Following the Oscars, Mark Ronson has been discussing his and Andrew Wyatt’s Barbie movie hit “I’m Just Ken,” which was nominated for Best Song. Ryan Gosling performed the song during the awards alongside Ronson, Slash, and Wolfgang Van Halen, and although it didn’t win—losing to Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” also from the Barbie movie—Ronson has been extolling the virtues of the song as an emotional bolster for men and young boys everywhere.
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“My friend’s eight-year-old got broken up with and he said, ‘It’s OK, because Ken got broken up with by Barbie.’ The song tells boys that it’s OK to be runner-up,” Ronson said in an interview with The Times. He continued, “The internet’s caused a level of isolation in boys, and this idea of male camaraderie and sharing your feelings is a nice and unexpected thing to come out of it.”
The song, and Gosling’s role as Ken in the film, has brought about many conversations surrounding male emotion, masculinity, and vulnerability. It showed the effect of the patriarchy on women—through Barbie’s journey—but also the effect on men through Ken’s transformation. Without this commentary, there may not have been such a renaissance surrounding discussions of patriarchy, mindset, and masculinity.
However, the song “I’m Just Ken” almost didn’t make it into the movie. Mark Ronson and Greta Gerwig had to fight tooth and nail to get it on the soundtrack and in the film.
[RELATED: Ryan Gosling Brings “Kenergy” to the Oscars With Unforgettable “I’m Just Ken” Performance]
Mark Ronson Reveals Influential “I’m Just Ken” Was Almost Cut from Barbie Film
Still speaking with The Times, Ronson revealed, “At that first screening the song wasn’t working. I panicked.” He continued, “The humor wasn’t translating, and Greta had to fight. The studio asked her how much she really needed it and she said, ‘With every inch of my body.’ And then there was a big swing.”
In the film, the song is performed by Gosling as Ken struggles with his identity outside of his relation to Barbie. Who is Ken, really? While this crisis is going on, Gosling’s Ken as well as the other Kens are engaged in an all-out war on the beach. Suddenly, the vibe shifts, and Ken makes a breakthrough. He’s just Ken, and that’s Kenough.
Ronson and Gerwig needed the song to express these characters’ feelings truthfully. “Ken is ridiculous. But Greta’s point was that nobody should ever be laughing at a character,” said Ronson. “We feel their pain, as crazy as that sounds about a guy wearing a white mink and two pairs of sunglasses,” he continued. “I never wanted to write a song for a cheap laugh. You want something to get under people’s skin.”
The song was saved through Ronson and Gerwig’s dedication and vision, as well as Gosling’s powerhouse performance. It’s a ridiculous song sung by a ridiculous character, as Ronson said, but it makes viewers feel his emotions and struggles. “I’m Just Ken” is essentially a window into male existentialism.
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