Summary
Barbie co-writer Noah Baumbach responds to accusations that the hit fantasy comedy film has an anti-men sentiment. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the adaptation of Mattel’s iconic toy follows the titular character who travels to the real world from Barbieland with Ken, who is then radicalized by the patriarchy of the real world. Ken returns to Barbieland and convinces all the Kens to turn the once-matriarchal society into a patriarchy. Following the release of Barbie, many viewers began debating the intricate themes that the movie tried to explore, and some people asserted that the movie was anti-men.
In a recent conversation with CBS News discussing the Barbie movie, long-time collaborators Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach dismissed the idea that the movie was anti-men. In an attempt to defend the movie, Gerwig invoked Greek playwright Arsitophanes, comparing Barbie to Lysistrata. Baumbach, on the other hand, was more straightforward when addressing the anti-men accusations, saying “I felt men could take it. I mean, t– come on.” Read their full comments below:
Sharyn Alfonsi: There were people that came out after the movie and said, “Oh. This movie is anti-man.”
Greta Gerwig: The movie is meant to be a big-hearted thing, even though it’s poking fun at everyone. But I had this– but this is– but I planned this in my head. I’ll just say it.
Noah Baumbach: OK.
Greta Gerwig: But I thought, “Well, this is not man-hating anymore than Aristophanes’s Lysistrata (laugh) was man-hating,” which is– does not sound like a sick burn when you say it out loud like that.
Sharyn Alfonsi: That’ll teach ’em.
Noah Baumbach: I felt men could take it. I mean, t– come on. (laugh)
Barbie’s Anti-Men Accusations Explained
Following Barbie’s official release earlier in the year, the movie was met with a lot of adulation from both fans and critics, who praised everything from the Barbie cast’s acting, the film’s soundtrack, its superb production design, and most especially the various themes that it tries to address. While some viewers were of the opinion that Barbie aptly challenges traditional gender norms and attempts to deconstruct patriarchal ideas, some viewers believed that the overarching message in the movie was anti-men.
Elon Musk, the popular tech magnate, tweeted about the movie saying: “you take a shot every time Barbie says the word ‘patriarchy’, you will pass out before the movie ends.” Jack Posobiec, an alt-right political activist claimed the movie is “possibly the most anti-male film ever made.” while Ben Shapiro, another far-right political commentator and columnist echoed a similar sentiment, referring to the movie as an “an angry feminist claptrap.”
A lot of the anti-men accusations against Barbie are rather reductive and painfully simplistic interpretations of the movie’s point, which is not to promote hatred towards men, as some would believe. Rather, Gerwig and Baumbach were trying to depose longstanding narratives and roles of a gendered society. Barbie is filled with a lot of symbolism and comments that are meant to challenge problematic stereotypes and societal expectations and the overarching message in Barbie was simply to encourage empathy and understanding between genders.
Source: CBS News
