Tag Archives: barbie

Ken’s a Ten!

robbie and gerwig
Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig – Getty

The Barbie (2023) movie took last summer by storm and earned an astonishing $1.446 million worldwide at the box office, making it the highest-grossing film of 2023 and the 14th highest-grossing film of all time. I wouldn’t think director Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie who produced and starred in the movie would be unhappy about a thing.

But they are.

First of all, Ken’s (Ryan Gosling) song “I’m Just Ken” won Best Song at the Critics Choice Awards…but Eilish and Finneas’ song “What Was I Made For?” didn’t. It did win the the Best Original Song at the Golden Globes. I guess that wasn’t enough because the fans of the movie didn’t want Ken to win anything at all.

In fact, ‘I’m Just Ken’ Booed During Oscars Nomination Announcement. The latter probably had something to do with Greta Gerwig not receiving a nomination for a Best Director and Margot Robbie not receiving a nomination for Best Actress for “Barbie”.

“Barbie” did get nominated for Best Picture, and America Ferrera was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, but get this. Ryan Gosling was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the film (who would have been nominated for Best Actor for “Barbie”, but maybe because it’s “Barbie”, there is no “Best Actor,” only sloppy seconds).

Continue reading Ken’s a Ten!

Defining Men, Part One: Looking Through the Barbie Lens

barbie
Scene from the movie “Barbie” (2023)

By now I’m sure you have all heard of, if not seen (perhaps multiple times) the Barbie (2023) movie starring (and produced by) Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Depending on who you talk to, it’s either “the most subversive blockbuster of the 21st century” (Rolling Stone magazine) or “Just a doll movie” (Whoopi Goldberg).

According to Chloe Laws in her Glamor magazine article Barbie is an extremely ‘pro-men’ film – and yes, men are still mad about it, alternately titled “Barbie isn’t Anti-Men (I Wish It Were):”

Women are often accused of being ‘overly’ sensitive. We’re told we need to stop taking things so seriously. May I direct your attention to the men getting unreasonably upset at Greta Gerwig’s film Barbie?

Depending on whose review you read/watch, it is either a fabulous movie (having recently beaten The Dark Knight as Warner Bros. biggest ever domestic box office blockbuster) or really awful (Conservative pundit Ben Shapiro spends 42 minutes tearing it to shreds on YouTube).

I’ve never seen the movie, and unless my eight-year-old granddaughter begs me to view it with her, I have no motivation to go. After all, I’m nearly seventy and a guy. Why would I want to see it?

Continue reading Defining Men, Part One: Looking Through the Barbie Lens