PSA, here’s how to use the Barbie movie as the ‘ultimate relationship test’

Time to find out if your boyfriend is really Kenough

9 months ago

If your Barbie screening was anything like mine, it was filled with women in pink outfits, drinking wine and crying as Greta Gerwig’s existential crisis plot line made us want to hug our friends and apologise to our mothers. The weight of being a woman felt heavy by the credits.

But on second viewing, there’s a different demographic we want to drag to the cinema: the boyfriends. To, you know, see how they react to such an onslaught of feminity. And one user on TikTok has carefully laid out how to use the Barbie movie as the “ultimate relationship test” and see if your boyfriend is actually good long term partner material.

“I genuinely think taking your bf to Barbie should be your relationship test to descide if he’s a good potential long term partner,” @swagaliciousvr0 wrote in a post, now with 3.9 million views. “How does he react when you tell him yo want to go wit him? What are his thoughts on why certain things are happening in the movie? How does he feel about Alan?” they asked.

“What are his thoughts on the montage at the end? What are his feelings on the way Ken was portrayed? is he interested in having an intellectual conversation about the message afterwards?” they continued, of the Piers-Morgan-hated feminist themes of the film.

“I think these are all very important things that will give yo a crystal clear image of what his character is,” they added. If you’re testing your relationship, take him to Barbie. If you’re going on a first date, take him to Barbie. All men should see Barbie.”

Since the video was posted, loads of women have responded in the comments and their own posts describing how their boyfriends reacted to Barbie: “He gave it a 10/10, said that he’s glad it talked about girl n boy probs. n he hugged me n said “tell me when ur sad, its what I’m made for,” one person replied.

“Immediately said yes, paid in full for our tickets and snacks, and at the end said ‘this is a movie you take your bf to’. Absolutely more than enough,” another commenter wrote. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

But inevitably, not everyone’s partners had as much Kenergy as they were expecting: “I was hoping my husband would try and understand,” one woman wrote. “He had a hissy fit, and it’s making me question everything.” Yikes. Time to put your boyfriend to the Barbie test x

More Barbie stories recommended by this writer:

• Take this quiz and we’ll tell you which Ken from the Barbie film shares your Kenergy

• I survived Barbenheimer: The most chaotic cinema day of a generation

• Cafés, consoles, and cruises: All 25 iconic ways that the Barbie movie is being promoted

Lydia Spencer-Elliott