1 00:15:51,711 --> 99:59:59,999 it's hard to overstate the massive 2 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 cultural impact of the Barbie movie 3 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Hi Barbie 4 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Hi Ken 5 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the film Enchanted audiences wowed critics 6 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 sparked heated debates 7 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and made a truly obscene amount of money 8 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 at the box office 9 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Barbie continues breaking records 10 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 with over 1 billion dollars 11 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 at the global box office 12 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 it's an impressive cultural achievement 13 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 especially considering that the film 14 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 doubles as a feature-length commercial 15 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 for a line of plastic dolls 16 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 there was however one group 17 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 who were decidedly unenthusiastic 18 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Despite all the bubbly pink fun 19 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the movie's become a target 20 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 of some right-wing personalities 21 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 they are preaching empowerment 22 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 by making men look weak and dumb 23 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 feminist diet tribe about the evils of 24 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the modern patriarchy 25 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 It's a trojan horse to to teach girls 26 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 daddy is really a dummy or 27 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 domineering idiots 28 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 It's feminist garbage and 29 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 it's really about hating men 30 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 And Ken is like stupid and unlikable 31 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 This is an assault on not just Ken 32 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 but all men 33 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 If you've seen the movie 34 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 you might be confused 35 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Because the Barbie script goes out of 36 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 it's way to show Ken 37 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 in a sympathetic light 38 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 If anything the movie might be 39 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 a little too sympathetic to Ken 40 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "I think I owe you an apology" 41 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Huh?" Now it's tempting to dismiss this 42 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 clearly performative outrage 43 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 as just another attempt to fan the flame 44 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 of the culture war 45 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 But there is something really poisonous 46 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 under-pinning this backlash 47 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 that I do think is worth taking seriously 48 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 One word in particular 49 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 seem to touch a nerve 50 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Well I haven't seen Barbie yet, 51 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 but I've seen people talking about 52 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the number of times they use 53 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the word patriarchy in it" 54 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Feminism and the patriarchy 55 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and fighting it, and all that" 56 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "And actually to call it the patriarchy 57 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 in the film that phrase is used many times" 58 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "If you take a shot every time 59 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Barbie says the word 'patriarchy', 60 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 you will pass out before the movie ends" 61 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "As we learned that the use of word 62 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 'patriarchy' no less than ten times 63 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 in this film" 64 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "The patriarchy is a big part of this 65 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Barbie film" 66 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "The word is used endlessly in the movie 67 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 even though most people 68 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 even me actually has no idea that 69 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 what 'patriarchy' really means" 70 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 That is a truly staggering 71 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 level of defensiveness especially 72 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 coming from people who don't really 73 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 seem to understand what the word 74 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 even means 75 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 while there are many legitimate criticisms 76 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 of the Barbie movie's feminism 77 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 or lack thereof 78 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 this video essay is not going to 79 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 address those questions 80 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 instead we're going to use the movie 81 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 as a sort of primary to help explain 82 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 what patriarchy actually is 83 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 what it isn't and how it ends up 84 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 harming everyone including men 85 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Watch your flank" 86 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 to have any kind of 87 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 productive conversation 88 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 we have to get over that defensiveness 89 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 that so many men feel whenever 90 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 they they come across 91 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the word patriarchy 92 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "this is a real hornets nest in here" 93 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 contrary to popular belief 94 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 patriarchy is not a synonym for men 95 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 nor is it a code word for masculinity 96 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and it certainly has nothing to do with 97 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 hating men 98 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "yeah I am confused about that" 99 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 General confusion about 100 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 what patriarchy means is perhaps 101 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 not surprising given that the word 102 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 very rarely appears in popular media 103 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 when the term has been used 104 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 it's traditionally been as a joke 105 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 to mock feminists or feminism 106 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "let's take off our brows and burn them 107 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 in defiance of the misogynistic patriarchy" 108 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "you know what I think 109 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 I have to meet Harvey 110 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 but um maybe we can burn 111 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 our underwear together later" 112 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "when the last time we had a conversation 113 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 over 3 minutes it was about 114 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the patriarchal bias of 115 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the Mr Rogers show 116 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 well with King Friday lording it 117 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 over all the Lesser puppets 118 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 what did I miss 119 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the oppressive patriarchal values 120 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 that dictate our education" "good" 121 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 It's only after the rise of the me too 122 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 movement that we begin to see 123 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 a shift in this pattern 124 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "stay out of it Courtney 125 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 you stay out of it 126 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 I'm dismantling the patriarchy this year 127 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and I'm not afraid to start with you" 128 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 These days the word is most often 129 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 written for snarky teenage characters 130 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "So you were Guided by Lon chivalry 131 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 a tool of the patriarchy to extract 132 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 my undying gratitude?" 