I love when certain movies make you think or inspire fan theories that make you pause for consideration. The Barbie movie is the most recent movie to inspire fans on TikTok, Reddit, and the like to come up with their own theories. For instance, there is a theory going around that Will Ferrell’s character in Barbie is a reprise of Lord Business/The Man Upstairs, his character in The LEGO Movie. Another popular theory that’s making some waves online is that America Ferrera’s Gloria is the reason for Barbie’s lack of interest in Ken.
Since the release of “Barbie” last month, fans have hit social media with a grocery list of theories about the film’s nostalgia-inducing characters. One topic that fans were quick to analyze is Barbie’s complex relationship with Ken.
In the film, Ryan Gosling’s Ken character mulls over the fact that Barbie (Margot Robbie) doesn’t reciprocate his romantic feelings. His dejection prompts him to belt out the now-viral song (“I’m Just Ken”) about wanting to be seen and understood beyond his ties to Barbie.
In the end, Robbie’s Barbie never explains why she’s not interested in Ken romantically, but TikTok user callmeashbash has since dished out what she calls a “throwaway explanation” for why that could be.
Pointing to a part in the film where the character Gloria (America Ferrera) explains that she never played with Ken dolls growing up, the TikToker explained, “Barbie’s subconscious comes from Gloria. So, if Gloria didn’t feel like Barbie needed a Ken doll, then Barbie would feel like she didn’t need a Ken doll.”
As far as Internet fan theories go, that’s not a bad one. It would make sense with the overall arc that Barbie was picking up on Gloria’s feelings. If Gloria’s Barbie wasn’t into her Ken, then over in Barbieland, Stereotypical Barbie wouldn’t be into Beach Ken. To go one step further, Gloria’s husband (played by Ryan Piers Williams, Ferrera’s real life husband) was also a secondary character and it didn’t exactly seem like he was rocking Gloria’s world either. It’s not a big leap that Barbie’s general disinterest in Ken is inspired by Gloria.
On the other hand, the whole point of the movie is that Barbie is a woman whose identity, self-worth, and happiness does not rely on Ken at all, and she was created as such. Barbie, just like every single woman in the real world, doesn’t owe anyone an explanation as to why she isn’t into Ken or anyone else for that matter. Ken is Barbie’s accessory, and one of the lessons of the movie is that we are all “Kenough.” That’s “kenough” for me, but I am super interested in hearing any other Barbie theories that are out there!
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- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 09: Director/Writer/EP Greta Gerwig attends the World Premiere of “Barbie” at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on July 09, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.,Image: 788399692, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Greta Gerwig, Credit line: Jeffrey Mayer / Avalon
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- ‘Barbie’ photocall at the Four Seasons Hotel. Featuring: Margot Robbie Where: Mexico City, Mexico When: 07 Jul 2023 Credit: Carlos Tischler/EyePix/INSTARimages
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- Photocall for ‘Barbie’ after the premiere at Cineworld Leicester Square in London. Featuring: America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Margot Robbie, Issa Rae, Ryan Gosling and Greta Gerwig Where: London, United Kingdom When: 12 Jul 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Photos credit: Avalon.red, Cover Images and via Instagram
I don’t think that’s necessarily incorrect, but it was true for ALL the barbies, so its not related to Gloria specifically. Ken was a secondary character for all the Barbies. They were all at Barbie’s house for girls night every night. The Barbies were the presidents, supreme court justices, etc, who did not need the Kens to be successful.
so it wasn’t about gloria. I think it was also just a funny truth about Barbie and Ken dolls…..I owned dozens and dozens of Barbies growing up. I think I owned one Ken. That was just how it was. Girls owned a dozen Barbie to one Ken and you only brought the Ken out if you were playing a specific scenario that needed a boyfriend/husband. The only time I really remember playing with Ken was when we were playing with the 1950s Barbies (with the leather varsity jackets, LOL) and then we had to have Ken to go for an ice cream date. The rest of the time Ken was superflous. That was part of the point of Barbie. Barbie was enough, no one really needed Ken.
If it’s Gloria’s fault then we’re all Gloria because none of us played with Ken that much.
I think that’s the genius of Ken. He’s an accessory. An object. Just like women have been treated. Barbie and Ken’s relationship was subversive. And yes, Barbie was enough.
Yeah, I thought Gerwig mentioned in an interview that it all stems from Ken being pretty neglected by little girls who own Barbies – they’re little kids, so they tend to be more interested in dressing them up, playing with them doing things, rather than relational stuff.
