The Case Against a Ken Spin-Off from the New Barbie Movie
No, personally, I thought the Barbie movie was so stupid. It wasn’t even funny! I did not see it and don’t ever plan to! But then again, I am almost 70 years old. I was one of the lucky ones who got one of the first Barbies made back in 1959. Two years later, I got the first Barbie dream house made out of cardboard that’s folded up flat when you were done playing with it. I don’t have the dream house anymore but I do have one of my original Barbies in the black and white bathing suit! At one point, I had all the Barbies, all the Kensing, original Midge, and Barbies little sister—all of it. Most of those I gave to my daughter when she was little to play with. She still has them tucked away in the trunk I use to keep them in.
Public Perception and Criticism
Most who claim they want a “Ken” spin-off movie really missed the whole message of Beach Ken the Kendom and the Barbie movie in general. Which isn’t a surprise because Mattel saw how well the Barbie movie did and wants to make other “nostalgic” toy movies for the Magic 8 Ball, UNO, and Polly Pocket while missing what exactly made the Barbie Movie so subversive. But really, it is also not surprising that a movie made by women about women and for women does well and suddenly “Let’s do the same thing but male focused” is the response instead of the studios/segments of the audience realizing that part of the success was because it was targeted towards a widely ignored and disregarded segment of the population, women.
Subversion and Empowerment
I’m not knocking Gerwig’s brilliant directing or Gosling’s acting. They really created some fantastic moments in the movie. The humor and heart of many scenes are what made the movie so well received and successful. Of course, some totally missed that in their focus on Gosling’s Ken and missed some of the more subtle messages. I also don’t think most who are pushing for a Ken spin-off realize it would most likely take place in Barbie Land. Ken had no desire to live in the real world as a human in the movie. Which could hint that a spin-off would be all about the Kens learning to exist and gain equality in the matriarchal Barbie Land at the same pace women receive equality in the Real World.
Backlash and Confirmation Bias
Considering the bunched-up tighty-whitey tantrums so many had about how men/Ken were portrayed in the Barbie Movie, there would probably be a triple serving of those tantrums if the Ken Movie went that route. I don’t see many embracing a movie about Ken’s journey to equality in a society the trials and tribulations, etc., the way they did Barbie’s journey to self-realization and choice. No matter how brilliantly written, directed, and acted the movie was if it was as subversive as the Barbie Movie was but focused on Ken/men, the backlash and outrage would be overwhelming. Especially since it would involve the men/Ken being shown as having to learn how to function as individual adults not reliant on the Barbies for their basic existence and learning how to be individual adults.
Alternative Expectations
Is there really the audience that wants to see a subversive comedy focused on Ken that highlights all women in the real world had to go through to gain any semblance of equality? Or is the clamor for a Ken Spin-off just people wanting an “Animal House” type movie with Gosling’s Ken in the Mojo Dojo Casa House? It seems the latter is more likely, as the latter would align more with traditional gender roles and the male-centric narrative that Hollywood is often criticized for.
Ultimately, the success of the Barbie movie lies in its ability to subvert societal norms and provide a space for women to see themselves represented in a positive light. A Ken spin-off, if done well, could achieve similar success, but the focus must be on subversion and empowerment. Otherwise, it risks alienating the very audience it hopes to reach and reinforcing the status quo.