Was Ken a Victim? - Therapist Reacts!
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Join psychotherapist Georgia Dow as she delves into the captivating character of Ken in the Barbie universe, unraveling a transformational journey of self-discovery. In this insightful video, Georgia explores Ken's experience of wielding power, the challenges it presents, and the ultimate realization that true self-love comes from within, independent of external influences. Discover the psychology behind Ken's evolution and the profound lessons he learns about identity and acceptance. Don't miss this thought-provoking exploration that delves into the complexities of power, self-worth, and authentic self-love in the world of Barbie.
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Those three watches that Ken wears because someone asked him the time just... that really kind of hit me in the feels.
yes so true .... how much it meant to him
reminded me of Dobby and his socks
@@ZoraXire Right, that's it. Right in the feels!
I didn’t really noticed it too much the first time when I saw the movie (the cinema was so crowded and everyone was talking). But I just rewatched it with my aunt and we laughed so much at that scene.
I love how the film brings attention to the watches without outright pointing them out.
Ken discovering that the patriarchy is not about horses will always be one of my favorite parts.
The fact that everyone in Barbie world seemed better off when the Kens were allowed to have actual value and respect speaks volumes of what a feminist agenda driven world would actually be like.
@@CdrChaoswow…you know, I actually find it quite impressive how one can completely misinterpret the meaning of a movie. Crazy mental gymnastics here, congrats
@@f-4815nah he's obviously right, this is one of those times where satire fails and the joke is more attractive then the alternative presented
@johnmattison1209
Bro crying from his gamer chair
@@artorhen gamers are the most oppressed peoples. Gamers rise up against the Matriarchy!
I found it endearing how he kept coming back to horses. The boy just wanted to be cool and be around horses.
Doesn't everyone want to be around horses? I kinda low key think the movie was making a case that the Barbie World needs horses. Just swap out patriarchy for horses and you've fixed everything.
@@rottensquid Yes, Barbie World needs horses, and more pets in general.
@@rottensquidGive him a horse and he can ride into thesunset all by himself and still not be lonely.
I found Ken's existence very dark and horrifying. The movie opens with the narrator telling us how perfect everything is for Barbie, and that "every single day is a great day for Barbie". Then the narrator says "However, Ken only has a great day whenever Barbie is looking at him", to which it cuts to Ken trying to wave to Barbie trying to get her attention.
In that world, Ken just exists to be Barbie's boyfriend, to be her accessory. He has no will or dreams of his own, he just exists to try to please her from afar, whenever she can be bothered to pay him attention. The narrator makes it clear he feels really bad all the time, except the few seconds at a time that Barbie is talking to him.
By the end of the movie all the dolls gets a chance to break free and discover who they can be on their own, of course. But he was literally created for the sole purpose of trying to get her attention. That was his entire being, and the purpose for which the company willed him into existence. For decades, or however long they've existed in Barbieland, he has never had any other actual friends, never interacted much with anyone else (except the toxic rivalry with other Kens), he has only been doing Beach until Barbie shows up there every day, in her otherwise busy life among her hundreds of friends. The Kens clearly aren't respected or held in high regards in Barbieland, as seen when he's surprised someone is actually talking to him and asking him a question in the real world.
This movie is supposed to be empowering, but I felt so bad for Ken who had been living that nightmare for so long. He never had a choice. Until the end of the movie, when essentially Barbie forces him to move on and discover himself.
You can obviously draw many parallels to our world, and relationships between humans, and find personalities similar to Ken's, with people in situations similar to his. But contrary to real people, Ken never had a choice. He was literally created as an accessory. In his own words, "There is no 'Ken'. There's only ever 'Barbie & Ken'".
I agree that it is horrifying and very sad. I would add that it's not only intended to be empowering, I think that part is just at the end, I think the majority of the movie is also a very blatant denounce about women situation in many periods of time and places. Not always, not everywhere, not every woman, for sure. But yes for many.
But Alan was created to be Ken’s best friend, and the Kens don’t acknowledge him at all.
@@gurun8071 Ken has two gripes. One is that Barbie doesn't love him. That doesn't get swept under the rug. He can't make her love him, and no one is entitled to someone else's love. That was made clear, so it was totally addressed.
His other gripe is that the Kens don't get respect, because in Barbieland only the Barbies have real jobs. (They aren't really real jobs, of course, just titles.) When President Barbie is offered the chance to put things back exactly the way they were, she decides that the Kens should have some of the jobs. So that's not swept under the rug either. The narrator even says that someday the Kens will have just as much power as women have in the real world. What could be more fair than that?
They didn't address the Kens' supposed homelessness, but the Kens never brought that up. I suppose they could build tenements, move the Kens there, and that problem would be solved instantly.
Yeah this movie really slaps you in the face with depictions of oppression that had me biting my pillow in stress for like 70% of the film.
@@riverstein7251yeah, tbh the way the Kens were treated throughout the movie reminds me of how women as a whole get treated in a lot of different time periods, countries and settings.
When Ken said “you respect me” to the teacher, that is way sadder than it seems. It implies that he had never been respected before. They also brought up in the movie but didn’t answer was where do the Ken’s live? That’s what unsettled me about the movie. It felt like it was selling equality and more about oppressing someone else
They are homeless because Ken's are just accessories for barbies
@@AdrianFlipflop Yes, but there's another layer to it. The Kens had no homes because the MEN in the boardroom made it that way. There's even an incredibly meta dimension to it because Greta and Ryan went to Mattel and asked if it would be okay to make t-shirts (like, "I am Kenough") for the cast and crew and they said they didn't want Barbie on the t-shirts but they could do anything they wanted with Ken. I think the board rep said, "Oh yeah, Ken doesn't matter".
