Bringing that 'Kenergy': A conversation with men about the Barbie blockbuster movie
CBC
Barbie has taken the world by storm.
The highly anticipated Barbie movie was officially released in theatres Friday after a months-long media tour filled with Barbie looks, an incredible marketing campaign, and the "Kenergy" of Canadian actors Ryan Gosling and Simu Liu on full display. The term has been used on the red carpet and elsewhere to describe their performances as the Ken doll, as well as men embracing their love of all things pink and positive.
While plenty of women are excited to watch this nostalgic childhood figure come to life, plenty of men are also hitting Barbieland this summer.
CBC News spoke to men across Ontario about Barbie, Greta Gerwig's filmmaking and how something like toxic masculinity won't stop them from seeing the film.
Paulsen, 38, is a playwright and film lover from Thunder Bay, Ont.
He's a fan of Barbie director Gerwig and husband Noah Baumbach, who co-wrote the script with her.
"Immediately seeing the trailer, it was clear that they clued into a specific tone and idea, and it was just going to sing. It was going to be something I wanted to see," Paulsen said.
For him, it's all about watching a director like Gerwig at work, and the fact the movie is about Barbie won't stop him from seeing it.
"The idea of putting a limit … or preventing yourself from seeing something that might be of interest to you is insane to me," he said. "I mean, I want to watch as many movies as I can. Why would I say no to this one?"
Paulsen also remembers when Brokeback Mountain — a 2005 Western love story about two men — was in theatres and his male friends were hesitant to see it as a group.
"I'm like, I don't care. Seeing this isn't going to make me gay, you know? It's like, it's a movie – I can handle watching a film," said Paulsen.
"If you're afraid Barbie's going to change you in some fundamental way, or that your reputation might be ruined, I worry more about when you have to do something significant in your life and make a choice, rather than what you're going to see on a Friday night."
Bordignon, 29, is excited for the Barbie movie and also a fan of Gerwig's work.
"At first I wasn't sure where they were going to be going with it," Bordignon said. "But then once I saw Greta Gerwig was directing it, more than anything that really caught my attention."
This First Person column is the experience of Shannon Flaman, who lives in Red Deer, Alta. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
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