Kendom Come!!!
Dissecting The Mad Power Trip of Barbie's Disposable Companion
By Brandon Porter
Individuality is at the heart of our development as humans. It helps us craft an identity that allows us to set ourselves apart from others. But what happens when our individuality is robbed or sacrificed for the sake of someone else’s happiness? The question is complex in a multitude of ways. In Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, released this past weekend, the question is brought up in addition to many others and has sparked strong conversation among those who have seen the film. While the movie has garnered strong praise for the uplifting messaging regarding female empowerment, it has also drawn predictably strong criticism from those on the opposite side of the political and gender spectrum for its portrayal of men within the narrative. Knowing how much I want to avoid that emotionally draining minefield of online baggage, I wanted to use this Porter report to dissect some of the messaging layers within the film via the lens of one of the film’s standout characters, Ryan Gosling’s Ken. His arc is full of hilarious hijinks but it also raises some interesting questions about what happens when the person with no power gains some. Spoilers will be present in this post so be warned if you haven’t seen the film.
In Barbieland, all Barbies have incredible agency and power within their society. They are doctors, lawyers, award-winning authors, astronauts, scientists, and even Presidents. In Barbieland, you can be whatever you want to be and have a strong sense of individuality and purpose. However, this rule only applies to the Barbies. The same cannot be said if you are a Ken. For Kens, their entire existence is as an optional accessory. Their purpose and validation only come from being noticed or accepted by Barbie. The hope that Barbie smiling at them and acknowledging they exist is the sole purpose for their living. She doesn’t need them around all the time if at all. She never says that Ken is her boyfriend or if she’s his girlfriend. She has the power to cut Ken out of activities, vehicles, and places if she doesn’t want him there. For Ken, you are just..well..there. The life of Gosling’s Ken revolves around being noticed by Barbie. A desperate puppy always vying for her attention and wanting to be accepted as a worthy partner. Competing with other Kens for Barbie’s love. Ken loves the idea of being with Barbie but because Barbies have all the power, she has the control and more than likely, denies him his desires. When Ken asks to spend the night, Margot Robbie’s Barbie firmly shoots down his request in favor of a sleepover with the other Barbies, aka girl's night, and also reminds him that it is BARBIE’s dreamhouse. He gracefully accepts this while still bringing up that it’s girl’s night every night. When Barbie goes into her house, he’s left alone and forced to leave somewhat defeated but hopeful that next time his “girl” will make time for him. Through the smile, there is a bubbling resentment that has been festering within him that doesn’t begin to manifest until later in the film.
Though played for laughs, Ken’s time in the real world has given him something he’s never had before. A sense of self-worth and importance. Here, people talk to him, treat him with respect, validate his feelings, and treat him like a person as opposed to a disposable accessory. He is caught off guard by the woman who asks him for the time because nobody else cares about Ken’s thoughts or asks Ken for anything. As I said before, this is played mostly for laughs, but there is something sad within this character’s revelation. We all know how destructive not being seen as a person can be for women but rarely do we see that same sympathy being shown toward men. Objectification and dismissing someone because of their supposed unimportance is bad on either side of the gender line. It’s just the negative effects that it has on women sometimes get more attention and sympathy than it does on men. Just look at how people view men’s mental health and expression of self as opposed to women’s. It’s a night and day difference. Men get dismissed or vilified for expressing themselves causing men to either suppress or kill their individuality for fear of being bullied by other men or even by women. This could lead to severe depression that also be seen as a sign of weakness causing more severe stages of mentally destructive occupancies. While the real world is seen as cold and hostile by Barbie, Barbieland is actually no different. It’s just that the problematic elements are conveniently covered by the non-threatening aura of pink and Barbie variants with individuality and agency.
Ken has always felt like the optional outcast. That line reveals that even when it didn't look like Barbie's brush-offs bothered him, they deep down truly did. He now has the ability to take the wheel and craft a world where he matters. In a sense, Barbie is responsible for the tyrannical rise of Ken. Something she doesn't realize until it's too late. For this character, having the chance to matter to someone or just to matter at all is all he ever wanted. It's actually spelled out in the lyrics of his solo: "I'm just Ken, Anywhere else, I'd be a ten."
Regardless of what gender you are, living for the approval of someone else is never healthy. It will only lead you to a path of low self-esteem, depression, mental destruction, and in some cases, harm to yourself or others. Be sure to live for yourself and know that you can are not defined by other people's opinions of you. You are loved, you matter, you are Kenough!!!
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