133 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "mhm, you know 134 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 most people just say thank you" 135 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 it's meant to identify them as brash 136 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 rebellious or naively idealistic 137 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 though not necessarily wrong 138 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 in their observations 139 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "I think marriage is 140 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 just a patriarchal system designed to 141 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 make women less autonomous 142 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 you become your husband's property 143 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 you have to bear his children 144 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 you even have to take his name" 145 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 hey didn't you say that prom was a 146 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 a postcolonial patriarchal construct 147 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 it is 148 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 but we would go as a group 149 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 as a form of protest 150 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 hey hey ho ho 151 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 patriarchy has got to go 152 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 hey hey ho ho 153 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 patriarchy has got to go" 154 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 even in this new limited context 155 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the word is still delivered as a punch 156 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "I'm jus... I mean is that it?" 157 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and its meaning is left 158 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 intentionally vague 159 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "it's called Little Women 160 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and it's about four sisters 161 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 who overcome poverty and the patriarchy" 162 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Nope, dolls" 163 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the lack of specificity guarantees that 164 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 only those who are already in the know 165 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 will get the joke 166 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Down with the patriarchy" 167 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Idiots ah" 168 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 everyone else is left 169 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 either bewildered or extremely threatened 170 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "why didn't Barbie tell 171 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 me about patriarchy?" 172 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Which to my understanding 173 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 is where men and horses 174 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 run everything" 175 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "I silver away" 176 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Sorry Ken but there are no horses involved 177 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 although it does kind of make sense 178 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 why he might think that. 179 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "that's not fair is it?" 180 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "It's the fault of the patriarchy" 181 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "also what is a patriarchy?" 182 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 In its modern usage 183 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 patriarchy refers to a type of society 184 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 that's constructed to promote 185 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 male power and authority 186 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 in sociological terms it's what's called 187 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 a social system rooted in 188 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 four distinct principles 189 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 a society is patriarchal to the degree 190 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 that it's male-dominated male centered 191 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 male identified and organized 192 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 around an obsession with control 193 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 we're going to go over 194 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 what all of that means in detail 195 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 but the important thing to remember 196 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 about social systems is that 197 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 we are not those systems 198 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and those systems are not us 199 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Because Barbie land, is now Kenland" 200 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 So in the Barbie movie 201 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 The Kens have a coup 202 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and Implement patriarchy 203 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 but the Kens as a group 204 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 are not patriarchy itself 205 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Here I'm just a dude" 206 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 The Kens make patriarchy happen 207 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 by doing it 208 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 When they stop participating 209 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the social system effectively 210 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 ceases to exist 211 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 In the same way that we can describe 212 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 a board game and its rules 213 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Without saying anything about the 214 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 personality of the individual players 215 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 so too can we talk about 216 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the system of patriarchy 217 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and how it works without condemning 218 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 every individual man 219 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Now keep in mind that the Barbie movie 220 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 focuses mostly on Straight White characters 221 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 but patriarchy impacts people in 222 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 different ways based on their sexuality 223 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 race, class or geographical location 224 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Is there a problem offices?" 225 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Moving forward in this video 226 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 I'm going to be heavily borrowing 227 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 from a book called the gender knot 228 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 by sociologist Alan G Johnson 229 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Since the devil is in the details 230 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 let's use Kenland 231 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Kendom" 232 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Kendom" 233 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Kendomland" 234 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Land of the" "Land of the free of the men" 235 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Right. Well, this place" 236 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Let's use Kendomland to help illustrate 237 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 how patriarchy works 238 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "I shall seek my fortune there" "Alright" 239 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 The first characteristic of a patriarchal 240 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 society is that it's male dominated 241 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 this is relatively straightforward 242 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 all it means is that positions of authority 243 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 are generally reserved for men 244 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Basically when you look up in 245 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the various hierarchies of society 246 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 you'll tend to see more and more men 247 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the Barbie movie gives us a vivid illustration 248 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 of what male dominance looks like 249 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 We are presented with a montage of images 250 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 featuring powerful and important men 251 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 It's notable that up until recently 252 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 women have largely been 253 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 excluded from these fields 254 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "I'll take a highlight level" 255 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "high paying job with influence, please" 256 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Okay you'll need at least an NBA" 257 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Ken also learns an important lesson 258 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 when he demands to be 259 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 given a powerful position 260 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 he has unceremoniously rejected 261 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "No I won't let you do" 262 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "just one appendectomy" 263 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "But I'm a man" 264 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "But not a doctor" 265 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Please" "No" 266 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 This is because male dominance 267 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 does not mean that 268 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 every individual man is powerful 269 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "I'm a man with no power" 270 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "does that make me a woman?" 