That's probably why I cried a lot while watching Barbie: a movie about a silly doll that carries a lot of emotional weight. People have been having strong reactions to the film.
This becomes clear in that first beach scene, when Ken runs hard into the plastic waves, only to be ruthlessly rebuffed. Gosling's body spins like a kid flipping a doll around dramatically. Before he rushes to this calamity, Gerwig cuts to Allan, who cries out in comical concern, "KEN!"
Those who openly hated it mostly did so for reasons having to do with what it “stood for.” They abhorred its (oddly anachronistic) third-wave feminist politics. They despised its commercialism and dreaded the prospect of future films about Mattel properties like Barney and American Girl dolls.
A lot of the plot of the film revolves around mature themes like the patriarchy and gender-based discrimination and stereotyping. While these themes aren't necessarily inappropriate for most kids, they may not fully understand what the characters are implying either.
Midge's run as the youthful, freckled sidekick has been sporadic and at times turbulent, with only a handful of releases in the '60s, before she resurfaced in the '80s and '90s. Then, a pregnant version of the doll was unceremoniously pulled from store shelves in 2002 amid fears she was promoting teen motherhood.
Barbie, formally known as “Barbara Millicent Roberts,” was born in 1959, which would technically make her 65 years old — except for the small fact that she was born as a 19-year-old. Yep, that's right: The first ever Barbie was officially 19 years old, which would make her age closer to 84 years old.
Ryan Gosling accepted the role because of his daughters
However, the little girls have not seen their father in the role in the movies. They have seen some scenes, but on the set, a totally different experience. "They have seen small parts and came to the set one day when I did a big musical number," said Gosling.
Barbie and Ken felt it was “time to spend some quality time apart” with Arons hinting that Ken's reluctance to put a ring on it may have played a part in their breakup. Still, the two swore the breakup was amicable and they would remain friends.
However, their relationship goes through a rocky spell in the movie when a visit to 'human world' turns into a journey of self-discovery for the dynamic duo. Like many couples, Barbie and Ken chose not to get married. They have no children and Barbie is the sole owner of the Dreamhouse.
Kenneth Sean "Ken" Carson (1961–1967, 1969–present): Barbie's male counterpart and former boyfriend as well as the second character added to the line. Mattel announced a split between him and Barbie in 2004 and a reunion on Valentine's Day in 2011.
I felt it deep in my soul when Barbie struggled to come to terms with existence in the real world. And I sobbed and found comfort in how Barbie's creator Ruth told her she was “just right” when Barbie felt far from perfect.
There are also two discontinued Kens that take part in the scene with all the forgotten dolls. The first is Sugar Daddy Ken, a modern doll portrayed by British actor Rob Brydon. Sugar Daddy Ken was created in 2009 for Barbie's 50th anniversary as part of the adult doll collection line for Mattel.
The movie does have adult themes, mild language and some suggestive references, but many parents have still felt comfortable taking their children and tweens to see it. The “Barbie” movie can be a great jumping off point for starting or continuing thoughtful discussions about diversity, inclusion and self-image.
"I think we said it was scheduling conflicts," she said during a June 2023 episode of Watch What Happens Live. "That's what we said. But it really was just like, creative differences. But there's a new team behind it and it looks like it's very feminist and cool, so I will be seeing this movie."
Schumer, however, later shed more light on what led to her Barbie exit, telling The Hollywood Reporter in March 2022 that creative differences caused her to back out. "They definitely didn't want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it," she said at the time.
Barbieland was very close to having a different set of characters. Before Margot Robbie landed the titular role in Greta Gerwig's Oscar-nominated film Barbie alongside Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon and more, Amy Schumer had signed up for a life in plastic.
Among those that were close to playing Kens were Emmy Award-winning SNL comedian Bowen Yang, Schitt's Creek and The Idol actor Dan Levy, as well as Dear Evan Hansen star Ben Platt. “They were really bummed they couldn't do it,” the film's casting director Allison Jones told Vanity Fair.
In an interview with Extra TV, Robbie said, "Ryan was our dream choice for this role." She then revealed that Gerwig, writer and director of the upcoming movie based on the iconic doll, actually wrote Gosling's name into the script.
The most perfect plastic pair had been together for 43 years when the surprising split was announced. Mattel said that it was just time for the two dolls to spend some time apart, with some hints pointing to Ken's avoidance of the marriage subject.
Technically, Ken has no official age (he is a doll, after all) although he was first introduced as Barbie's boyfriend on March 11, 1961, which means he has been around for 62 years. (Barbie was created in 1959, which would make her 64.)