@@psychedelicpegasus7587girls toy focused on the girls aspect, how suprising
@@saltedcaramel88 CHILDREN, not women. So, you're blaming little girls for the stuff that is marketed to them by ADULT professional marketers? That's really weird, you know that right? When I was a little girl I wanted to play with my cousin's TMNT figurines and The Real Ghostbusters toys. I had a Barbie lunchbox (that I didn't choose btw) so I got some cheap Turtles transfers and stuck them all over it. Do you know why I couldn't have the toys I wanted? Because they weren't "girl's toys" in the girl's aisle. My cousin showed an interest in my mermaid dolls and it was worse for him because it was considered shameful for a boy to play with "girl's toys" and his parents definitely shamed him. Do you know who bullied me for playing with "boys" toys? Boys AND girls in my class. Why? Because of the marketing teams full of adults at these companies who went to UNIVERSITY to study how to manipulate consumers. It's their job. They put these categories in so they can sell more product. They manipulate parents, children and other adults, but only the kids have an excuse. I think it is morally reprehensible to advertise to children anyway.
@@psychedelicpegasus7587 when talking about toy mainly for girls, "what about the boys tho?". when it's the opposite it's crickets
I really liked how they added male perspective too. Women are not inferior men but men shouldn’t be considered inferior to women either. Ken is actually one of the best written characters ive seen in a movie. He was surprisingly deep , and Ryan Gosling was perfect for the role.
agreed
@Ana-hb3ih women complain about men not protecting an providing but at the same time want to complain about the "patriarchy". You don't even know what that word means
4 REPLIES
@@BluEx22329 k.
@@BluEx22329patriarchy is when a society is almost completely controlled by men, the United States is not a patriarchal society as women are in many government positions that make big decisions such as the senate, men and women are in very important roles in the government. A matriarchal society is when the government is controlled almost entirely by women in which most older societies such as tribes and such are matriarchies. The separation of government by gender is not something I believe should be a thing though and I am a male
Barbie doesn't have to be with ken, but being respectful would have gone a long way.
16:46 you can tell despite doing this all in an attempt to be recognized and form his own identity away from Barbie (and too sorta get back at her for not giving him attention) there’s still that hint of desire for her attention.
Ken wants someone to see him as a person and he wanted that specifically from Barbie, he was hurt and angry that she never returned his feelings and wanted to get back at her.
“Ken is me.”
The shock in his voice when he realized this all I needed to know. It is the answer to “I’m just Ken.” The Kens likely haven’t had a secure sense of self this entire time, seeming to view it more as a title than who they are. So the realization that “Ken is me” is like finally finding their name for the first time in decades. They are people; they are Ken. They aren’t a title or a job or an object. They are Ken.
Compare this to when they were arrested and he listed his name as “and Ken”. Him realizing HE is Ken is everything he needed
And Barbie helped him realize that he is enough. The sincere thank you he gives her as a send off is beautiful to me.
The whole movie ultimately gets deep into existential questions of identity. Ken defined himself as Barbie's boyfriend, instead of just himself. And obviously, the Barbie World was set up to feed him that identity. But in the end, it was always his choice. Just like it was Barbie's choice to be human rather than a toy, to be the thinking rather than the idea. I think everyone goes through that, some kind of realization, conscious or unconscious, that who they are is their choice, not an extension of the world they live in, of the identity handed to them by that world.
I don't understand this abstract idea of being your name. what does it mean?
@@toitman2 My interpretation is that they functioned as if Ken was a title. Like an accessory to Barbie, like a car or a purse. A Ken. And the realization they had was that they are Ken like how she is Barbie. It’s not a role or a title, it’s who they are. That they have an identify of their own desperate Freon Barbie.
So for me it was that Kens found the bringing they were looking for by realizing their worth and reclaiming their name. And the companionship they felt was missing and that only Barbie could fill could be filled with friendship from their fellow Kens.
Anywhere else he'd be a 10.
They are kenough
To use Ken as a springboard for discussions on the male identity, identity crisis, healthy masculinity, and patriarchy is absolutely brilliant. This whole movie is a masterclass in subverting expectations.
very nice he was very interesting as a char
I agree! I enjoy when characters and themes can be a springboard to important and/or informative conversations
Yes, that was exactly the intent of the film!
Masculinity is always healthy. Toxic masculinity doesn't exist, toxic BEHAVIOR does. We dont call women "toxic femininity" ever..whys that
That you've just turned your argument in to an 'us vs them' statement disproves your point. There IS toxic behavior specifically relating to women. You're not paying attention to that because it doesn't directly affect you.@@BluEx22329
I love Ken's character and relate to him on a lot of levels. In college, I fell in love with a girl that didn't love me back and it's the hardest thing to deal with when hanging out with someone makes you so happy and they don't feel the same way with you, especially when you haven't learned to respect your own needs and wants. The way Ken took over Barbie's things isn't right, but the way Barbie was treating Ken was pretty bad, IMO. Ken's lashing out isn't excusable, but it's very understandable
You can't force yourself to love somebody.
@@GangstaStan010I don't think he minded that Barbie didn't love him, he just wanted her respect
He wanted somebody to care about and that's different from love. Everyone deserves to be cared for.
I don’t really think he really loved her but he was completely dependent on her for validation. I think Barbieland is just a satirical flip of the real world. When women didn’t have any rights, they were completely dependent on men which led to codependency in relationships.
Ken did nothing wrong
That outfitis perfect. You really know how to express your "Kenergy." Also, "I'm Just Ken" is seriously one of the best songs to come out this year. I love how he decided that he's okay with being the sodekick of his own story. Sometimes that's all you need.
I think that this movie can also start a conversation about how some attitudes and actions are not only personal (like Barbie putting boundaries about not wanting Ken to spend the night in her house) but also societal, like there not being a house for the Kens in the first place, and the overall wrongness of gender disparity in Barbieland. That's why is so importat to be critical about our own biases and privileges.
If the gender roles were reversed and a girl was going through what Ken went through, it would be seen as a feminist awakening. But some people just see it as Ken changing for the worse. The movie made a beautiful point that putting one gender over the other is bad no matter what. Both Barbie and Ken’s journey was beautiful.❤
Yet drop the ball at the end when the status quo returns where Barbie's have all the power, but Ken's now have LITTLE autonomy as president Barbie basically spells it out.
The maker certainly wasn't trying to make that point XD
@ARuiz-eu3hk Change doesn’t happen overnight. And true equality is impossible to achieve. The best we can do is fight the power to make it as equal as we can. At least Barbieland is taking steps in the right direction.
