Current:Home > ScamsBill Maher Ken-not with Barbie fighting the patriarchy: 'This movie is so 2000-LATE' -ProsperityStream Academy
Bill Maher Ken-not with Barbie fighting the patriarchy: 'This movie is so 2000-LATE'
View
Date:2025-04-14 00:15:20
Bill Maher doesn't think Greta Gerwig's representation of life in plastic is all that fantastic.
The "Real Time" host shared his thoughts Monday about "Barbie" on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Though the film starring Margot Robbie as the titular character has surpassed $1 billion at the box office since its July 21 release date, Maher wasn't impressed.
"I was hoping it wouldn't be preachy, man-hating, and a #ZombieLie - alas, it was all three," Maher began. He described a "zombie lie" as "something that never was true, but certain people refuse to stop saying it (tax cuts for the rich increase revenues, e.g.); OR something that USED to be true but no longer is, but certain people pretend it's still true. 'Barbie' is this kind of #ZombieLie."
'Barbie' review:Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling dazzle in hilariously heady toy story
Maher continued, taking issue with portrayal of Mattel's board in the film as "12 white men! The Patriarchy!" he wrote. "Except there's a Mattel board in real life, and it's 7 men and 5 women." Mattel's website currently identifies 11 Board of Directors, consisting of six men and five women.
"OK, not perfect even-steven," Maher went on, "but not the way the board IN THE MOVIE - which takes place in 2023 - is portrayed. And not really any longer deserving of the word 'patriarchy.' Yes, there was one, and remnants of it remain - but this movie is so 2000-LATE."
"I know, I know, 'How could I know about the patriarchy, I AM a man!'" Maher wrote, preemptively going on the defense. "That argument is so old and so silly. Of course, none of us can know exactly what others go through life, but I can see the world around me, and I can read data.
"The real Mattel board is a pretty close mirror of the country, where 45% of the 449 board seats filled last year in Fortune 500 companies were women," Maher added. "Barbie is fun, I enjoyed it - but it IS a #ZombieLie," Maher wrote in conclusion. "Let's live in the year we're living in! Hi Ken!!!"
Though, it appears Maher might be quoting from older data. According to this year's Heidrick & Struggles' Board Monitor US report, there were 414 Fortune 500 board appointments made in 2022 (a decrease from 449 in 2021). And only 40% of the 2022 openings were filled by women, per the report, down from 45% in 2021. Furthermore, the company's analysis of CEOs released in 2022 found that women made up 7% of CEOs around the world. Last year women in America "earned an average of 82% of what men earned," per Pew Research Center findings that looked at "median hourly earnings of both full- and part-time workers."
'Barbie' ending:Greta Gerwig talks 'emotional' final line, creator Ruth Handler (Spoilers!)
veryGood! (51217)
Related
- A steeplechase record at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Then a proposal. (He said yes.)
- Ohio GOP congressional primaries feature double votes and numerous candidates
- Is the Great Resignation over? Not quite. Turnover stays high in these industries.
- Former Vice President Mike Pence calls Trump's Jan. 6 hostage rhetoric unacceptable
- Taylor Swift Cancels Austria Concerts After Confirmation of Planned Terrorist Attack
- When is spring 2024? What to know about the vernal equinox as we usher in a new season
- ‘Access Hollywood’ tape won’t be played at Donald Trump’s hush-money criminal trial, judge rules
- An Alabama sculpture park evokes the painful history of slavery
- 'Meet me at the gate': Watch as widow scatters husband's ashes, BASE jumps into canyon
- Has there ever been perfect March Madness bracket? NCAA tournament odds not in your favor
Ranking
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- Heat-seeking drone saves puppy's life after missing for five days
- LeBron scores 25, D’Angelo Russell ties Lakers 3-pointers record in LA’s 136-105 win over Hawks
- As housing costs skyrocket, Sedona will allow workers to live in cars. Residents aren't happy
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- The April 8 solar eclipse could impact power. Here's why.
- 'Paid Leave For All': Over 70 companies, brands closed today to push for paid family leave
- Kentucky Senate proposes conditions for providing funds for the state’s Office of Medical Cannabis
Recommendation
Boy who wandered away from his 5th birthday party found dead in canal, police say
Beauty YouTuber Jessica Pettway Dead at 36 After Cervical Cancer Battle
Don't dismiss Rick Barnes, Tennessee this March: Dalton Knecht could transcend history
Celine Dion shares health update in rare photo with sons
Michigan lawmaker who was arrested in June loses reelection bid in Republican primary
Announcers revealed for NCAA Tournament men's first round
Pennsylvania House speaker pushes for same-day registration and widely available early voting
Trump’s lawyers say it is impossible for him to post bond covering $454 million civil fraud judgment