271 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 In fact most men living in patriarchy 272 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 will never acquire 273 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 a formal position of power 274 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "This is bad this is really bad" 275 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "What?" 276 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Instead they'll spend their entire lives 277 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 laboring under the boot of 278 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 other more powerful men 279 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Are any women in charge?" 280 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Despite what this 281 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Mattel boardroom scene implies 282 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 It's not impossible for a woman to 283 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 ascend to the top in patriarchy 284 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 It just means it'll be much much harder 285 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 for women to gain and maintain power 286 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and she will be tokenized and regarded as 287 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 a special exception to the rule 288 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "I love you guys" 289 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Unlike in the fantasy world of Barbie land 290 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 there has never been 291 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 a female president of the United States 292 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "How come you're so amazing?" "No comment" 293 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Ah ha ha ha" 294 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 But even when a woman eventually 295 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 does win that position 296 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 it will not mean that patriarchy is over 297 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 because patriarchy is a dynamic 298 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and resilient system 299 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 It has evolved and changed 300 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 over the decades and indeed centuries 301 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Thanks to countless women who 302 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 have fought hard for a few seats 303 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 at the table but the table 304 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 is still male-dominated 305 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "You guys are clearly" 306 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "not doing patriarchy very well" 307 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Ha ha, no, we're uh" 308 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "We're doing it well yeah" 309 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "We're just uh hide it better now" 310 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 The second aspect of a patriarchal society 311 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 is that it's male centered 312 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 This simply means 313 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 that the focus of attention 314 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 is primarily on men and boys 315 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and what they do 316 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 one of the reasons Barbie land 317 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 is so visually startling is because 318 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 it's a rare vision of 319 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 a female centered world 320 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 It's something we almost never see 321 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 in Hollywood outside of 322 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 cheesy Sci-Fi movies from the 1950s 323 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Landing on an unknown planet" 324 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "they are captured by long limb beauties" 325 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "When they say take me to your leader" 326 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "and they take them to a creature like this" 327 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "you know they're on planet Venus" 328 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Hi Barbie" "Yay space" 329 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 In Barbie land the focus of attention 330 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 is naturally placed on the Barbies 331 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and what they do 332 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 But after the coup the Kens immediately 333 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 push the Barbies aside 334 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and put themselves and masculinity 335 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 at the center of absolutely everything 336 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Everything basically everything" 337 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Exists to expand and elevate" 338 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "the presence of men" 339 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 This is an exaggerated reflection of 340 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 our own male centered world 341 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 All you have to do is turn on the news or 342 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 or go to the movies and you'll be inundated 343 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 with endless stories centering men 344 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "A symbol to the nation" 345 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "a hero to the world" 346 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "The Beacon of Hope shining up" 347 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Obviously this doesn't mean that 348 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 women are never centered under patriarchy 349 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 But when they are 350 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 it's often framed as a woman's story 351 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 rather than a human story 352 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 The Barbie movie for example is 353 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 very specifically a story about the 354 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 gendered experience of being a woman in society 355 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Anxiety, panic attacks and OCD sold separately" 356 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 We can contrast that 357 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 with a movie like Oppenheimer 358 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 which is a story about becoming death 359 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the destroyer of worlds 360 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Yes this destroyer of worlds 361 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 happens to be a man 362 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 But notice the story isn't focused on 363 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the gendered experience of 364 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 being a man in society 365 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 In fact all of Christopher Nolan's film 366 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 center very important men 367 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 but none are about their gender 368 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 They are built as stories 369 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 representative of the 370 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 human experience (rit?) large 371 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Greta Gerwig's movies on the other hand 372 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 all Center women and are 373 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 very explicitly about being a woman 374 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 trying to navigate a man's world 375 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Very well" [Inaudible] 376 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 That's not a criticism of 377 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 either director by the way 378 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 It's just a stark illustration of 379 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 what male centered means 380 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 In patriarchy men are viewed as 381 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the default for human and 382 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Therefore experiences are framed as 383 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 an exploration of the human condition 384 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 While women's experiences are 385 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 first and foremost framed as being about womanhood 386 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Okay" 387 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Incidentally this deep-seated cultural expectation of male centrality 388 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 helps explain the waves of backlash against any entertainment 389 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 that's made for a general audience but doesn't center men or masculinity 390 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Male identification is a little more complicated 391 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 But it is a critical piece of the patriarchal puzzle 392 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 It means that core cultural ideas about what is considered 393 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 good, desirable, preferable or normal are culturally associated with how 394 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 we think about men, manhood and masculinity 395 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 this is why professions that elevate qualities like toughness, competitiveness 396 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 strength, control, rationality and invulnerability are so highly valued 397 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and highly paid in our society 398 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Monsters" 399 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 While occupations that revolve around qualities thought of as feminine 400 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 like compassion, sharing or caregiving tend to be 401 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 systematically devalued and underfunded 402 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "You know Greg's in medicine too Larry" 403 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Oh really what field?" 