Does the label “long-term, long distance, low commitment casual girlfriend” mean nothing to you?
Greta Gerwig‘s record-breaking Barbie movie earned a special place in millions of hearts worldwide. As audiences and critics watched it, they soon realized it was much more than just another cheesy look into the classic toy and her world of plastic. Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as the iconic characters of Barbie and Ken, the multi-award-nominated film took the world by storm, and its success was more than deserved.
Despite the unwavering ability to hit its audiences in the feels, Barbie was chock full of cheesiness and perfect comedy that provided a nice balance, with Ryan Gosling’s portrayal of Ken being a big part of that comedic relief. Few expected Ken to be the film’s breakout star, but he was, thanks to Gosling’s committed performance and a screenplay that allowed him to be silly yet relatable. Indeed, Ken was responsible for some of the funniest moments throughout the movie, thanks to these hilariously absurd and unexpected quotes that rank as his best and most memorable.
Barbie
Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.
- Release Date
- July 21, 2023
- Director
- Greta Gerwig
- Cast
- Margot Robbie , Simu Liu , Ryan Gosling , Helen Mirren , Ariana Greenblatt , America Ferrera
- Runtime
- 114 minutes
- Writers
- Noah Baumbach , Greta Gerwig
10 “I’m a liberated man, I know crying’s not weak.”
Crying isn’t weak at all.
Ken may have the mannerisms of a child and behave a little differently than an average adult human being, but he’s very in touch with his emotions and isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. While he may not fully understand the reasoning for how and why he’s feeling a certain way, he’s undoubtedly in tune with his emotions for most of the movie, even if he’s a little misguided at times.
When he and the other Kens realize they missed their chance to vote to change the constitution due to their “I’m Just Ken” performance, they rush to find their Mojo Dojo Casa Houses transformed back into their dreamier looks. While initially attempting to stand as a united front, Gosling’s Ken breaks down crying and runs into the house. Barbie comforts him and says that it’s okay to cry, to which Ken responds with this comedic yet relatable line as he allows himself to feel the emotions he’d been trying to convey, just in the wrong way. Indeed, Ken, crying isn’t weak but a sign of strength and emotional health, something every inhabitant of Barbieland desperately needs to work on.
9 “You can only fit a six-pack in them, and the freezers are basically useless.”
Why are mini fridges even a thing?
Poor Ken. It was a lot of misguided information he took on in the Real World, wasn’t it? He was so excited about discovering the patriarchy, his books, his horses, and his newly acquired Mojo Dojo Casa House. However, perhaps his biggest disappointment was the realization that mini-fridges and freezers weren’t all they were cracked up to be.
Close to the end of Barbie, the titular doll and Ken release all their pent-up emotions, resulting in the Barbies taking back their Dreamhouses and Ken releasing all of that pent-up emotion he’d been keeping inside for who knows how long. Although the movie is not perfect, Barbie‘s performances are pretty close to it. While the scene between Margot and Ryan’s characters has moments of genuine human emotion, Ken has a couple of his most memorable quotes spoken during the moment, and his strong feelings over the uselessness of mini-freezers are something he feels very passionate about. He’s got a point about their uselessness, and it’s both funny and sad to see him realizing it.
8 “If I wasn’t severely injured, I would beach you off right now, Ken.”
“Nobody’s gonna beach anybody off.”
The Barbie movie played host to some famous faces and unexpected cameos that audiences loved to see. From the hilarious John Cena and two-time Oscar winner Ann Roth to the Gavin and Stacey-starring Rob Brydon and the Grammy-nominated Dua Lipa, the film wasn’t lacking a star-studded cast.
One person known to be lending his talents to the World of Plastic early on was Simu Lu, and everyone was excited to see his portrayal. He did far from disappoint, and his on-screen rivalry with Gosling’s Ken provides some entertaining conflict between the two. This line serves as their first clash and comes after Gosling tries to impress Barbie by surfing and ends up cartoonishly bouncing off the “water,” landing hard. Barbieland confrontations are slightly more lighthearted than Real-World confrontations, but beaching someone off is arguably the highest form of challenge there.
7 “What if there’s beach? You’ll need someone who’s a professional in that.”
His job is just beach.
As previously mentioned, Ken sneaks into the back of Barbie’s car and gives her a car-flipping jump scare when he reveals himself. His joining her may have been on the grounds of a double bet with Ken, but his winning argument comes when he brings his job title into his argument to let him tag along.
When persuading Barbie to let him come with her to the Real World, Ken brings up a very valid point; after all, that’s his only job: beach. It’s a convincing point, considering the number of beaches in California—not that Ken would know that, of course, and the movie might’ve benefitted from showing him going into the real ocean beyond just watching it. And, hey, it is his job, and he is a professional.
6 “I can’t even beach here!”
Ken throwing tantrums was not on anyone’s bingo card.
