The Barbie movie contains useful messages for men and women alike.
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The Barbie movie is not just for women. It preaches a message of self-identity and self-worth equally important for men. 

According to CinemaScore, the male audience of “Barbie” gave an average A- grade after seeing the movie, just a tick below the average A grade the female audiences gave.

Still, many men online have criticized the movie as a man-hating piece of propaganda. Ben Shapiro, champion of exaggerated pop culture reactions, called it a “flaming garbage heap” of a movie. 

In reality, the Barbie movie opts for a very simple message that should not be upsetting for men to hear, conservative or not. And it does so in the best way possible: a dance sequence. 

For most of the movie, Ken is a glorified accessory. His life revolves around getting Barbie’s attention, doing “beach” better than the other Kens, and cycling through colorful outfits. Over the course of the movie, he evolves into the true antagonist, channeling his insecurities into bringing patriarchy to Barbieland—until Barbie saves the day. 

If the movie stuck with that characterization only, accusations of man-hating might bear weight. But as the movie progresses, Ken becomes more than a pathetic accessory-turned-antagonist. Thanks to a very catchy song and dance number, Ken takes a journey from insecurity to self-actualization that brings new meaning to his character arc. 

At first, the song summarizes the stereotypical male angst:

I’m just Ken

Where I see love, she sees a friend

What will it take for her to see the man behind the tan and fight for me? 

Unsurprisingly, that portion of the song went viral online, popping up in thousands of short videos about the dreaded “friendzone” or similar predicaments. What so many missed about the song were the last few lines: 

I’m just Ken (And I’m enough)

And I’m great at doing stuff

So, hey, check me out, yeah, I’m just Ken

My name’s Ken (And so am I)

Put that manly hand in mine

So, hey, world, check me out, yeah, I’m just Ken

Baby, I’m just Ken

(Nobody else, nobody else)

In just a couple of minutes, Ken goes from being in an incel rage to having a genuine sense of self-worth, and that’s the message too many men missed. It may be cheesy, but men have to realize they are “Kenough,” and should not base their self-worth on a woman. For Christians, that point rings especially true—self-worth should come from God, not other humans, women or otherwise.

The movie even suggests that misplaced self-worth is one of the primary motivations behind the patriarchy, and that segues into the message of the movie for everyone: the patriarchy harms men and women in different ways, and a better understanding of the struggles women face — including the stigma against homemaking, which the movie condemns — provides a better world for everyone. 

Nobody should leave the Barbie movie thinking men are the worst. Rather, everyone should leave with greater understanding of the dangers of a society that discourages female leadership. 

No society should encourage the affirmation of one gender to be the basis of self-worth for another. Rather, men and women alike should pursue their dreams—without pressuring one another to be ordinary or extraordinary. 

That message may come with more than a healthy dose of monologues and pink set pieces, but it’s a good one nonetheless.