Marc Maron, of the ultra-popular WTF podcast, is calling “Barbie” a “Masterpiece” and attacking “certain men” who are criticizing Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster (via THR).
Maron is calling out these “certain men,” who feel threatened by the film, as “f*cking insecure babies,” adding that he was truly taken by the film’s “progressive politics and basic feminism.”
“I saw “Barbie” and I thought it was a f*cking masterpiece […] And like, I don’t throw that word around lightly, but, Jesus Christ […] The comedy about men is inspired and the fact that certain men took offense to the point where they, you know, tried to build a grift around it in terms of their narrative as right-wing **** is so embarrassing for them. I mean, so embarrassing for them. Any dude that can’t take those hits in that movie, they’ve really got to look in their pants and decide what they’re made of. I mean, Jesus Christ, what a bunch of f*cking insecure babies.
Maron being blown away by Gerwig’s doll movie, which is semi-playful as it goes along, inventively constructed, until it falls apart in its second half, is riling up detractors of the film.
“Barbie” has not only been getting good reviews, but has also made $811 million worldwide. Its numbers dropped hard this week, but I suspect the backlash its received has very little to do with it. People who wanted to see “Barbie” have now seen it. Maron goes on to say ..
It’s like it does a fairly amazing thing to create a sort of broad-based entertainment product that applies to the entire spectrum. I think primarily of women. And then just seep it in progressive politics and basic feminism in a way that’s funny, informative and well-executed in a context that is completely engaging is fucking monumental.
Hyperbole much? Calling “Barbie” “monumental” and a “masterpiece” is high praise, but Maron is overdoing it here. Are there any WoR readers who actually believe this? Don’t worry, I don’t judge, I get it, but Maron’s rave seems a little too overdone.
Gerwig has been fairly silent about the backlash against her film, but she did tell the New York Times that her “hope for the movie is that it’s an invitation for everybody to be part of the party and let go of the things that aren’t necessarily serving us as either women or men.”
The “Barbie” marketing campaign by Warner Bros was absolutely masterful. They limited political talk, barely mentioning the film’s feminist aspects, and, instead, completely zeroed in on the comedic nature of the film.
Gyllenhaal says women face systemic barriers in an industry that may not value the kinds of films they want to make. Roy Price’s response? Watch “The Bride.”