[bluenova]

I listened to someone make a point that she didn't think Ken really represented men. He represented the idealized masculinity that traps men and men are told to conform to, but it doesn't really make them happy. He's neither happy being subservient to Barbie or dominating her. In both cases, he needs Barbie and the others to react to him in a certain way to feel okay. The men that are angry about the movies see themselves as him instead of of that.

Allen is what represents men to her. Allen has all the masculine virtues men say they love. He protects women, and impressively takes down the construction workers in a physical fight to do so. He's an independent thinker that doesn't follow the Kens when he doesn't agree with what they say. He respects the women. He doesn't need women to know who he is, he knows himself and doesn't need to go on a journey of self discovery. He's an individual that doesn't feel the need to conform to be like other men or what society expects of them.

I thought that was an interesting perspective.