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Everyone who got to hit the cinema over the last couple of days are still catching their breath after one of the biggest double bills in recent years. And no matter how great Greta Gerwig’s bubblegum comedy or Christopher Nolan’s dark second world war period piece was, it was Barbie's hunky male sidekick Ken, played by the one and only Ryan Gosling, who stole cinemagoers' hearts. 

Besides a plethora of rave tweets by fans praising the actor's ability to instill life in a character made out of plastic that you can see for yourself down below, this 42-year-old two-time Oscar nominee also got his fair share of acclaim from the critics. Vanity Fair, for example, called Gosling's Ken "his best work yet." While British GQ affirmed the praise by saying, "He should honestly be nominated for an Oscar." 

Greta Gerwig, the Oscar-nominated actor-turned-director, has achieved a historic milestone with "Barbie," as it raked in a remarkable $377 million during its opening weekend worldwide. This impressive figure cements its position as the highest-grossing debut ever for a movie directed by a woman, which definitely plays surprisingly well with the female-empowerment theme of her bubbly hit.

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However, as we've learned by now, smashing success can't come without its share of naysayers. Although Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is yet to receive them, Gerwig's Barbie, which saw cinemagoers flocking to their nearest theaters in pink, has already received quite a few loud 'anti-men' and 'woke' accusations.

Ben Shapiro, a conservative political commentator and internet personality, for example, recorded a 43-minute video showcasing his protest against the blockbuster by burning Barbie dolls, after calling it "one of the most woke movies" he has ever watched. Since the time it was released on July 22, Shapiro's "review" has garnered almost 1.6 million views on YouTube.

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Human Events editor and alt-right political activist Jack Posobiec also didn't hold out from voicing his upset over Barbie. "They teach Barbie fans about rising up against 'the patriarchy,' and Ken is portrayed as beta and borderline retarded. It’s a horrorshow," Posobiec wrote in his tweet.

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Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, is the most recent addition to the list of those who have expressed their objections to the feminist reimagining of the iconic doll. In his post last night, Musk tweeted, "It [sic] you take a shot every time Barbie mentions the word 'patriarchy,' you'll pass out before the movie ends."

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And yet, almost as if suspecting the hate comments, the director of Barbie had this to say about the film's feminism-empowerment themes: ‘It most certainly is a feminist film. But it’s feminist in a way that includes everyone; it’s a ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ version of it," Gerwig confidently conveyed to ABC in an interview.

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For those who can only take a hard guess where all of these woke accusations are coming from, here's a bit of context. In the film, Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, doesn’t have a real job or home or purpose outside of Barbie. Although, he's good at, well, looking dreamy while standing on the beach. Here, in the women-run Barbieland, Kens have as much purpose as gynecologists.

But all that quickly changes after Gosling's Ken discovers that power dynamics are the complete opposite in the real world. You know, all the patriarchy and whatnot. And thus, after he decides to bring his real-world epiphanies into the feminist utopia that is Barbieland, Greta Gerwig starts to flex her screenwriting skills on a story which hits all the right marks.

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Lakota Wolf (she/her)
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They have GOT to come out with movie-versions of Ken and Barbie, right? Basically Kens and Barbies based on Gosling and Robbie? ...I hate to be cynical, but I can't see Mattel passing up THAT marketing/profit opportunity XD

Denise B.
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The official movie dolls are available. I just bought pink-checkered-dress Barbie and open-shirt-and-shorts Ken. Amazon.

Amazon QT
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Does this poster want it the LIFE SIZE Ken doll? Is the real question!!!

Kylie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If only they'd bring out the Ken doll in the full Kendom getup, faux mink and all.

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