Greta Gerwig's Barbie

Literally his only skill is Beach.

That's hilarious.

But it's also tragic.

A microcosm of the film's portrayal of Ken-hood as a whole.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Sep 12th 2023 at 6:23:00 AM

That he also learns men can have whatever they want for the most part in the real world while he's been delegated to just trying to get Barbie's attention all the time plays into that as well. By the end of the movie, they’re both still trying to figure themselves out and it's unbelievably mature. I really like that and thought it was effective.

There's a good argument that it is a Hard Truth Aesop that even guys who are supportive and nurturing boyfriends may find out it's just not gonna work and you should just end it.

I'm sure there's someone out there (Beyond Barbieland) who Ken would be better for and would appreciate his beach bum lifestyle.

Yeah. Definitely realistic that while she's deciding to learn to be human, Ken's learning to have his own independence and make his own life in which he can get his act together and find happiness and success for himself.

and yeah i kinda wish we got a hint at what ken would really be good at (horse-carer, probably, which is doubly funny because i know a big part of barbie merch was the horse girl stuff) but it makes sense in the end - he has to find out who he is and it is the start of his journey

maybe the Ken movie Mattel found in their archives when the patriarchy happens is about that...

i really liked the subversion with the Big Damn Kiss both times, even though i saw it coming a mile away. ken punishing himself helps but i think Jackass made me realise why i like seeing men hurt themselves : ^ )

anyone else been having the Depression Barbie skit live in their heads rent-free

(replace Pride and Prejudice with Kung Fu Hustle for me. i should watch Pride and Prejudice)

Edited by MsOranjeDiscoDancer on Sep 13th 2023 at 8:01:44 AM

I also like the fact the Godfather is the "most stereotypically male" movie to contrast to P&P for women.

It's less "stereotypically male" and more "this is the kind of movie film bros want to talk at you about."

There's a whole list of film bro movies (the Godfather, Taxi Driver, Fight Club and American Psycho are on it) and it is horrible to deal with film bros who only want to talk about stuff like that.

Amusingly, though, two other movies mention the Godfather as the "ultimate male movie."

Well, one other movie and one TV show.

• You've got Mail
• White Lotus Season 2

That The Godfather is considered the ultimate "stereotypically male" and Fast and the Furious isn't baffles me.

Last weekend I went to a film museum with my parents, we saw an exhibit for The Godfather, and Dad sat there for hours watching the same clip show over and over while Mom and I checked out all the other exhibits.

So yeah, I can see it.

I would tell you to sit your father down for Fate of the Furious, but I don't know his temperment.

So if The Godfather is the ultimate stereotypically male movie, is Barbie or Wonder Woman a stereotypically female movie? Thelma and Louise?

Pride and Prejudice as pointed out by Barbie movie itself.

:)

But they're actually decent movies to compare as rather than boy's or girl's movies (like Fast and Furious), they're movies about navigating society's gender expectations. Michael is meant to take over for his father and deal with things like brotherhood, vengeance, providing for the family, and legacy while unwittingly alienating most of the people in hi life on a personal level. Pride and Prejudice is about a woman struggling with the same expectations of her gender, class differences, marriage, and maintaining one's own agency in the face of them.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Sep 13th 2023 at 5:48:56 AM

That it shows how deep-seated insecurities are a human thing and not just a man and woman thing is also very important. Don't build up men while breaking down women and don't do the reverse of that either. Even though I like Charlie's Angels 2019, it's too hardcore with its overall feminist aspects and this found the perfect balance of definitely being a feminist property while also appealing far more on a wider scale too.

Someone on YT calling this movie trash? You don't know what real TRASH is!

So apparently they’re gonna submit this film to the oscars. Gosling is going for best supporting actor.

Definitely see that. America Ferrara is getting strong buzz for Dumb Money and her role here is definitely gonna help that too. I see two song nominations at best coming its way as well with one for I'm Just Ken and the other for either Dance the Night or What Was I Made For?.

I think he's the favorite to win too as strange as that sounds. Then again, maybe it's not that strange actually.

This thread picked up expected steam. Then again, that's how the threads work in general I suppose. Sometimes a trickle after a period of nothing and then sometimes a burst.

Edited by futuremoviewriter on Sep 14th 2023 at 10:27:03 AM

I'm not surprised. It's the biggest movie of the year.

Can't wait to see it get snubbed from receiving any awards except maybe Gosling.

One of those songs is probably getting it (though probably not Dance the Night as good as it is). Diane Warren however got three soundtrack songs so far this year and any one of them could easily be the pick for her 15th overall competitive nomination—and all three are good ones too.

Edited by futuremoviewriter on Sep 14th 2023 at 8:41:03 AM

Looks like an 'alternate' edit of the movie is making the rounds on places like reddit, resulting in mass downvotes and locked threads. It's called the "Family Cut", it doesn't entirely succeed at sanitizing the movie's more adult content though, (the cops creeping on Barbie is still in there for instance), and it just seems an excuse to downplay all the feminine messaging, it removes all mention of 'patriarchy' from Ken's conversations and other scenes (which only makes the takeover of Barbieland more d*ckheadish) Barbie's two motivational conversations with her creator are cut entirely, the Mattel board don't go to Barbieland, and the film ends with an A.I voice clone of Margot saying she loves Ken while not resisting his attempts to woo her

I didn't used to believe male fragility was as big an issue as it is.

But apparently I was a moron.

Because there are people this threatened by a BARBIE movie having a feminist message.

Really? Just really?

That's legitimately horrible. While the movie has mature themes and I wouldn't recommend it to small children (the discussion about the sexualization of women for instance) it's still a pretty safe movie for the family, and that doesn't badmouth men either. That whole cut is just an excuse for misogyny. It reminds me of a cut some people did of Avengers: Endgame a while back in which they cut all scenes with women being prominent, which just made the movie nonsensical.

Is this like that "de-feminized" cut of The Last Jedi?

@Zarius Oh no…

Funny how the "Family Cut" probably makes the movie even less for kids. Heck, I think despite the adult elements of the actual movie, kids can probably still watch it. Makes me think of how the PG-13-rated Addams Family movies had a lot of adult stuff in them and yet kids—like my brother and I back in the late 90s/early 2000s—still watched them despite that.

Edited by futuremoviewriter on Sep 18th 2023 at 9:00:23 AM

It mostly sounds like it'd be really confusing to most people trying to watch it.