Barbie, the much-awaited movie of 2023, has finally hit cinemas. With its release, we can't help but wonder: what is Ken's job?
After all, we've seen the many different jobs of the Barbie characters throughout the film. But when it comes to the Kens, we're left confused about what he's actually doing.
In line with this, we're here to break misconceptions about what Ken actually does and, more importantly, what his relationship to Barbie is.
What Does ‘Just Ken’ Mean?
When the character posters of Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie came out, people got intrigued by the star-studded cast of the film. But if there's something that got us curious, it would be Ryan Gosling's character, Just Ken.
The movie also proudly highlights this as a tagline: "She's everything. He's just Ken." But what does 'Just Ken' mean?
To put it simply, it all goes back to the numerous accomplishments Barbie has earned in her lifetime.
Ever since she was created, there have been a number of Barbie dolls with their own accomplishments. Meanwhile, her male counterpart was just that-- Ken.
In the movie's depiction of Barbie Land, Ken doesn't have the achievements that Barbie has made. He doesn't even have his name on the deed of Barbie's Malibu Dreamhouse.
And to make things more interesting, he may not even be Barbie's boyfriend. Not unless Barbie decides so.
But apparently, this is something that has raised concern among movie watchers.
In real life, women have always been taught that life is about compromise. They will have to conform to their careers, hobbies, and the decisions of their partners.
By creating the movie and keeping Ken just a random guy, Gerwig lets men have a taste of what it's been like for women considered as her guy's accessory.
Do the Ken Dolls Have Any Jobs?
Since Barbie’s creation in 1959, she has had more than 200 jobs. Meanwhile, Ken’s accomplishments pale in comparison as he has only had over 40 jobs, such as a Surgeon, Astronaut, Hamburger Cook, and Country Wedding Singer among others.
But out of that number, Ken has always been assumed to be working at the beach. And in real life, many of the kids believed that Ken was a lifeguard or a surfer.
So what does Ken really do?
As Ryan Gosling explains:
"You know surfing isn't even my job, and it's not lifeguard, which is a common misconception."
In the movie, Ken's job is "beach." He simply stands on the sand and surveys the waves.
But as depicted in the movie, his job doesn't define him as a person. He is simply Kenough.
You can watch Gosling's interview as Ken here:
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