Barbie

[chrisstbh]

Mainstream media is praising this movie for being some kind of "masterpiece of feminism" and that has spurned the youtube haters club to denounce it and call for boycotts and wish for it to "fail at the box office."

Why can't we just have fun movies again?

The trailers made this look like a silly, light-hearted romp. Apparently, that's misleading, and the whole second half of the movie is some kind of lecture about feminism and "the patriarchy." That doesn't sound fun. I don't want to sit through that. I just want to be entertained, not lectured to.

At the same time, if that is the case, then I'll just ignore this movie the way I ignore all the hundreds of other movies I have zero interest in. Why take it personally and try to "boycott" it and get it to "fail?" If you don't like it, just don't see the damn thing.

Social media has turned the entire society into a gaggle of 5 year olds. Or maybe we all already were a gaggle of 5 year olds, and social media has just exposed that.

Wild that a movie about Barbie is pro-woman and pushes feminism. Crazy, even .

 

[darth dennis]

Wild that a movie about Barbie is pro-woman and pushes feminism. Crazy, even .

 

[jaztermareal]

I like the Critical Drinker, as he's entertaining and he has more nuance than a lot of the other rage-haters, and admits when he's wrong and does try and give credit where he can for movies he doesn't like. I watch him (amongst others) to see if I'm likely to like a movie or not, and if not, I just don't watch it.

I'm not here to debate whether people should like him and his opinions or not. Honestly I don't care what people see as there should be movies for everyone, but not every movie should be for everyone, which a lot of people forget.

Re: Greta Hedwig and not being surprised. If you know her, I agree, which is why I don't watch her movies, but I'd be surprised if even 10% of the opening weekend audience would even have a clue about who she is and her movie style, and are going because of the hype.

The most on point reviewers will get the most hate from those who disagree simply because they cannot counter the arguments/points made said reviewer, so instead they will simply name call them and dismiss them, or at best strawman them. Happens a lot with Drinker especially, like people saying he is an idiot or that he hates everything. Except he literally is a writer who knows what he is talking about and has "drinker recommends" segments for things he does like.

The drunk guy act is a bit tiresome though I agree.

 

[Otomofan]

I guess the political heavy-handedness got worse as the film progressed, but like I said, I turned it off 15 minutes in.

For me it committed the same sins as almost all modern Hollywood movies: it just wasn't very good. The writing was bad. It had lame 90s-era sitcom "jokes." Whatever there was in the movie that made it look like a fun satire was already used up in the trailers. Just another poorly written, unentertaining movie.

This review from another of the youtube hate brigade essentially backs up what Drinker said, but it's not as hyperbolic. Plus, he took his mom to see it. Awww. How sweet.

 

[ironwez20]

Yea that stinker guy whines to much but some of his videos are kinda interesting. Still think he cry’s to much when a women is involved

 

[Dave_W]

Looks like there's a loooooot of closeted people like Barbie.

 

[Dave_W]

The most on point reviewers will get the most hate from those who disagree simply because they cannot counter the arguments/points made said reviewer, so instead they will simply name call them and dismiss them, or at best strawman them. Happens a lot with Drinker especially, like people saying he is an idiot or that he hates everything. Except he literally is a writer who knows what he is talking about and has "drinker recommends" segments for things he does like.

The drunk guy act is a bit tiresome though I agree.

When someone can't go an entire video without talking about 'the message', their credibility goes down the toilet. And being a writer doesn't automatically make you a good one. Just look at Kenobi and BOBF. Opinions and arseholes, we all have them.

 

[ironwez20]

When someone can't go an entire video without talking about 'the message', their credibility goes down the toilet. And being a writer doesn't automatically make you a good one. Just look at Kenobi and BOBF. Opinions and arseholes, we all have them.

Pretty much. Dude complained about the girl beating the predator in prey. It’s not like she overpowered the thing. She outsmarted it. Riply killed most of the aliens and was far more knowledgeable than any of the men in the alien films but I don’t hear any complaints on her. Yes I know some of these films can be extra preachy and cringe like the Star Wars sequels but for as long as I can remember “girl power” has always been a huge thing in media it’s just Twitter and the social network that make it seem like it’s new.
I wonder what people would say about the power puff girls if it came out today lol

 

[Dave_W]

Pretty much. Dude complained about the girl beating the predator in prey. It’s not like she overpowered the thing. She outsmarted it. Riply killed most of the aliens and was far more knowledgeable than any of the men in the alien films but I don’t hear any complaints on her. Yes I know some of these films can be extra preachy and cringe like the Star Wars sequels but for as long as I can remember “girl power” has always been a huge thing in media it’s just Twitter and the social network that make it seem like it’s new.
I wonder what people would say about the power puff girls if it came out today lol

Exactly, it's the inconsistency. Somehow, crapping on modern films even while having similar themes to older ones brings out an air of superiority, the 'I think it's **** because I have better taste' mentality. Both Ripley and Naru outsmarted the alien because they had more knowledge about the environment they were in and used that to their advantage (the airlock and mud pit), then the arguments about execution come out. 'It's not what they did but how they did it', Well no, that's not you were just saying, you were complaining about the outcome.

