FACT CHECK: No, The New York Times Did Not Report ‘Barbie’ Director Was Unhappy With Ken’s Popularity
A photo shared on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, alleges the New York Times reported “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig was unhappy with men turning movie character Ken “into an icon.”
No, Barbie was not secretly an anti-feminist movie. But the depiction of women ruling everything looked so horrible, people assumed it was anti-feminist. pic.twitter.com/tuRElw144Z
— RAMZPAUL (@ramzpaul) September 12, 2023
Verdict: False
The photo has been digitally altered. There is no evidence the New York Times reported on this.
Fact Check:
Following the success of “Barbie,” Warner Bros. has confirmed that the film will be campaigned for best original screenplay at this year’s Academy Awards, according to Variety. After the film’s release, sales of Barbie toys increased by 25% in the months of July and August, CNN reported.
An X image purportedly shows a New York Times article reporting that Gerwig is unhappy with the popularity of movie character Ken among her male audience. The tweet has almost 300k views.
“Greta Gerwig is not happy with men turning Ken from her film ‘Barbie’ into an icon,” the alleged headline reads. Text underneath claims Gerwig said, “You spend so much time crafting a film for women and girls around the world so you can inspire them and then incels online culturally appropriate it.”
“No, Barbie was not secretly an anti-feminist movie,” the caption reads. “But the depiction of women ruling everything looked so horrible, people assumed it was anti-feminist.”
New York Times published no such headline, however. The alleged article cannot be found on the New York Times’ website or any of its verified social media accounts. Likewise, there are no credible news reports to match the alleged headline. (RELATED: Is The Barbie Movie Banned In Saudi Arabia?)
The photo appears to have been edited from a New York Times piece titled “‘Barbie’ Review: Out of the Box and On the Road.”
Check Your Fact has reached out to the New York Times and Gerwig for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received from either source.
