I want everybody whoâs calling Ken a Trophy Husband to know that heâs actually a Trophy Boyfriend, because when Ruth Handler invented Ken in the 1960s, she was adamant that he would never marry her and instead be her âhandsome steadyâ, so that Barbie remained a figure of independence for the little girls and was never put in the position of housewife.
Her house is hers. She bought it and furnished it with money she made in her own job. In STEM, in politics, in healthcare, in fashion, in academy, in customer service. Her credit card is in her name (women in the US couldnât have their own regardless of marital status until 1974). And itâs all pink and fashionable because femininity and badassness arenât mutually exclusive. No matter who you are, you can be anything.
Thatâs why Barbieâs slogan is âyou can be anythingâ. Teaching these ideals to little girls is why Barbie was created. Empowering women and empowering femininity is the original meaning of the Barbie doll. Itâs not that you have to be all this to be a woman, but if you are all or some of this, you too are awesome.
And somehow pop culture deliberately changed that narrative. Sexualised, bimbofied, and villainised her, when she actually isnât responsible for the impossible beauty standards â people are, sheâs just a stylised, not-to-scale toy like most others.
Men are frothing because heâs just Ken and I guess they were expecting her to be just Barbie, but thatâs exactly what Ken is. Canonically. A badass womanâs himbo boyfriend.
This movie has the potential to radically change the way we collectively see Barbie into what Ruth Handler originally intended, Iâm so very excited
areudirty
prguitarman
discoholicmusic
stormborns
ellievsbear
gamechangershow
2087