@@ARuiz-eu3hk it's meant to reflect the real world where men have most of the power and women only have a little-- and remember the real world is the whole world and not just USA. In Barbieland and the real world we need to work towards equality for everyone, there is no quick fix and "we ended sexism!".
Girls having toys that let them be doctors, astronauts, presidents, etc. Can help reinforce the idea that women can do those jobs, which is very important when they don't see it around them. Similarly it's important for boys to see that they can also be teachers, nurses or stay at home dads-- that it's okay to cry and be emotional.
If they had just let Barbies and Kens be equal in the end it would have sent a message of this is easy to fix, and unfortunately it hasn't been. We have more work to do.
@@colleenodriscoll8914 its not impossible its just improbable in todays world
He’s literally me
In all seriousness. The male loneliness epidemic is real. And should be talked about
"Why fix it when you can profit it"
-Capitalist (most likely)
@@curiouswind9196being lonely is actually antirevolutionary so bro has to go to the gulag now.
@@DwynTwoif a single tweet made you write off the wellbeing off an entire group of people I just don’t think you were a very empathetic person to begin with.
@@DwynTwo someone's lonely, yikes.
@@Muggins1046this!
Ken made me cry more than the monologue about how women are tired. And I'm a woman lol
I think it’s understandable because Ken has a deeply personal, emotional hurt. Women dealing with the patriarchy can have similar hurt but it’s just a different feeling. Ken felt worthless and unloved and disrespected by everyone. That’s such a hopeless feeling. The patriarchy doesn’t hurt my feelings it just pisses me off.
Because you're far smarter than the average Barbie viewer, or the director.
To be fair the monologue felt a bit forced
@@lilscenechick1995What is the patriarchy? We are a representative republic with women making a majority of the voting block, a class which also has more access to education and make a majority of consumer spending and debt. Honestly, we go out of our way to include women with quotas and safe spaces like exclusive restroom and sports. We are absolutely far form a patriarchal system, for the most part, nobody has any responsibility outside what they expect. The biggest driver is consumerism, which women dictate more then men. Even legally we are not patriarchal, due to women serving substantially less time for the same crimes as men, female pedos are essentially ignored. I’m genuinely confused, not trying to be rude. Nobody explains this too me outside of individual sexist behavior someone’s dealt with, but that’s definitely not systematic or governmental in any manner. The only really debatable thing I’ve notice was the abortion debate, which also goes into the deep concepts of life and spirituality.
@@L16htW4rr10r Yeah, it's also predictable and too much tell than show. Ken's speech, on the other hand, talks less but with such visual richness.
Here's a weird take noone will agree with - flat, superficial, pointless, jobless, talentless Ken is the only doll who evolved himself beyond doll-hood on his own. We meet him having strong human feelings of jealousy, love, longing, insecurity etc. All the other dolls are happy happy. Today's the best day yesterday was the best day tomorrow is the best day and on and on until forever! Even Weird Barbie, although smart and a little cynical, lives with the Discontinueds and is always smiling. When the quest begins, it's because Barbie thinks the word "death", but it is thrust on her from the outside, from the real world. She knew it wasn't her stealing, the Barbies knew it wasn't her feeling and Weird Barbie knew it wasn't her feeling, because the Barbies' feelings are only happy. Ken was made like the rest but became the only one that self-evolved beyond Matell's intent. Because he was given the job of consort but was always irrelevant to barbie, the feelings went a little dark. Like when Data first got the emotion chip and his feelings were torture. I'm telling myself this is what Greta was thinking when she wrote this weird loser character, he was actually the doll pioneer. Barbie didn't feel anything real until she got to the real world, But Ken - although he may not have had all the genitals, had all the feelings from the beginning.
(Hard to explain what I mean and, it took WAY too many words trying.) And yes, I know it is only a movie about dolls. TH-cam is like a Literary Criticism class, where you dissect the novels that aren't real life either.
So Ken is the actual protagonist of the film.
Okay but this whole video/Ken's journey in the movie is SO relatable because I've literally been going through this in my really life. Trying who I am outside of a caregiver for family (mom,wife,etc .) And the conversations I've had with family really mimics what is said here. 💖
What’s a family?
@@prouddegenerates9056 From my experience, family are the people who you let use you.
My favorite part is that Marogot Barbie seems to be the only Barbie that learns empathy to any degree.
Then leaves.
The only Barbie who can form a rational bridge between the two groups just dips. Wow.
The problem in my eyes is that the preset is horrible.
In real life everyone would tell a guy like Ken: "Look, you are nice, there is surely someone out there for you but Barbie isn't it. Maybe you should look elsewhere."
But in the world of Barbie Ken is set up for sure failure and that is cruel. He was made as an accesoiry to Barbie, forced to love her while she would never love him the same. Even aside from marriage, Barbie makes an awful girlfriend in this setting. While I understand being undependent and don't fault Barbie for her mindset, I really feel for Ken. He deserves better.
It's Ryan Gosling. Women would be clubbing each other for the chance.
@@freman007 but we're talking about Ken
@@freman007Yep. Hence they Lyric ‘Anywhere else I’d be a ten, but I’m just ken’
The fact barbie and Ken aren’t together makes NO SENSEE to me 😭 it’s barbie and Ken, they are married, barbie loves Ken and Ken supports barbie always… I hate that the movie broke them up
@bellabyers2929 it’s MIND BOGGLING! they’re THE doll couple, and they were forced apart... they barely had screen time after they got to the human world? it’s suddenly ... Barbie cares more about random humans than her own bf!!!
An important thing when coming back from this kind of situation in which you have been marginalized, not respected, or treated poorly is to avoid a feeling of justification and dedication and swinging pendulum the other way. Just because you have had something bad happen to you before does not mean that you are then allowed to take retribution, or to upset things unfairly for yourself.
