Where was the inclusion of ‘Plus-Size Ken’ in ‘Barbie’?

The Feminist Icon in Greta Gerwig’s Barbieland

The feminist icon in Greta⁢ Gerwig’s Barbieland possesses all the hallmarks of the quintessential Barbie⁣ that led to the doll’s rejection by aggressive ⁣activists, to begin with. Blonde hair, busty boobs, and big hips earned the tight-waisted actress⁢ Margot Robbie the lead role⁣ of “stereotypical Barbie” in the pink-tinted fairytale of Hollywood’s⁣ latest blockbuster, cast as ‌both a villain and a ⁢heroine.

The movie debuted with ‌an‌ explicit message about body image, female expectations, and conventional beauty standards. In the words of Federalist Contributor Rich⁢ Cromwell, “Barbie” delivered “more lectures than laughs.”

Barbie herself, presented as an ‍unrealistic version of a 1950s housewife, lives in a female-dominated fantasyland complete with the neighbors of a diverse California utopia featuring all the‍ identities on the victimized hierarchy. ⁣Barbie’s black, Barbie’s trans, Barbie’s Asian, weird, and even disabled. ​Of course, Barbie’s also plus-size. But for their male partners in paradise, diversity was an afterthought.

Plus-size Ken had‍ no place in Barbieland. And the ‌Kens who did were mocked by⁢ their female counterparts as ultra-narcissistic for their commitment to fitness. ⁤Stereotypical Ken himself, played by Ryan ⁣Gosling‌ with washboard abs,‌ was only happy when validated ⁤by Barbie.

In her⁤ lecture on how much she hates being a woman, America Ferrera’s character condemns female body standards enshrined in the Barbie​ of 1959.

“You have to be⁤ thin, but not too thin,” she complains at the top of her​ monologue. “And you can ⁣never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also, you have⁣ to be thin.”

Vilifying those who care about their health, meanwhile, is just ‌blatant pro-fat activism.

Maybe the film isn’t for the boys. After all, the Barbie franchise always catered to​ little girls. But‌ if the movie’s ​creators cared to get their message across to those they vilified most, the casting directors might have been wise⁣ to practice the inclusion⁣ they preach, especially when such decisions ‌go to the core of the message.

On the one hand, it’s exhausting to engage in the leftist-styled commentary that flags⁤ the one identity group left out of the conversation on a particular topic.⁣ On ⁢the other, it’s worth mentioning that the toxic concept of “body positivity” always seems to go one way, to the detriment of women, especially for a film that engages in such ⁤victim-style ⁤activism, to begin with. It’s never fat guys who end up on the cover of men’s health magazines.

The ‌message we’re left with is that it’s ok when women project​ their own so-called unrealistic body expectations on‍ men, but ‍the men better not dare ⁤reciprocate. And if Barbie were truly⁣ representative of our⁤ neighbors,‌ almost everyone would have been “plus size.” That’s actually a ⁤ problem.

About the Author

Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist and the author of Social Justice Redux, a conservative newsletter on culture, health, and wellness. He has also written for The Washington ⁢Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also⁣ been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political⁤ science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at [email protected]. Sign up​ for Tristan’s email newsletter‌ here.