The new Barbie movie is a cinematic masterpiece for the ages. It’s hilarious while tugging on your emotional strings. For longtime fans of Mattel’s Barbie dolls, one of the best parts was all the little Barbie stuff worked into the movie. From those iconic curved feet to fashions from throughout the doll’s history, it was a Barbie lover’s dream.
The real highlight was all the different Barbies and Kens they worked into the movie. Besides the main Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling), there were many more featured. There were great Kens like Earring Magic Ken and Kenmaid along with the discontinued Barbies that made me laugh out loud. But one wise Barbie that almost every Barbie girl from every generation can relate to is Weird Barbie. This Barbie needed to have an actress that balanced seriousness with humor perfectly. Of course, only Kate McKinnon could play Weird Barbie.
Who is Kate McKinnon?
Hopefully, you have seen Kate McKinnon in other things prior to Barbie because she is amazing. I’ll watch anything she’s in. McKinnon is most well-known for her 10-year run on Saturday Night Live. There she really showed her range with outstanding impressions (her Jeff Sessions was perfectly unhinged). As well as hilarious original characters with Aidy Bryant. She also starred in multiple films, including Bombshell alongside Barbie co-star Robbie, and Ghostbusters (2016), in which she played hot genius Dr. Jillian Holtzmann.
Who is Weird Barbie?
McKinnon’s Weird Barbie has a history that most kids who played with Barbie can relate to. The marker on her face, choppy haircut, and permanent split position were all signs that she was “played with too much.” Those Barbies that we decided to try applying marker makeup to or cutting their hair to see if we were destined for hairstylist greatness became Weird Barbies. In the movie, she admits to “always smelling like basement” because most of the time these Barbies ended up in storage. Just because no one played with her anymore didn’t mean Weird Barbie would fade into the background. She’s smart, funny, and, of course, weird. In any scene she’s in, your eyes go straight to her and her awkward splits.
This Barbie has her own weird house where she makes accurate maps of Barbieland. She also is the keeper of Barbie knowledge. When Stereotypical Barbie has an existential crisis, the other Barbies knew Weird Barbie is the only one who could help. Weird Barbie guides Barbie into choosing the Birkenstock over the pink high-heel to find the root of her problem in the real world. When Barbie returns from the real world, Ken has taken over the place and only Weird Barbie seems to have kept her sanity. Again, Weird Barbie helps save the day. President Barbie rewards her efforts with a cabinet position. Keeping things weird, she picks sanitation. You are perfect, Weird Barbie, never change.
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
