Caution: The following article contains spoilers for the movie Barbie. It seems that Bill Maher, the 67-year-old host of Real Time, isn’t a fan of Greta Gerwig’s film. In a recent social media post, Maher expressed his rather critical opinion, describing the movie as “preachy” and “man-hating.” One of Maher’s main concerns with the movie is its portrayal of a patriarchal society in the year 2023.
Maher pointed out that the movie depicts Barbie fighting against the patriarchy, particularly the male-dominated Mattel board who created her. However, Maher noted that in real life, the Mattel board consists of 7 men and 5 women, not quite the extreme patriarchy depicted in the film. Maher emphasized that while remnants of the patriarchy still exist, it is no longer as prominent as portrayed in Barbie.
The film showcases Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, learning about the patriarchy while visiting the Real World with Stereotypical Barbie, portrayed by Margot Robbie. Ken then implements his idealized version of the system in Barbie Land, giving power to the male Kens, including Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, and Scott Evans.
However, Maher seemed to misunderstand a plot point in which the Barbies distract the Kens by pretending not to understand certain topics, such as films and computers, in order to rescue other brainwashed Barbies. He jokingly referred to this as “the Barbies having to win over the Kens” by acting helpless and clueless. He argued that such behavior is outdated and unrealistic in today’s society.
Addressing the criticism that as a man he shouldn’t be commenting on the patriarchy, Maher disagreed, stating that seeing the world around him and analyzing data allows him to form opinions. He noted that the real-life composition of the Mattel board is reflective of the country, where nearly half of the Fortune 500 board seats filled last year were occupied by women. Maher stated that he is not out of touch with reality but rather living in the present.
While Maher acknowledged that Barbie was an enjoyable film, he labeled it a “zombie lie” – a notion that was once true but no longer holds true. He urged people to embrace the current reality rather than clinging to outdated beliefs. Maher concluded his review by cheekily saying, “Let’s live in the year we’re living in! Hi Ken!!!”
Maher’s review comes after comedian Marc Maron defended the movie and criticized the backlash it received from certain men. Maron stated that any man who cannot handle the movie’s themes should reflect on their insecurities.