Seems like if it's what people grew up with it gets a pass, but if was done today, suddenly there's an agenda or commentary to destroy civilisation.

 

[ShadowX81]

When someone can't go an entire video without talking about 'the message', their credibility goes down the toilet. And being a writer doesn't automatically make you a good one. Just look at Kenobi and BOBF. Opinions and arseholes, we all have them.

How can you possibly review this movie honestly when "the Message" was overbearingly prominent in this film? The Drinker (like usual) is spot on when it comes to this film. I pretty much loathed it for all of the same reasons he stated in this video. In fact I can't think of a movie ive ever seen that has been so toxic to gender relations. Painting it as a competition that shouldn't exist.

While the Barbies live an idyllic care free life, the Ken's are essentially slaves without any agency, who only live a life that by the film's own admission, exist solely to be an accessory for Barbie when she is in the mood to humor him. Eventually the Kens take over and the movie gets close to actually realizing the point it should have made when Ken brushes off Barbie using the same words she used on him earlier, and points out that being treated that way doesn't feel fun; but then it instantly brushes this aside.

The Barbie's take over again by preying on the men's insecurities, and relegate the men back to the barely human second-class they had been earlier. They do this by giving a lecture about the difficulties and insecurities associated with being a woman in today's society (which despite largely applying to both sexes are fair enough challenges), while simultaneously preying on similar insecurities of men as deep character flaws that are both laughed at and taken advantage of.

What would have been so wrong with an ending in which both the Barbies and the Kens get to be equal and happy; receiving equal amounts of respect and rights in society?

The movie comes off as a 100 minute bitter rant against men and anything associated with masculinity. If that is really what Feminism is or supposed to be (it isn't), then screw that. It deserves to be pushed back against.

 

[Rotfish]

What would have been so wrong with an ending in which both the Barbies and the Kens get to be equal and happy; receiving equal amounts of respect and rights in society?

The movie comes off as a 100 minute bitter rant against men and anything associated with masculinity. If that is really what Feminism is or supposed to be (it isn't), then screw that. It deserves to be pushed back against.

Wasn't the final lesson for the Kens that they should forge a path for themselves that's not based on their relationship to Barbie? If they're not happy living in Barbieworld -- which is inherently biased towards Barbie since she was created first and Ken was dreamed up as an accessory (something the movie acknowledges) -- they should do their own thing. The Kens were essentially reminded they don't have to live in the shadow of Barbie, nor do they simply have to flip the equation within her world. They can liberate themselves and build one that works for them. The mother character helped Barbie discover her autonomy and then Barbie encouraged Ken to do the same.

I'd say that's a positive enough message and it's not some redpill/MRA/MGTOW nonsense either since men who follow those toxic ideologies can't go one minute without comparing themselves to or complaining about women.

 

[ShadowX81]

Wasn't the final lesson for the Kens that they should forge a path for themselves that's not based on their relationship to Barbie? If they're not happy living in Barbieworld -- which is inherently biased towards Barbie since she was created first and Ken was dreamed up as an accessory (something the movie acknowledges) -- they should do their own thing. The Kens were essentially reminded they don't have to live in the shadow of Barbie, nor do they simply have to flip the equation within their world. They can liberate themselves and build one that works for them.

Except that isn't what happens. That would have been a good ending, but their concerns are never taken seriously, their insecurities are to be laughed at (whereas drawing attention to Barbie's hidden challenges seemed to be the entire message of the movie), and they end the movie as the same 2nd class citizens they started as.

In fact for the middle half of the movie when the Ken's try to do their own thing, it is treated as a problem to be solved.

The men never even get to forge a path of their own. They are still living in the same society, and when they directly ask the President for fair representation in government and working world, the President responds with "eww, no. We can't have that" and gives them what she stresses is a very lowly, out of the way token position.

I'd say that's a positive enough message and it's not some redpill/MRA/MGTOW nonsense either since men who follow those toxic ideologies can't go one minute without comparing themselves to or complaining about women.

Seems that that's exactly what this movie was, just a female equivalent. It was just as toxic and hostile.

 

[Rotfish]

Added more to my last post, sorry.

