Men's Liberation
This community is first and foremost a feminist community for men and masc people, but it is also a place to talk about men’s issues with a particular focus on intersectionality.
Rules
Everybody is welcome, but this is primarily a space for men and masc people
Non-masculine perspectives are incredibly important in making sure that the lived experiences of others are present in discussions on masculinity, but please remember that this is a space to discuss issues pertaining to men and masc individuals. Be kind, open-minded, and take care that you aren't talking over men expressing their own lived experiences.
Be productive
Be proactive in forming a productive discussion. Constructive criticism of our community is fine, but if you mainly criticize feminism or other people's efforts to solve gender issues, your post/comment will be removed.
Keep the following guidelines in mind when posting:
- Build upon the OP
- Discuss concepts rather than semantics
- No low effort comments
- No personal attacks
Assume good faith
Do not call other submitters' personal experiences into question.
No bigotry
Slurs, hate speech, and negative stereotyping towards marginalized groups will not be tolerated.
No brigading
Do not participate if you have been linked to this discussion from elsewhere. Similarly, links to elsewhere on the threadiverse must promote constructive discussion of men’s issues.
Recommended Reading
- The Will To Change: Men, Masculinity, And Love by bell hooks
- Politics of Masculinities: Men in Movements by Michael Messner
Related Communities
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This to me reads as a pretty surface level interpretation of the movie. I don't disagree with most of it because it takes the subtext and makes it text.
Still I think the best point that the movie and this article make is that if these men got what "wanted" they wouldn't be happy about it. If they were in charge, if they got paid lots of money, and they had a "long-term long-distance low-commitment casual girlfriend", they still wouldn't be happy. The world and life are very complicated. There isn't some simple solution that women are hiding because they're harpies. Developing healthy relationships, finding purpose, maintaining a healthy work/life balance, are all parts of the tapestry that makes someone fulfilled.
Barbie posits that for women the answer is to stop seeking external validation and instead write your own story, as messy as it may or may not be. For men it says that whatever answer you look for it's important to know that tearing other people down doesn't lift you up, it just brings them down to your miserable level
I haven't seen this movie yet, but this article ends by saying that
So, in reality, maybe the movie comes to the same conclusion for both genders. Being dependent on another person for happiness is not productive. Cultivating hobbies and interests, and being ok with who you are, is key.
I think it's notable that Barbie never really looks to Ken for happiness or personal satisfaction. He is largely treated as a friend and sometimes an obstacle (in that he brings patriarchy to Barbieland). Instead, Barbie's story is focused on coming to terms with the modern world and how it treats women.