The fact that we’re getting a Barbie live-action movie isn’t that surprising, in this age of IP-driven cinema, but the specific Barbie live-action movie that we’re getting is. Who could’ve predicted that Oscar-garlanded indie darlings Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach would produce this day-glo doll-themed film with equally acclaimed stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken?
For many filmgoers it’s a bizarre match made in heaven, but some hardcore Barbie gatekeepers have taken umbrage with the film’s unexpected casting. While speaking to GQ, Gosling was asked about his thoughts on social media’s “#NotMyKen” movement, which saw certain fans hit back at the idea of the 42-year-old playing Barbie’s boytoy. At first, the actor gave a very diplomatic response:
“I would say, you know, if people don’t want to play with my Ken, there are many other Kens to play with.”
Further into the interview, however, Gosling brought the topic back up himself as it appeared he had more to get off his chest. This time, the Drive star took a much harder stance, declaring that anyone who says they had strong opinions about Ken before this movie was announced is lying to themselves and is exposing their own “hypocrisy.”
“It is funny,” he says, “this kind of clutching-your-pearls idea of, like, #notmyken. Like you ever thought about Ken before this?… But suddenly, it’s like, ‘No, we’ve cared about Ken this whole time.’ No, you didn’t. You never did. You never cared. Barbie never f*cked with Ken. That’s the point. If you ever really cared about Ken, you would know that nobody cared about Ken. So your hypocrisy is exposed. This is why his story must be told.”
The fact that Gosling can declare that “this is why his story must be told,” like he’s starring in some kind of hard-hitting biopic (like, say, Barbie‘s infamous rival for box office dominion, Oppenheimer) instead of playing a 12-inch tall hunk of plastic brought to life, is proof enough that he was the right person for the job. Sorry, Michael Keaton in Toy Story 3, it looks like cinema has a new definitive portrayal of Ken.
Although, like the actor says, there are a cornucopia of other Kens also featured in the film — played by everyone from Simu Liu to John Cena — if Gosling really doesn’t do it for you. Barbie breaks out of its packaging and into theaters on July 21.