We’re exactly one month ahead of the big release of Barbie and many of us have already selected the Barbiecore outfit we’re going to rock at the movie theaters. Greta Gerwig’s live-action has all expectations high, and the trailer didn’t disappoint a bit with all our childhood fantasies being brought to life in Barbieland.
All the Barbies and Kens living together, the idea of Barbie suddenly having an existential crisis that threatens to end her perfect life, and all the pink and plastic vibes gave us an idea of what the movie is going to be about. However, despite our fascination for the trailer, there’s something about it that seems like a major plot hole and that we can’t believe it took us weeks to see it! Let’s dive into it.
Barbie’s Trailer Plot Hole
So the trailer starts with a normal perfect day in Barbieland until our star starts experiencing some unusual events like falling from the roof and even flat feet. Barbie is having an existential crisis and will be forced to leave her perfect life to discover what’s going on with her. Ryan Gosling’s Ken is willing to embark on the adventure to help her out, and we get a funny glimpse of the cultural shocks they’ll experience in the real world.
Everything looks great so far with even an endearing cameo from the original Barbie inspo, but the very last scene in the trailer, before the classic “Barbie Girl” song plays, is a bit confusing. If you remember well (or you can rewatch the trailer below) we see Ken having a hilarious, yet uncomfortable (and misogynistic) exchange with a female doctor. For some reason, he wants to perform an appendectomy on someone, and the doctor won’t let him. He says “Can I talk to a doctor?” to which she replies “You are talking to a doctor.” He then sees a male doctor walking by and says “There he is” and follows him. Why is this a plot hole?
Well, the entire premise of the movie is that Barbie is everything while Ken is just Ken. Following the actual doll history, Barbie has always had all the professions imaginable, and Ken usually is just a good-looking accessory. Within the movie universe, Ken is used to seeing all sorts of Barbies, we even have Presiden Barbie in Barbieland. So why would Ken ever think that a woman couldn’t be a doctor? Why the misogyny? What are we missing?!
Possible Explanations
Of course, many have theorized already on this matter, and there’s likely an explanation and purpose for this scene. Could it be that in a very short time, Ken has learned what patriarchy is and how it works, and being as suggestible as he seems to be, he’s taken it too seriously? That could be an actually funny explanation and one that goes on Greta Gerwig’s narratives.
Another possible explanation is that he’s used to Barbie Doctor wearing a white coat, a cute pink dress underneath, and a huge plastic stethoscope, while this particular doctor is simply wearing some green surgery pajamas. This sounds logical, but kind of lame for such a joke.
I guess we’ll have to wait one more month to find out if there’s a hilarious and smart explanation for this scene or if it’s a plot hole in a quite awkward yet funny scene. As you know Barbie will premier worldwide on July 21, the same day as Oppenheimer. Which one are you watching first? Who will win the opening box office? We’ll soon find out!
Here’s more on Barbie:
Barbie’s Soundtrack Lineup Is out; We Love All the Female Talent
Ryan Gosling Sent Those Who Criticize Him for Being ‘Too Old’ for the Role to Play with Another Ken
Who Is Allan in ‘Barbie’, the Character Played by Michael Cera?