I get the impression the Kens will eventually do their own thing and it just isn't shown. Who knows, Ken might move to Eternia to hang out with the Masters of the Universe, but at the end of the day it's still a Barbie movie about Barbieworld. That's why I said it's about as even-handed as it can be. There are women out there who can find something to enjoy in 1982's Conan the Barbarian, but I don't expect them to love all the ways women are portrayed and treated in it. At a certain point, you have to accept that the target audience doesn't include everyone.

 

[ShadowX81]

I get the impression the Kens will eventually do their own thing and it just isn't shown. Who knows, Ken might move to Eternia to hang out with the Masters of the Universe

This would have been an amazing ending or post credits scene.

But the ending we got stressed that the Kens were staying in Barbie land after explicitly being rejected to hold an equal place in government.

 

[Otomofan]

If "Healthy At Any Size But Clearly Going To Have A Heart Attack At 42" Barbie didn't scream "THE MESSAGE" from a megaphone, I don't know what else does.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I could NOT believe the line for this in Westwood last night. Every UCLA sorority girl must have been there in pink taking pictures. And the line snaked all the way down the block. I haven't seen that in years.

Oppenheimer was playing across the street at the Fox Village (which is what I saw). Also a ton of people, theater full... but not like Barbie.

Pictures in the Oppenheimer thread if you want to see...

 

[Dave_W]

How can you possibly review this movie honestly when "the Message" was overbearingly prominent in this film? The Drinker (like usual) is spot on when it comes to this film. I pretty much loathed it for all of the same reasons he stated in this video. In fact I can't think of a movie ive ever seen that has been so toxic to gender relations. Painting it as a competition that shouldn't exist.

While the Barbies live an idyllic care free life, the Ken's are essentially slaves without any agency, who only live a life that by the film's own admission, exist solely to be an accessory for Barbie when she is in the mood to humor him. Eventually the Kens take over and the movie gets close to actually realizing the point it should have made when Ken brushes off Barbie using the same words she used on him earlier, and points out that being treated that way doesn't feel fun; but then it instantly brushes this aside.

The Barbie's take over again by preying on the men's insecurities, and relegate the men back to the barely human second-class they had been earlier. They do this by giving a lecture about the difficulties and insecurities associated with being a woman in today's society (which despite largely applying to both sexes are fair enough challenges), while simultaneously preying on similar insecurities of men as deep character flaws that are both laughed at and taken advantage of.

What would have been so wrong with an ending in which both the Barbies and the Kens get to be equal and happy; receiving equal amounts of respect and rights in society?

The movie comes off as a 100 minute bitter rant against men and anything associated with masculinity. If that is really what Feminism is or supposed to be (it isn't), then screw that. It deserves to be pushed back against.

I haven't seen the film, so I can't comment on his Barbie review, but I can safely say that a broken clock is right twice a day.

 

[ShadowX81]

I haven't seen the film, so I can't comment on his Barbie review, but I can safely say that a broken clock is right twice a day.

How exactly is he a "broken clock"? The guy is one of the most successful and acclaimed online reviewers with millions of followers; and gets more consistent views than most mainstream tv shows. Ive agreed with about 90% of the stuff he has said, and frankly when people complain about online "rage hate", the only vitrol seems to be coming from the person who are complaining about reviewers they don't like.

 

[Rotfish]

How exactly is he a "broken clock"? The guy is one of the most successful and acclaimed online reviewers with millions of followers; and gets more consistent views than most mainstream tv shows. Ive agreed with about 90% of the stuff he has said, and frankly when people complain about online "rage hate", the only vitrol seems to be coming from the person who are complaining about reviewers they don't like.

Should I get a TikTok account just because of its popularity?

"Millions of people like it" has nothing to do with the quality of the content. I'll grant that the issues Drinker harps on exist, but not with the frequency or intensity he perceives. He also gravitates towards projects that are more likely to set him off because making videos on them gets views. If that's the content you regularly consume (either as a creator or viewer), sure, you'll probably think it's everywhere. The same problem exists with the other side of the ideological aisle. Live a balanced life, stop spending so much time on the things you hate, and you'll find the world has much more to offer with most folks falling somewhere in between.

 

[Dave_W]

How exactly is he a "broken clock"? The guy is one of the most successful and acclaimed online reviewers with millions of followers; and gets more consistent views than most mainstream tv shows. Ive agreed with about 90% of the stuff he has said, and frankly when people complain about online "rage hate", the only vitrol seems to be coming from the person who are complaining about reviewers they don't like.

'Acclaimed' is going to break it's back doing that much heavy lifting. Followers means nothing, I bet Ezra Miller has more followers than he does (don't have Twatter, can't check). And he's broken because every video is about 'the message' and maybe this time he's correct about Barbie, I haven't seen it. He certainly wasn't correct about Prey. But that's just his thing. Some people have 'super easy, barely an inconvenience' and this guy has 'the blue haired people are after us'.