So in this worldview, the only unusual thing is that this particular Beach Ken is pained by this, while the other Kens seem blissfully unaware of their second tier status.
And there’s always the few kids who ARE into having the Barbie & Ken be besties, which is why one of the Barbies only wants to be hanging out with her “best friend Ken” at the end, too. So they are accounted for in the movie, but in the minority.
So I don’t think there’s anything unusual about Gloria’s character or depth to a theory there, Gloria is indeed meant to represent “most of us” in terms of how real Barbie owners play/played with their Barbie (and Kens if they had them)
I traded my ONE Ken doll for a Jordan Knight doll. 🤷♀️
I get it. NKOTB had the right stuff
Lol I was just about to comment I never had Ken but I had a few NKOTB dolls so that sufficed
There was never a real reason for Gloria to want to play with or care about Ken. This is his animus in the film that gives his character meaning. In the world of Barbie and playing with Barbies he has always been and will always be second fiddle, a supporting character. None of us that played with Barbies gave Ken as much thought. He was created as an afterthought meant to be her love interest, we didn’t project ourselves onto Ken. He just wasn’t Barbie.
That moment when Barbie has the epiphany that it’s Gloria and not her daughter that’s playing too hard with her…I legit cried.
Same! That was actually the second time I cried. First was the flashback montage where they show the daughter growing out of her Barbies and putting them in a box. And Barbie is sitting on the bus bench and sees the old lady and tells her she’s beautiful.
All the little moments when the daughter pulls away did me in. Since I was watching with my daughter I held it together somewhat but, it brought back those ghastly years from 12-14 where she just pulled away.
(I could so easily recall how it was for me at that age, but waiting it out was hard 😭)
SAME! My daughter is 13 and it was like I was watching us on the screen. Solidarity!
@Kathgal, my daughter is in her 30s now and we are close. Things changed at 15-16 thank goodness!
I so well remember when I was 14 how everything my mother did irritated me and that helped, but …
I think the closer you are, the more they have to pull away to figure out who they are. 💗
Oh, I don’t like any of this. My daughter is almost 11 and already starting to pull away in tiny ways (being upset/embarrassed when we talk about her being little, periodically finding me mortifying in ways that wouldn’t have phased her a year ago) and she’s so emotional. I know it’s hormones and general adolescent angst, and I try to stay calm and supportive, but OMG, it’s SO MUCH!!! I cried at those scenes too, with her next to me in the theater.
I know it will get better in the long run; my mom and I are so close. But it’s going to get worse first and I don’t know how I’m going to do it. I just try to breathe and remind myself that she trusts me and that’s why I get the hard stuff. But OMG it’s hard!!
@Ama1977, It’s hard, but it doesn’t last forever!
Same! I cried a few times – the Ruth sequence near the end, celebrating all women was incredible.
BTW – my Barbie and (maybe? not sure what male figure doll I had, possibly the Dad from the Sunshine Family?) Ken dry-humped in my Barbie airplane
Just read the featured link about the woman who dumped her boyfriend after seeing his reaction to the Barbie movie. Good for her, such a loser a-hole.
I think people are over-thinking it. Barbie is everything. Ken, like the corvette, the great wardrobe and the dreamhouse- is an accessory.
Some people are serial monogamists, some are single for a good portion of their lives, some of us are mostly single. Sometimes- it is just NOT ABOUT A MAN. There is so much more to life. That is baked into who Barbie is.
And i love that about her.
She’s an inspiration, she’s also a toy. She is the toy. He is an accessory.
I’m just realizing that Ken an accessory just like the Barbie boat or Barbie car. My daughter’s Barbies have very active social lives (lol) but she only needs one Ken to sit there in a tuxedo. She doesn’t give him a lot of lines.
I think in the movie the Ken’s are marginalized the way women are in a man’s world? IDK I have to get back to work.
I would have assumed she wasn’t interested in Ken because he was played by Ryan Gosling.
Dude is going to be nominated for an Oscar. That scene where he realizes the real world is a patriarchy is a master class of acting.
I understand what you are saying @Gisby, but I completely came around when I watched the movie!
I haven’t seen the movie yet,FWIW. As a kid, I wasn’t super into playing with Barbie dolls, but I DO remember occasionally borrowing a GI Joe doll — because I felt that Barbie would like him better than Ken, who seemed kind of vapid. GI Joe had missions! And muscles! And a Jeep!