@@gurun8071Barbieland is interesting because while it’s supposed to mimic a depiction of human society it very clearly isn’t that. Instead it’s a depiction of how the young children that play with these dolls view society through the most fantastical idealized lens possible. Kids in playtime copy some things that are similar to real life, sure, but they’re not going to reenact reality perfectly because that’s no fun. More likely you’re going to see pretend milk, floating off roofs and down to the ground, dolls being awarded Nobel peace prizes and leadership positions and inventing crazy things without much backstory to it-it just happens because the kids _want_ it to happen and they want to skip to that point in the story. It’s a major plot point that all the dolls in Barbieland are being played with, and the children playing with them are the ones to imbibe their perspective and personality onto the Barbies, along with their wildest fantasies that, through playtime, are made true in Barbieland. That’s why a toy seen as something that primarily is given to little girls reflects back into barbieland as an oppressive matriarchy-it’s not that the little girls playing with their Barbies are being malicious, it’s that as young girls they are most interested in what other girls are doing without putting much thought to boys (they may even be in their “no boys allowed” girls vs boys phase), and they want to play pretend in a world where they are surrounded by super smart, pretty, amazing, powerful women and girls who are all in charge, and that is reflected into Barbieland. If Barbieland seems too simplistic, too black and white, with a tendency to not think about others, you’re correct-it’s literally a world run by the ideals of children, with a harsh bias for little girls!
What this means as far as equality in barbieland is concerned is that the only dolls capable of critical thinking instead of accepting things at face value are the dolls that visited the real world and interacted with adults, stereotypical Barbie and Ken. That’s why when Ken explains the patriarchy to the Kens they accept it as the gospel truth and begin down a path of destruction, and when he explains patriarchy to the Barbies and insists all Kens/men are better than them, they crumble immediately and start trying to fill that role. The Kens in this instance represent little boys hearing patriarchal ideals for the first time and loving the idea of being superior to everyone else even to the detriment of the people around them, and the Barbies represent little girls hearing patriarchal ideals and being pressured to fill oppressive gender roles, perhaps thinking that’s the only viable option for them now if they’re not given a different choice. Everyone falls in line and isn’t able to escape until the reality of the system they’ve fallen into and how it’s harmful is stated-only then can they realize “hey, I DONT have to be this”. That is the Barbies’ first introduction to nuance, and the first time they can maybe see that what they’ve been doing to the Kens is bad, because they were literally just in that position. Similarly, young kids often have to be taught empathy through a “put yourself in their shoes, would you like how you’re being treated over this thing?” kind of exercise. Sometimes it works, but it often needs a lot of practice and nudging. Kids learn these skills slowly, and they change slowly. You can argue that all people change slowly too, that too fast of a change is likely to be rejected as a shock to the system. That’s why for Barbieland to proceed and to even start towards equality, it needed to be returned to a familiar state of matriarchal Barbie rule, and then the Barbies _might_ start to consider handing over their power to the Kens slowly over time. We saw some of that change like the President agreeing to make a court of Ken judges, and the narrator say “the Kens have to start somewhere, and maybe one day they’ll have as much power as women do in the real world.” It’s a nod that change will come, but it will be as slow as the Women’s equal rights movement was in the real world, because although this is a doll society and anything can happen at the drop of a hat, everything about them is derived from humanity itself. It’s absolutely not satisfying, but it keeps with the theme of what Barbieland is supposed to be-a mirror of the hearts and minds of people in the real world, oftentimes people as impressionable and stubborn as children. Perhaps now that all the dolls in barbieland have interacted with a human adult instead of strictly having kid influence, they can grow to think like one too. At least that’s what I got from the ending of the movie.
@@gurun8071sorry in advance for the essay, but Barbieland as a concept is quite a complicated metaphor
As someone who had been in an abusive relationship I can relate to being my ex girlfriends's emotional punching bag because of how her ex cheated and verbally abused her. One thing a therapist told me is that just because my ex also had a traumatic childhood experience as I have l, that doesn't justify her lashing out at others.
@@Chill-mm4pn Oof. That's rough.
I really perceived Ken as a victim of his situation as a man in a world governed by women, in which Barbie, as the slogan also says, can do anything while Ken... is just Ken, as if he it was just an accessory and not a person.
It is because of this situation that he feels the need to turn his life around and also free all the other Kens from the yoke to which they are tied by a fundamental injustice.
And this is why, despite everything, it is impossible for the viewer to see Ken as a true villain.
He only asks for a place in the world that is not that of an accessory!
Yes! This!!
One thing this movie pointed out that i think is great is that a lot of men's self-worth under the patriarchy is dictated but what they have, what's their job or who they are able to attract as opposed to who they are as an individual.
Also as a result of this, even though other men would be on your same level in the hierarchy, they're also your direct competition and you can't really confide in them fully as you have to also simultaneously one-up them to be deemed good enough.
Thanks for this comment, I think this topic of disadvantages of patriarchy for men is importat to point out.
Also, I think we sometimes share similar struggles, like what you said about competition. I, as a woman, have felt just like that with other women, just as you describe men to men competition.
Reading your comment reminds me that the system fails many people and we should push back together, not apart.
@@gurun8071 Do you have sources for those statistics?
@@ekuu8918I would like to see the statistics as well. Maybe I can someeeeewhat agree if in recent days where women have more choices, but in the past, I don't think many women have a say on who they can marry etc (depends on the countries of course)
No other man is my competition, I am without equal.
My lens for the movie is like…Barbieworld and the Barbies/Kens don’t experience puberty or change, so they have remained their whole lives as childlike and young. Barbie starts to experience “puberty like” feelings once she was connected to a human, and so she began to physically change to be more like an adult rather than a child.
The line that neither she nor Ken hd genitals also goes into the childlike thing for me.
And then when Barbie and Ken go to the real world, Ken is like a child seeing the adult world. And he takes back his interpretation of adult ideas to Barbieland. In the end, none of the Barbies or Kens enjoyed the change because unlike our main Barbie, none of them are experiencing real genuine change because they aren’t connected to humanity like she is. They are “playing” adulthood, but since they exist entirely in a childlike world, the adult things Ken brought back like patriarchy, misogyny, beer, etc. were boring and not loved by them.
I do think Ken was victimized but it was almost self inflicted. Barbie never made any moves or statements for Ken to believe they were in love. She was wholly indifferent but friendly to him. His problem was self inflicted, that he believed without Barbie he was nothing and that he couldn’t even get his Barbie to look at him he felt extra broken.