404 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Uh nursing" [Laughter] 405 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 In the Barbie movie The Ken establish an aggressively male identified society 406 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 They do this by stripping Barbie land of its feminine identity 407 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and superimposing a version of hyper masculinity that seems to have been 408 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 lifted from 1980s action movies 409 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 They replace all the pink furniture with black leather recliners 410 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 drape everything in obnoxious cowboy motifs and litter the landscape 411 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 with gym equipment and sporting gear 412 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Don't question it just roll with, tiny baby" 413 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "He call me baby?" 414 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 But male identification goes much deeper than Aesthetics 415 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 when Ken decides to embrace patriarchy his behavior shifts accordingly 416 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 as he tries to project male identified values 417 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "You can stay if you want as my bride wife or my long-term" 418 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "low commitment distance girlfriend" 419 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 He buries self-doubt and hides his hurt feelings behind 420 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 a layer of false bravado 421 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Bruski beer me?" 422 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "I will not Bruski beer you" 423 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Ha ha ha, that's fine" 424 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Under patriarchy the concept of leadership and indeed power itself 425 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 is closely identified with masculinity 426 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 It follows then that all men are socially elevated by default 427 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 while women and feminine things are devalued and seen as inferior 428 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Oh you got fries with that?" 429 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "If I said you had a hot body would you hold it?" 430 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Against this means that even men who don't hold any institutional power 431 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 can still see themselves as superior to women 432 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 That point is underscored when we seethat the Kens 433 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 are generally inept at running Society 434 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Go face day drunk right now" [Laughter] 435 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "(?)" 436 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 They spend their time day drinking, playing games, and goofing off 437 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Every night is boy's night" 438 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 And yet they still see themselves as superior 439 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 simply by virtue of being men living in a patriarchy 440 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "You're like I can't believe how great this place is" 441 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 In Kendom land all the Barbies are reduced to servants 442 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Where are my hungry boys who want snacks" 443 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 But in the real world a small number of women can gain power 444 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 even inside of male identified systems 445 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 However in order to do so they must prove themselves worthy 446 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 by appearing to be just as aggressive competitive and even less emotional 447 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Than any man in that same position 448 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 In other words even though they are women they must adopt and perform 449 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 male identified patriarchal values 450 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 The fourth and final feature of patriarchy is an obsession with control 451 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 as a core value around which social and personal life are organized 452 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Men maintain their privilege by controlling both women and other men 453 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 who might threaten it 454 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 The Barbie movie downplays it but men's violence against women 455 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and the everpresent threat thereof 456 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Give us a smile Blondie" 457 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 is a critical element in maintaining patriarchal control 458 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "I'm not getting any of that I feel that can only be described as admired" 459 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "but not (?) and there's no undertone of violence" 460 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Mine very much has an undertone of violence" 461 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Control can also be achieved in other ways 462 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and since the Kens don't really understand violence 463 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 they use coercion and manipulation to control daily life in Barbie land 464 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "What is wrong with them?" 465 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "We just explain to them the immaculate impeccable seamless gaunlet of logic" 466 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "that is patriarchy and they crumbled" 467 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Not the Kens take over for every institution 468 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 they also take control of the dream houses 469 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "This shall henceforth be known as Ken's Mojo Dojo Kasa house" 470 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and they manipulate the Barbies into embracing their new status 471 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 as objectified servants 472 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Anyone need a Bruski beer?" 473 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "What are you doing? You're a doctor" 474 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 I like being a helpful decoration 475 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 The illusion of intellectual and rational superiority 476 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 is critical to enforcing the myth that men are in control of every situation 477 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Let me show you" "Here let me show you" 478 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Here let us show you" 479 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and therefore deserve their privilege status 480 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Now you listen to me" 481 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 This is emblematic of how men in the real world 482 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 will often compensate for feelings of personal inadequacy 483 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 by exercising extreme control over those closest to them 484 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "You are going to be home at 6:00 every night" 485 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "and you are going to have dinner ready on this table" 486 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Especially women and children 487 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "No" 488 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "[Singing] I don't want to push you around" 489 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Returning to the gender knot men are assumed and expected 490 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 to be in control at all times to be unemotional except for anger and rage 491 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 to present themselves as invulnerable, autonomous, independent 492 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 logical, dispassionate, knowledgeable, always right 493 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and in command of every situation especially those involving women 494 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 [Laughter] "Who are you texting?" 495 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Huh?" "Who are you texting?" 496 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "No one" "hmm let me just" 497 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 "Ken" 498 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 This obsession with control is so strong in our culture that any man 499 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 who is perceived as not exerting enough control over women 500 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 is likely to be ridiculed as pussy whipped packed 501 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 or tethered to the old balling chain 502 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Notice that there are no equivalent derogatory terms for men 503 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Who do control women