic, self-denying masculinity; the archetype of a submissive, passive, henpecked milksop, who exists only to hold his girlfriend’s handbag and be gently ridiculed (the memes that followed the poster’s release ran the tagline under photographs of Lady Diana and Prince Charles; Zendaya and Tom Holland; Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly). Sometimes not even gently: in Toy Story 3, Ken’s most high-profile cinematic role to date, in which he attempts to assert himself by joining forces with an evil teddy bear, he suffers the indignity of being dressed down by a root vegetable: “You ascot-wearing pink-noser! You’re not a toy, you’re an accessory! You’re a purse with legs!” says Mr Potato Head (himself a bowler-hat-wearing tuber, with legs). But while we can all say we know Ken, do we know him?
The link is Apple News only, soz. But God, it’s worth a read if you’re subscribed - if only for “Kenaissance”.
From the trailer it looks like a lot of fun
I've been talked into seeing this. Speaking for a friend.
Hannah McCann a Senior Lecturer in Cultural Studies at the University of Melbourne has a really good piece on the significance of the Barbie movie on her website BinaryThis. https://binarythis.com/2023/04/06/bimbo-feminism-why-im-excited-about-the-barbie-movie/
There must be a deepness somewhere in this movie that we can't comprehend at present.
Does this mean that Ferrell will have to be the CEO for all toy franchise movies from now until eternity? Not complaining, just find it funny.
I wonder if they have used the 90s Aqua song in the soundtrack (earwurm alert).