So when he saw that women groveled to men in the real world he thought if he made Barbieland like that, Barbie might actually like him. That he might get to experience being a “fixed” Ken.
To me:
He never wanted to be evil or take over maliciously. He truly has no idea who he is. And I think because he couldn’t have Barbie, he kind of tried to BE Barbie instead. He hated running things, he hated what he was doing but at least he was kind of trying something new instead of continuing to try what was failing. His view of himself relies so heavily on how he views himself compared to Barbie, and when he couldn’t have her as a girlfriend he tried to be her, and he hated both. But through his attempts to find himself, he found a kenship with the Kens that didn’t exist before. Before in Barbieland the Kens seemed to be against one another, but they were able to find themselves as KENs together, to find friends
Most thoughtful interpretation ever. I did not get that "trying to be like Barbie" thing when first viewing the movie, but it does make sense.
Ken was the true victim of this movie.
He WAS kenough 😭😭😭
not the victim, the tragic hero
@@Chris-Brotientragic villain maybe
@@lavenderbambi3501 hero*. The villains where the ones who where emotionally manipulating the Kens, love. Ken may have had his flaws but he never acted with malicious intent to gain political power over an oppressed population
@@Chris-Brotien they weren't manipulating, barbie staright up told him she doesn't want him in her dream house, that it's gonna be girl's night forever, she didn't ask him to go to the real world either. He saw how opressed women were irl and took that to the barbie land bc a girl didn't like him like that 💀 his intent was to create opressed population, pretty malicious. He made barbies their servants, at least barbies left kens alone
Alan was the real victim.
Great cosplay as always and perfect analysis Ken had the best character development in this movie.
thank you
@@GeorgiaDow don’t mention it
One thing that’s really telling is the song the Kens start to sing/listen to PUSH, is a song from the perspective of a Domestic Violence victim fantasizing about hurting their abuser in the same way they have been hurt
Another interesting topic from the movie is unequal desire. Barbie as the movie starts is basically asexual, but Ken has an unending crush on her.
Ken is also asexual; but his unrequited feelings might also make Ken aromantic.
It's just how the script is written, basically making Barbie the hard to get man, and Ken is the desperate chasing female.. ..flipping stereotypical roles and pretending it's something bold and new.. ..its a female power fantasy.. .."ooh, imagine if Ryan gosling wanted me that bad and I didn't even care because I had sooo many options" .. toxic femininity
Actually, I'd say Barbie is aromantic, while Ken is very much not, or at least, if Ken is Aro he's been convinced by the Barbie land society into thinking he needs to be romantically attracted to Barbie.
Barbie gave me so much AroAce vibes
First episode of Barbie animated series on Netflix, Barbie has Ken wait on the front steps for 3 days.
Certified Ken moment
Wait, Barbie is running a Fight Club?
Wait what? There is Barbie animated series?
I do think Ken is mistreated. I felt for him. I've known people like him, no self esteem. It usually leads to them attaching to a person and clinging for dear life for the attention and care they have been lacking. Its so sad.
Next can you please do AMC's Walking Dead, like characters who are fun to diagnose and look at like Negan Smith, Rick Grimes, Maggie Rhee?
One of the things I found kinda ehh... is the whole "those things aren't you, you're just enough without them" because it does still feel a little bit gaslighting, that the things the other person didn't like but the other person (ken) clearly enjoyed should be gotten rid of to discover their "true self" often someone more palatable to the one saying that, when hobbies and interests don't have to be these overwhelming toxic things. Ken absolutely can incorporate going to the gym and hanging out with bros as a part of what makes him 'him' afterwards. They don't have to be things seen as holding him back from discovering himself, Barbieland did that way more than making a dojo for his other Kens to hang out in. I get the point of the scene just wish we could discover a better way of saying it.
The message would have more strenght if Kens were able to own property...
Right! It should be less about abandoning your hobbies and ambitions, but spending more time with yourself, discovering and adhering to your personal values and goals and how you can navigate that journey ❤
Telling snother person how to be himself is gaslighting and an instant red flag imo. I had older siblings who would tell me in a "loving well meaning voice" that "i need to stop listening to metal and like more sophisticated things", telling me that my hobbies and interests aren't really "authentic". This takes the power away from the person, and establishes a dynamic where the gaslighters gets to define how the other person should be. Telling another person that "those things aren't really you" is disgusting and manipulative. Other people have no business in trying to define what it means to be yourself for someone else. That is just narcissistic.
No, but Ken identified himself over those things. First he identified himself over Barbie, then over his property, and both times he didn't ask himself who he really was.
It was absolutely neccessary for him to hear that from Barbie. Maybe he doesn't even like the Gym- he's free now to explore that now that it's not his identity anymore.
The reason I'm glad they cast Ryan Gossling for this role is that Ken is basically the "anti-Gossling"...he reacts to everything in a manner opposite to how, when seen in the light Ryan Gossling's role in Driver, Ken is comically insecure and almost childish in his attempt at "machismo." Usually in his roles he has a sort of "quiet confidence"...a sort of respectful professionalism that doesn't have to constantly brag about how good he is...he's that good, he just doesn't need to brag about it. and respects the women he cares about. As Ken, he's the guy who brags because he's the guy that who needs to prove himself TO himself.
I mean Ken has sadly always been an afterthought with Mattel and our lives for years. He’s only ever existed to be Barbie’s accessory rather than his own character and person. So of course when he can’t fulfill the forced purpose he’s been given, of course he’s unhappy and frustrated. We’ve never given Ken any other thing to be than Barbie’s boyfriend. I don’t think it’s right that he brainwashed all the Barbie’s and made them lesser than as revenge, but I also can’t hate Ken. He and the rest of the Kens defined themselves based on what the Barbie’s thought of them because they weren’t given any other options to do anything else.
It’s an honest answer of while women shouldn’t be lesser than men, women shouldn’t necessarily trash or belittle men either.
i need “other people’s expectations are not your obligation” on a shirt or something
I saw a lot of commenters say that Ken's character works the most if you imagine him very young, which tracks to how Barbie World works in this movie. More than one person said he reminded them of the young men, especially in the pre-teen to early teen age range, who are genuinely good kids, but start drinking the patriarchy juice a little too hard and need to get themselves figured out before they lose their friends or fall in with the wrong crowd.
