'Kenergy’ has hit the zeitgeist like a massive plastic doll falling to earth. “He’s got Kenergy”, “big Kenergy”, “You’re kenough!” has suddenly entered online vernacular, with men being praised for having this mysterious quality.
Before watching Barbie, marketing had led us to believe that ‘Kenergy’ was a synonym for Himbo, a loveable-idiot of sorts. Ryan Gosling’s Ken is definitely those things, as the dolls all possess a naivety and childlike sense-of-self (pretty crucial for the plot), but ‘Kenergy’ is so much more than that. It’s about masculinity, self-discovery, and finding yourself under patriarchy.
