
I hated Barbie (and really anything overtly feminine) growing up. Barbie dolls were the default birthday and holiday gift for me and my sisters when family members didn't have a clue what to get, and they just always seemed boring compared to the Hot Wheels and Legos and video games my male cousins would get.
I've since done a 180 and begun to embrace everything obnoxiously pink I shunned as a kid. That includes the Barbie movie. I was smitten by its viral marketing campaigns and how much Ryan Gosling delighted in diving into his role of Ken. Decked out in baby pink colors and sequins, my friends and I got tickets for opening night.