This assumes a vacuum otherwise.
It ignores the boys raised being told they are bad their whole lives by all the women around them.
To ignore that effect on young boys, and the various responses to it, is to deliberately ignore important factors.
People forget women raise boys and influence them too, not just men...
"The patriarchy" isn't to blame for a boy who acts bad and was raised primarily by women.
It's sad that people still believe in silly myths like patriarchy
'Start drinking the patriarchy juice'
I hope you never have a son
The middle east has a patriarchy, the west does not. Promotion of the patriarchy does more harm to gender relations than benefits, unless you also examine the negatives of a matriarchy?
Ken yelling “No, you failed me!!!!” to Barbie really shows what he he’s been holding in for awhile.
I relate to Ken in this movie very deeply. I’m 23 years old, and I’m on the spectrum so I’m very sensitive and not on the same wavelength as most people, so I think people notice my eccentricities and quirks and kinda stay away from me. I desire human connection more than anything, other than the urge to grow and learn, but I have no close friends, and no significant other. I know I gotta learn how to be ok on my own, but life feels kind of empty and meaningless on my own. I love to love people, but it’s hard to love people and not feel I’m being properly loved back. I rarely feel like my voice is heard, or that people really make an effort to understand how I feel or what I’m saying. It’s rare that I write a paragraph like this and somebody reads the whole thing, because they actually care about me. Other than my parents idk if anyone really cares much about me, and I have a hard time relating to my parents, I was adopted and have very different political and religious beliefs than them. I just want peace, love, and joy for myself and others. How do I do that?
I'm a woman on the spectrum. it is hard
yaaaay so happy you are covering this movie and you had such great insight into this character. And I JUST noticed that the police station photo didn't say 'Ken', it said 'and Ken'
Fun Fact: The set designers used so much Rosco's fluorescent pink paint that they caused a global shortage, which was still in effect up to June 2023
I love the song “I’m Just Ken.”
Doesn't seem to matter what I do
I'm always number two
No one knows how hard I tried, oh-oh, I
I have feelings that I can't explain
Drivin' me insane
All my life, been so polite
But I'll sleep alone tonight
'Cause I'm just Ken
Anywhere else, I'd be a ten
Is it my destiny to live and die a life of blond fragility?
I'm just Ken
Where I see love, she sees a friend
What will it take for her to see the man behind the tan and fight for me?
I wanna know what it's like to love
To be the real thing
Is it a crime? Am I not hot when I'm in my feelings?
And is my moment finally here, or am I dreaming?
I'm no dreamer
Can you feel the Ken-ergy?
Feels so real, my Ken-ergy
Can you feel the Ken-ergy?
Feels so real, my Ken-ergy
I'm just Ken
Anywhere else, I'd be a ten
Is it my destiny to live and die a life of blond fragility?
I'm just Ken
Where I see love, she sees a friend
What will it take for her to see the man behind the tan and fight for me?
I'm just Ken (And I'm enough)
And I'm great at doing stuff
So, hey, check me out, yeah, I'm just Ken
My name's Ken (And so am I)
Put that manly hand in mine
So, hey, world, check me out, yeah, I'm just Ken
Baby, I'm just Ken
(Nobody else, nobody else)
I’m just Ken and I’m Enough, and I’m great at doing stuff it’s what keeps me going
Ken's mugshot is the best
Remember in Toy Story how they always found a way to work together while teaching us a lesson about differences and teamwork.
Yeah you're not getting that in this movie. 😂
I've not seen the film but felt really bad for Ken, it seems he went from being disposable then learning it doesn't have to be like that, certainly when he saw men being cool to one another. Seems like he brought that back with him but I know things go back to the where they are which is sad but also very true of toxic communities and families.
Well it didn't go back to where things were. There were some immediate changes with the door open for more to change over time.
@@Dakarai_Knighti really wish we saw that change happen in a time jump of some kind because with how the kens were treated I wish we could see this equal world they wefe striving towards
@@fox7378 I mean not necessarily equal. They said as much power as women have in the real world and we aren't exactly at parity yet. Hopefully one day soon. Vestiges of old systems and individuals with antiquated beliefs can only hold us back for so long.
@@Dakarai_Knightif you expect 100% perfect equity between men and women, that won't happen, because men and women are different, and make different choices. As for rights, at least in the US, we have equal rights.
@PhoenixLord777 That doesn't really disprove my point. An individual institution having a more even breakdown doesn't change the overall data. I want you to look up sample size and extrapolation principles.
Ryan stole the show for me. Loved every minute he was on screen
Sublime!!!
Seeing how you’ve covered another DND related property in Vox Machina, it would be fascinating to hear your thoughts on the characters from Baldurs Gate 3. The game’s writing is incredibly interesting and I feel the characters would offer intriguing points of discussion. For example the journey of Lae’zel and the effects of indoctrination, or Shadowheart’s faith in a goddess intent on making her miserable.
Great video btw!
I don't know about that, I've seen a few streams and the number of people at camp who'll ask the player character to sleep with them in a span of 20 minutes is a bit unrealistic, usually to the streamer's annoyance as they want to avoid things getting too spicy for Twitch.
That would take her over 100 hours of watching let's plays, not sure it's worth it.
Yes! I would love to see her analysis of all of the companion characters. I love Astarion and his journey but all of the characters are deeply wounded and need healing.
@@TheBayzentshe could always watch just the specific characters scenes. I saw one of Astarion and it was around five hours long. Still a chunk of time but not as bad as playing the game completely through
I am surprised that people don't catch tha Ken is in the roll of a submissive teenage girl at the start of the movie. He is vulnerable and craves validation from the protagonist while living for them as an accessory. That's a lot of female roles of the 80s...
Without getting into the personal detail . . . This video has explained to me the source of bad decisions I've made in my life, things I've said and done that I couldn't understand doing later on. Learning the wrong lessons because guidance wasn't there. Thank you very much for explaining about mimicry being a neurological process. I understand my childhood better now.