Ken may have been one for musical talent with that Oscar-nominated ballad “I’m Just Ken,” but his real profession is just “beach.” What exactly does that mean is anyone’s guess, but he proudly states it time and time again. So when he gets to the Real World and goes off exploring after discovering the patriarchy, he quickly grows disappointed with the fact that he can’t do any of the jobs he’d found while there, not even “beach.”
He tries his hand at getting a high-level, high-paying job and performing just one appendectomy before heading to the beach and talking to a lifeguard, where he reveals he’s not trained to go in the water or even to save anybody in danger on the beach. Frustrated, he throws his hands up and walks away, defeated that he can’t even confidently stand on the beach like he does so well back home. The quote is ridiculous, and seeing Ken throwing a tantrum is both hysterical and a huge red flag concerning his future actions.
5 “I hate it when people think. I get so bored.”
If only mind reading were a thing.
Ryan Gosling’s ability to portray a character like Ken as well as he did is very impressive. His capability to play a toy with elements of childlike mannerisms while mixing it with the human feelings of seeking acceptance, approval, and fitting in shows his acting skill. It’s a memorably comedic and incredibly heartfelt performance in places.
Just after he and Barbie arrive in the Real World, Ken begins to do as a child would when their parents are talking to someone or dragging them somewhere they’re not too keen on being; he starts kicking his feet and complaining about being bored. Ken is very childlike, and it plays into the idea that he’s a kid’s toy with no set purpose other than being an accessory to Barbie. Thus, if she’s busy, Ken literally has no reason to be. While it made sense as to why he was behaving the way he was, seeing Ken dressed in a sparkly cowboy outfit and acting like a lost puppy was very funny.
4 “I have all the genitals.”
Good to know, maybe?
When Kate McKinnon‘s Weird Barbie mentions that she’d like to see what kind of “weird blob” Ken is packing under his jeans, it puts one hell of a comedic mental image into audiences’ heads. Think Lucifer‘s cartoon episode when Lucifer (Tom Ellis) strips and there’s nothing there. “I’m a smoothie!” But then let the imagination lead the way.
When Barbie and Ken travel to the real world, they learn very quickly the problems faced by women. Upon meeting a group of construction workers, Barbie receives some derogatory quips, and she makes it very clear that neither she nor Ken has genitals. Ken is offended and reassures them that he “has all the genitals,” but it leaves both the men and the audience wondering: Does he have a weird blob like Werid Barbie said? Does he even know what “genitals” are? Chances are Ken just wanted to look cool before his fellow men.
3 “This shall henceforth be known as Ken’s Mojo Dojo Casa House.”
“These Mojo Dojo Casa Houses are literally flying off the shells.”
Having discovered what patriarchy is, or at least to his understanding, Ken returns to Barbieland with exciting news and big plans. While Barbie remains in the Real World, Ken completely flips the place upside down and changes everything about it, which includes giving the iconic Dreamhouses a makeover.
Although Margot’s Barbie, Gloria (Ameria Ferrara), and Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) weren’t fond of the changes, the latter two had to test it out when Ken said it had to be known as Ken’s Mojo Dojo Casa House because it is indeed fun to say. In reality, the Mojo Dojo Casa Houses would probably literally fly off the shelves. If the movie’s popularity didn’t help with increasing toy sales, then the fact that it is incredibly satisfying to say definitely would.
2 “When I found out that patriarchy wasn’t about horses, I lost interest anyway.”
What’s the deal with the horses?
It’s abundantly clear from the moment Ken and Barbie leave Barbieland that Ken’s understanding of patriarchy is slightly clouded. In awe of everything he discovers in the Real World and convinced that men on horses rule the world, Ken travels back to Barbieland without Barbie and, unbeknownst to her, teaches the other Kens what he learned while away. What could possibly go wrong?
As it turns out, a lot can and does go awry when Ken instills his newfound knowledge in the other Barbies and Kens back in Barbieland. The thing is, he doesn’t understand the correct meaning of patriarchy and eventually reveals he lost interest after realizing it wasn’t about horses. Ken’s naive and innocent understanding comes as a comedic realization for audiences and reveals the truth about his character. He’s not evil and doesn’t mean to harm the other Barbies; he just wants to feel appreciated and ride a cool horse. Is that so bad?
1 “Sublime!”
Sublime, indeed.
When Barbie shows up at the doors of her former Dreamhouse and tells him she is ready to be his “long-term distance low commitment casual girlfriend,” he excuses himself and ducks behind the walls. The way the scene is set up and how Ken is acting leaves the set-up wide open for something comedic to happen, but nobody could’ve imagined what comes out of his mouth. When he finally breaks the silence by yelling, “Sublime!” Barbie and the viewers receive a hilarious surprise.
The word is so random that it’s funny yet fancy enough to prove Ken is trying his hardest to be everything Barbie thinks he’s not. What makes this scene even funnier is the improvisation behind it. Ryan Gosling came out with some hilarious blooper-worthy alternatives before settling on this iconic line that had Margot, Greta, and the rest of the cast and crew in stitches on set.
This article was originally published on collider.com