There’s no denying the discourse the release of the Barbie movie has launched over the past one. Particularly that of men, Barbie & Ken!! So are you a Ken? Only one way to find out.
1-Do you feel like a Ken or an Alan?
Being a Ken or an Alan is no leverage over the other. Both have a lot to learn about Women. However, the distinction between a Ken and an Alan is the willingness to learn more about the female experience and to become more sympathetic to women’s view of the world.
2-Do you like horses?
The marker of being a “ken” according to the movie was the character’s attraction to horses (& patriarchy) as being the main characteristic of masculinity . Are horses a solely masculine attraction? Can women not have an interest in horses either?
3-Do you know what the patriarchy is?
Throughout the movie, Ken ruined Barbieland to uphold the patriarchy, because he felt like men were underappreciated in Barbieland. But what is the patriarchy? In essence it’s a household, community, or society that is solely reliant on men. This is problematic, because it strips women away of their rights to many, if not all things. How badly should men desire the patriarchy then? Kens love the patriarchy, Alans don’t.
4-Know the nation that just won the women’s world cup?
Did you know that female football players have to have a second job to make ends meet? Male footballers receive $60,000 weekly, while females receive $30,000 annually. Shocker I know. The women’s world cup was recently held in Australia & New Zealand and had near full attendance, so how come there’s this gap? How come Spain wasn’t celebrated the way Argentina was earlier this year? So many questions, so much knowledge to intake. An Alan would however be able to tell you how amazing the Spaniardesses did at the championship.
5-Do you like Taylor Swift?
For some reason, men have a deep-rooted hatred towards Miss Swift. Her influence is undeniable since, since the start of her Eras tour she revitalized the US’ economy & caused minor earthquakes. She is quite literally the moment in every sense of the word, so why the hatred? I’ve come to find out that the men that enjoy Miss Swift are the men I’d love to surround myself by and those who don’t enjoy her embody everything her songs claim about men. A ken would therefore very likely not like Taylor.
6-Do you feel like the movie devalued the male experience?
A lot of men didn’t enjoy the movie, they felt like it didn’t do men justice. But the thing is, the movie wasn’t curated for the male gaze but instead for the female gaze. This is the male experience as far as most women are concerned, and this is the reality of how many men are. Do you really wanna spend the rest of your life trapped in a Ken’s state of mind?