Finally someone understands the movie, yes, he was a victim, he was not listened nor taken in consideration, and barbie learned her lesson at the end, that was the point
Ken is homeless. He has no power or respect in Barbieland and constantly fighting against other Kens for just the chance to be looked at. He may have been angry but he gave the world of Barbie far more equality than the Barbie's did.
I was 14 when Barbie came out, but I worked at Toys R Us in the 80s and 90s and Kens were an accessory, like a trophy wife or boyfriend. There were no Ken houses, cars, money or jobs. Most girls I have known didn't even have a Ken.
I was really hoping at the end that the Kens would have an actual place to live adjacent to Barbieland, where they don't have to live as accessories all the time
I hope Ryan Goslimg gets an Oscar for playing Ken. He was so fantastic. Great analysis!
I call this the unloved puppy syndrome. An energetic puppy with sharp claws can play too rough, which makes others withdraw. When someone finally plays with the puppy it's so much more happy, energetic and rough. The puppy is it's own worse enemy when it wants just to be played with.
Love your multiple cosplays.
you just made me cry😭😭 as a 17 yr old male trying to find a purpose this was amazing for me.
This is an amazing breakdown reflecting so much of what I felt for Ken, but watching this breakdown through my Human Resources lens was really profound! I have found so often in my career that problem behavior is penalized rather than recognized as a cry for support or validation. Brava, Georgia!
I've heard this movie is like a rorschach test where you see whatever you want to see out of it.
I'm of the opinion that the Barbee movie is a master work of satire that shows all the negative effects of late stage feminism the same way that cyberpunk stories show the horrors of late stage capitalism.
The Barbie movie is about dystopia where only one sex holds all the power which is toppled by a brave revolutionary however, the revolutionary only recreates the same dystopia just with the roles reversed. (or actually slightly better as the women actually still have some jobs.) Then those traditionally in power use social manipulation to turn the revolutionaries against each other so that they're too busy in fighting to maintain their power and the old rulers take over again but give the oppressed a token seat at the table to make it seem like they're nicer than they were but in reality they're just as oppressed as they always were.
It's a story about power and control.
In Ken's "patriarchy" both the Kens and Barbies were happy. That was a unique event in their history.
So of course a man hating feminist had to destroy their happiness.
they even had homes. when the barbies took over agein, all the kens became homeless. yay woman.
Barbie in this movie is an asexual and aromantic icon
Ken stole the show. Hes just such a cinnamon roll 🥰
I initially wasnt gonna see this movie, but now I have to just for the Cuteness of Ken 😂
Excellent video (and cosplay) as always. Responding more directly to the title, Ken was a victim, absolutely. But not of everything he saw himself as being a victim of. Also, being a victim doesn't justify any action, which seems to be frequently forgotten in modern society.
@@gurun8071
Which is how it is in the real world too.
@@gurun8071"a movie with a female target audience focused on women's issues but not men's issues!"
Look, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but movies can't encompass every theme, they pick a handful. The men weren't the point of the film, their inclusion and framing was entirely as a device to reflect the experiences of women under patriarchy irl. The barbies, while having male-typical positions of power, weren't symbolically men, they were just women with power. Having them experience the male experience would have been an entirely different movie concept that would, in the end, just distract from and muddy the issue the creators were trying to comment on by addressing too many parallel themes, like changing too many variables in a science experiment, eventually you lose sight of which one is causing a change in outcome. What you're asking for is a different movie
I had a hard time siding with the Barbie’s. The moment they revealed that all the Ken’s are homeless I switched sides. Apparently they are not allowed to own property. I can’t really side with a land owner aristocracy trying to stay in power. I’m not a class traitor.
Well, obviously it's wrong. But they made a point that men actually have that exact power and advantage in the real world and have done through history. Barbie's in Barbie world had the power that men in the real world have had throughout history.
@@cookies6455 Wasn't what the narrator said in the end rather more along the lines of: Kens will (or might) have the same power as real women, sometime in the future?
@@cookies6455women could own things in the past if they weren’t married
Yes yes yes!! Someone finally covering Ken's arc in this movie and not Barbie's. I just loved him so much. What I joy to watch through the film. I really felt for him. Broke my heart. Thank you for all your insights!
Completely missed the Barbie video but I'll be sure to check that out but I was really excited about this one!
This video has such a healing message. Thank you for the thoughtful analysis and communication, Georgia!
I feel like that point where you said we're boyfriend and girlfriend is really where she should have stated she didn't want a relationship with them like that if she was not going to have one. Cuz if she's his girlfriend, everything he's doing for the most part is kind of normal if not decent. At least a lot of it is at first. Maybe they meant to leave that line out and forgot to edit it
I like this perspective. Interesting and healthy
I’m just glad there’s someone on TH-cam that can address the nuances of the gender roles being portrayed in the movie in an articulate and comprehensive way. Kudos. 🎉
There is a manga called sensitive boy. I wish you could react to that. It is about a school boy who was SA by a female teacher. And his psychology moving forward.
This sounds interesting! Do you know whether it has also been adapted into a movie?
Ken depicts how women have been depicted in film and media all throughout
his depiction is genius really
Except the media has been making strides in making women more complex since the 70s. If anything, it ironically shows how male issues are ignored by women.
I think both Barbie and Ken were probably equally misunderstanding the situation as they were walking down the street in the real world for the first time. Just on opposite ends of the spectrum. Barbie seeing it as something malicious when it probably really wasn't and Ken seeing something accepting when it also probably wasn't. More likely most people were just looking at the thing that was different and stood out and where curious about it. Also It's kind of bizarre that they had Barbie arrested for defending herself after being assaulted, but that is probably supposed some social commentary about how "women are oppressed". What is even more bizarre though is that Ken was also arrested and he didn't do anything at all, but was just nearby! But w/e, that was probably supposed to be some social commentary about how "men are oppressed".
Not even sure what was so different about them. Is Roller skating not a thing anymore? Their outfits seem no different than what anyone might wear, especially in LA.
@5:23 I found that part exceedingly funny in another fashion when I considered that the dolls have no genitals
To all men watching this video: You are KENough
So are you
The drip she had while speaking, i loved loved loved this video !!!!!!
