Greta Gerwig’s Barbie was an eye-opener for many regarding men, the patriarchy, and how we’ve normalized so many things. Naturally, many men all over the world dissed the movie claiming it was just mocking men and that they weren’t like that in real life.
However, although a parody, Ken and his namesake pals in Barbieland are a very faithful portrayal of many men out there, and if you still believe it’s not true, we’ve seen two great examples in the celebrity world just these past weeks.
Ken and Men’s Urge to Show Off
Once the patriarchy is installed in Barbieland, one of the Kens’ main jobs is showing Barbies that they are as special (or more) than the women. In a hilarious scene, we even see them all singing their respective Barbies a ridiculous song while they’re simply pretending they like it. And let’s be honest, we’ve all been that Barbie to our Kens.
In Britney Spears’ memoir The Woman in Me, Britney recalls one of the most painful experiences in her life. The time she had to abort her baby because Justin Timberlake wasn’t prepared to be a father. Even more horrible than that is the fact that he forbade her to do it at a hospital or even hire medical assistance to do the process because he didn’t want the news to spread.
So, poor Britney was left alone to abort in her house. She recalls experiencing the worst pain ever, to the point that she couldn’t leave the bathroom. After some time, Timberlake appeared, and instead of being supportive or saying some encouraging words, he simply took his guitar and started playing music next to her “to make her feel better.”
This news shook us to the core because how can someone be so shallow to think that what his partner needs at that horrible and vulnerable moment is them singing next to them?! And talking about women, pregnancies, and vulnerable moments, here comes another fellow man who thought playing an instrument would make things better at a complex moment.
Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian have just welcomed their baby boy Rocky. Although it isn’t clear when the baby was born, it’s said that the couple planned everything to make it happen on Halloween, because having a cool date is more important to let nature do its thing. Moreover, it was recently shared that the birth of the boy was somehow more peculiar as daddy decided to bring a snare drum pad to perform to the beat of Rocky’s heartbeat during his birth.
At first, this sounds cute, after all, he’s a great drummer and he’s making the birth of his son special. But if you think about it, it’s just uncomfortable for everyone involved: the mother, the medical staff, and even other patients at the hospital. But forget about everybody else, think of the mom! Giving birth is one of the most beautiful experiences, but it’s also a very vulnerable and painful moment. Why not support your wife and be there holding her hand instead of giving a random show?!
Like in the movie, these two cases only show that something that drives some men is selfishness and a need to prove they are special. Yes, they might be talented, but the last thing these people were thinking about was their partners or their needs in a vulnerable moment. They think the world revolves around them and their craft and that everybody will appreciate their “talent” no matter what.
