Barbie was, without a doubt, a true blockbuster of this year. Greta Gerwig’s bubblegum-fun-cum-feminist-thesis (as the Guardian described it) explores deep topics of societal womanhood and patriarchy, depicted through the story of stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie). But it’s also a wacky comedy that entertained its viewers throughout, even though it consisted sod social issues.
In the end, Gerwig used a superhero movie reference to illustrate the movie’s philosophy. This is something that is poles apart from traditional gender norms associated with Barbie. So, in this comical twist, the misguided Ken who turns Barbieland into a patriarchal (though he has no clue what patriarchy is) macho frathouse.
He wants it to be a place where Barbies obsess over oddities (tend to the Kens) and care about things like the Snyder Cut of DC’s Justice League. It’s a witty jab that uses the shorthand of anyone familiar with Twitter discourse to express precisely what bratty Kens has become. Even director Zack Snyder plays along with the playful chaos, but his “toxic fans” criticize it.
Also read: Margot Robbie’s Barbie is Not the Only One to Make Fun of Zack Snyder’s Justice League Cut
Zack Snyder’s Fans Are Mocked for Outrage Over Barbie Joke
In a candid conversation with Men’s Health, Zack Snyder revealed that he got a heads-up about the cheeky Barbie joke. It became a part of the conversation between his wife and producing partner, Deborah Snyder, and Michael DeLuca (Warner Bros. CEO). “They gave us a heads-up,” Snyder said.
“And he said, ‘Hey, there’s a reference to Justice League in the movie. It’s cool and whatever, I hope you guys understand, we think it’s awesome.’”
“I thought [‘Barbie’] was great,” Snyder added. “And I think the joke is pretty good.” But Snyder fans got against Gerwig’s movie because it made fun of his favorite director. Though the joke was more for his fandom rather than a personal jab at Snyder, other X users mocked the fandom for their anger over a Barbie movie jest. Check out their reactions on X:
Atleast he can take a joke 😂
— muhammad hassan (@mhassan_32) December 5, 2023
Yeah Snyder is cool as far as I'm concerned, he can take jokes and criticism unlike his fans
— Joker BIM (@FairlyDoubtful) December 5, 2023
It’s so funny whenever Zack Snyder is just a normal dude. Like his fandom gets WAY more upset and indignant for him about any slight jab or critique of him than he ever would for himself.
— Floornine (@Frankenfarts) December 5, 2023
Zack Snyder is extremely chill, his fandom tarnish his name and legacy on a daily basis unfortunately
— Dimmadam (@OOOyediran) December 5, 2023
Snyder takes a joke way better than his fans can. 😂
— Douglas 🍕 (@MawileMage) December 5, 2023
Zack Snyder agreed a “hundred percent” to the joke that it was more at the fandom than a personal dig.
Zack Snyder Fans Became a Pop Culture Phenomenon in Hollywood
The realization that his fanbase has become a pop culture punchline in a Hollywood blockbuster left Zack Snyder flabbergasted. He said in the same interview with Men’s Health:
“The thing that I said to Debbie is—the thing that you need to take a second and think about is that your name is so seamlessly sewed together with a pop-culture phenomenon so big it can exist as a joke in a movie about Barbie,” Snyder said. “That’s pretty insane. You just need to step back for a second and go like, ‘Whoa, what did we do? What happened? How is that a thing?’”
The Snyder Cut joke in Barbie pokes fun at the toxic fandom surrounding the Man of Steel director. It’s mostly seen in the campaign for Warner Bros. when the fandom pushed Snyder’s version of Justice League. Barbie is also a Warner Bros. release. That’s why it gob-smacked many (as it slammed its own studio film).
Also read: Ryan Gosling Feels Haunted By “Kenergy” Ever Since ‘Barbie’ Press Tour For the Weirdest Reason