Moral of the movie: "No Barbie or Ken should be living in the shadows." We saw both had some good qualities and some to work on. Just like real life...
I like how the horse sort of gets a weird outsized representation in Ken world aesthetics.
The wardrobeeeeee changes!!! Me. Georgia Dow you killed it!!!
I have spent years trying to get over feelings for someone who I know is not interested in me. Watching this movie in theaters hit me like a train. Barbie wasn’t leading Ken on, anybody could see she showed no romantic affection for him the whole time. She said every night would be girls night. But Ken can’t accept that because he let his whole identity revolve around Barbie. The thing is, Barbie never asked him to do that! She is not obligated to love him. In real life, you need to develop your own identity instead of letting yourself live in a fantasy world. You’re not a victim just because somebody doesn’t love you back. You have to move on and make a name for yourself apart from them.
You're the only one with common sense
@PhoenixLord777 people should stop calling everything negative abuse because it minimizes actual abuse. Barbie never intimidated him or made him feel like he couldn’t leave, and her actions made it obvious that she barely saw him as a friend. If my significant other never wanted to go on dates, never invited me to his house, and never said anything affectionate to me, I would eventually catch on and leave, because that isn’t a real relationship. He could have easily broke up with her if his needs weren’t being met (and they weren’t)
This video genuinely helped me realize some things about myself and relating to Ryan Gos-Ken. I appreciate your videos, Georgia! Keep em coming.
Really happy its what I hope for
Your costume transition to the fur coat made me laugh 😆
I swear, the more I hear analysis of this movie, the more I love it.
best therapy session EVEEEEEEEEEER! Love your work!
FYI, if someone assaults you it's perfectly legal to punch them in the face.
I felt so bad for Ken in this movie. He's this gullible, insecure himbo who's only looking for validation, which leads him down a toxic path that his heart isn't even really into. My favorite scene with him by far is the ending, where Barbie goes to comfort him when he's at his lowest point, instead of rubbing her victory in his face or kicking him when he's down. And from there he finally lets loose and expresses all his feelings and insecurities, to which Barbie lets him know that it's okay to do so and that he's safe telling her all this. That validation ultimately delivers him from the toxic manosphere of patriarchy and in the end, he celebrates being the lovable dork that he is, because he's perfectly valid on his own, which is SUCH a positive message for men!
The impression I remember getting from this movie was that Ken was becoming disillusioned with the way that all Kens in Barbieland were basically simps in a matriarchy, but didn't have any frame of reference for any comparisons or comprehension of alternatives until they got to the real world, and when he got here he didn't fully understand what he saw but somehow got enough that he was able to fail to success in the whole brainwashing Barbieland thing leading to that final act and the Barbies eventually choosing to agree to let the Kens do more (I remember talk about giving them a seat on the Senate or somesuch) in a step towards more egalitarian power dynamics.
The lesson that Ken is learning is something everyone will hopefully learn at a young age to find yourself. Poor Ken is a grown man, and that's one hell of a band-aid to rip off
I didn’t like the Barbie movie at all but if it really shows these self importance lessons to others than I really hope that’s what the lovers of the movie takes in
Was expecting a deep psychological breakdown of the character but I’m 2 minutes in and I think it’s just fanning out over Ken… and I’m ok with that
I thought what Ken was going through was a lot like what women had to go through when they could not vote and couldn’t have careers or go to school ( in Barbie world) then time goes into the real world , goes forward 50 60 or 70 years present time , he goes through the empowerment ( that women have ) that makes him rise up, it’s like Kens being used as an example of what women went through
its a mix, the broad strokes are mirrored to the 1600s and moves to the 1800s at the end. the closest points are a woman's view on men, a very bad view on men. but ryan saves it like a boss and while its a childish view on men from the view point of women(kinda fits since its barbie) it's actually the best part of the movie.
"Ken is me" made me tear up when i first heard it, thank you for affirming everything too
I think your point at 6:10 is really important. Barbie shares her boundaries very clearly and says they are just good friends and she’d like him to leave. Ken does care about her, but he needs to learn to take no as an answer and move on. It’s not ok to not accept someone’s boundaries.
I always saw Ken more as a young child playing with Ken. Maybe a 5-7 year old boy, or maybe even a little girl who doesn’t know what being a man is and doesn’t know how to sort out their feelings. At first I was wondering why Barbie didn’t seem like a child playing with a Barbie, but once I learned about a pre-teen girl playing with her I thought it made sense. Until I saw her personality and I’m like what? I thought the naive pre-teen girl or a teen girl growing up and having to deal with that playing with a Barbie is what Barbie seemed to be like. NOT a grown woman going through and existential crisis in her early 30’s. I just felt there would seem to be more maturity or maybe like she isn’t as naive. I’m not sure.
When adults experience an existential crisis, when the sense of security formerly provided by their adult roles in society falls away, they often fall back on childhood identities - it's almost a default place to go to. It makes sense that this can look like something of a second puberty when they try to figure out a new role for them because the old one doesn't fit anymore.
Just like Thanos was the protagonist of the Infinity War, Ken is the protagonist of Barbie.
Barbie has more character development after an identity crises than ken
@@totalfree8740oh
I’m going to read this as a joke and not a serious comment, because wow that’s a false equivalence lol
Thanos is wrong, that’s the difference.
my sister and niece loved Ken until he acted mean....then they hated him and thought he got what he deserved. And they left the movie with that notion.
Could you make a review of Tai Lung's personality from 2008 Kung Fu Pands movie, please? I feel like there is much more to this character that it seems at first
9:25 I thought he got the fur coat because he sees Rocky in it.
Gosling really stole the show in this film. He nailed it.
I've not gone through that feeling of not mattering or being seen or heard. I'm still there.
13:46 lmfao the coat added on
hahah thanks for noticing
Such a good analysis! I felt so sad for Ken watching the movie.
I also think it had to have been upbringing cuz Kens were basically “raised” to please a Barbie and I think in the real world, he learns it’s not as simple as that
barbie says you're not your house and it's empowering, Tyler from fight club says it and it's schizophrenia lol