The poor Ken in the dirt looks, quite frankly, pathetic. It’s hard not to feel for the guy, clearly tossed to the wayside without any care in the world. As for Gosling’s children, they sound incredibly imaginative. He told The New York Times that his daughters don’t play with Barbie and Ken the way most people would assume they would. “They don’t call him Ken. One of them is named Darrell,” he said. “One of the Barbies’ names is Gym Class. Gym Class met Darrell at the grocery store but Gym Class is focusing on herself right now.” It sounds like Darrell might have provided at least a tiny bit of inspiration for Gosling’s Ken, who also must deal with a Barbie who wants to focus on figuring out her own path.
If there was any doubt that Gosling was the only actor to play Ken, his dedication to defending Barbie’s greatest accessory is unparalleled, and hearing him talk about how much Ken has changed his life is downright inspiring. “Barbie never f***ed with Ken. That’s the point,” he told GQ. “If you ever really cared about Ken, you would know that nobody cared about Ken. So your hypocrisy is exposed. This is why his story must be told.” For those who have seen “Barbie,” Gosling’s goal was wholeheartedly achieved. Ken’s story has been told, and it wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for that forgotten Ken, face down in the dirt.
“Barbie” is currently playing in theaters.