Conservatives slam ‘anti-man’ hit film – but Margot Robbie says ‘it’s just a movie’ and director Greta Gerwig said she didn’t imagine ‘passionate’ backlash

• Conservatives have slammed blockbuster film Barbie as being ‘anti-man’ and ‘woke’ in a host of social media posts and videos 
• In response, Barbie star Margot Robbie fired back telling critics ‘it’s a movie’ and director Greta Gerwig said she never seen the ‘passionate backlash’ coming
• It comes after Barbie and Oppenheimer blew past expectations to collect over $311 million in the biggest weekend haul for cinemas since 2019 

Conservatives have slammed ‘anti-man’ hit film Barbie, with lead actor Margot Robbie hitting back that ‘it’s just a movie’.

The hit movie, which grossed $162 million over the weekend, has been receiving a wave of criticism – particularly from conservative figures – over what some describe as the film’s ‘anti-man’ agenda.

Those aiming criticism at the flick including Billionaire Twitter and Tesla owner Elon Musk, commentator Ben Shapiro and former Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz. 

In an interview with Time magazine, Margot Robbie, who plays the role of Barbie in the Greta Gerwig film, responded to the criticism that the film was feminist. 

She said: ‘It’s not that it is or it isn’t. It’s a movie. It’s a movie that’s got so much in it.’

The movie has been on the receiving end of criticism from conservative figures including Ted Cruz, top left, Ben Shapiro, top right, Elon Musk, bottom left, and Ginger Gaetz, bottom right

Margot, Robbie, pictured here at the Barbie European Premiere in London responded to criticism by saying ‘it was just a movie’

Robbie is pictured here playing the title character in the highly anticipated film that released last week

On Twitter, Musk who is known for being outspoken and often aligns himself with conservative viewpoints, has hinted he wasn’t a fan of the message of the film.

In response to a meme, he said: ‘It [sic] you take a shot every time Barbie says the word ‘patriarchy’, you will pass out before the movie ends.’

He is not alone in taking issue with the girl power message and how the film portrays male and female relationships.

Conservative commentator Lauren Chen shared a barrage of content, slamming what she called the film’s ‘insidious man-hating message’.

The BlazeTV host also accused studios of hiding how ‘INSUFFERABLY WOKE’ the film would be in its promotional material.

The wife of Florida Representative Matt Gaetz also called for a boycott of the movie over its disappointing ‘feminine empowerment’ and a ‘lack of faith and family’.

Ginger Gaetz attended a launch party at the British embassy in Washington DC last week, walking the pink carpet and sipping on pink cocktails.

But, despite being a self-professed Barbie fan, after watching the film she said she was disappointed by the values it promoted.

While most merely criticized the film’s themes, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro made his hatred of it particularly clear. 

In a 43-minute video shared to his YouTube page, titled ‘Ben Shapiro DESTROYS The Barbie Movie For 43 Minutes’ unloads his hate for the film. 

Since sharing the video on Sunday, it has since gathered over 1.8 million views, describing it as ‘one of the most woke movies I have ever seen’.

Robbie, right, starred alongside Ryan Gosling as Ken in the film, which has been well received by critics and audiences alike

Musk has declared himself a ‘free speech absolutist’ allowing figures such as self-professed misogynist Andrew Tate back on Twitter

BlazeTV host Lauren CHen accused studios of hiding how ‘INSUFFERABLY WOKE’ the film would be in its promotional material

Ben Shapiro branded the film as ‘one of the most woke movies’ he had ever seen before releasing a YouTube video on the flick

The video opens with him lighting Barbie dolls on fire and stating the message of the film is: ‘Either you’re a third wave feminist who hates men, truly hates men, or you’re brainwashed.’

In a similar vein to Musk’s tweet, he also took to the platform to say: ‘All you need to know about #BarbieTheMovie is that it unironically uses the word ‘patriarchy’ more than ten times.’

Texas Senator Ted Cruz also accused the move of ‘kissing up to the Chinese communist party because they want to make money selling the movie in China’.

His reaction had been in relation to a crayon map in the film featuring a ‘nine-dash line’, which is used by Chinese authorities to show its claim over as much as 90 percent of the South China Sea. 

Podcaster Matt Walsh, who made the anti-trans documentary What Is a Woman?, dubbed Barbie ‘the most aggressively anti-man, feminist propaganda fest ever put to film.’ 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ynU-wVdesr0%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26hl%3Den-US

Ginger Gaetz, with her husband Rep. Matt Gaetz, attended a Barbie party and screening at the British embassy but she was not impressed with the movie

Republicans are furious that the movie shows the ‘nine-dash line’, which China uses to claim territory in the South China Sea

In response to the backlash, director Greta Gerwig was asked by the New York Times if she anticipated ‘the degree to which right-wing pundits are bashing the movie’.

She responded: ‘No, I didn’t. Certainly, there’s a lot of passion. 

‘My hope for the movie is that it’s an invitation for everybody to be part of the party and let go of the things that aren’t necessarily serving us as either women or men. 

‘I hope that in all of that passion, if they see it or engage with it, it can give them some of the relief that it gave other people.’

It comes after both Barbie and the new Christopher Nolan film Oppenheimer blew past expectations to collect over $311 million in the biggest weekend haul for cinemas since 2019. 

According to database Box Office Mojo, it was the largest weekend haul in North America since 2019, and the fourth-largest ever, before adjusting for inflation. 

Director Greta Gerwig said she had not forseen the degree to which right wing pundits would bash the film 

Previously, Avengers: Endgame’s $402 million in April 2019 held the record, followed by Avengers: Infinity Wars’ $314.8 million in April 2018 and Star Wars: Force Awakens’ $313.2 million in December 2015.

In total, Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ accounted for 52 percent of the share, with Christopher Nolan’s biopic ‘Oppenheimer’ following with 26 percent. 

There has never been an opening weekend with one film grossing more than $100 million and a second making more than $50 million as Barbie and Oppenheimer have. 

The two films had caused a phenomenon due to their vastly different story lines and themes.

‘Oppenheimer’ tells the dark and intense story of American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, portrayed by Cillian Murphy, and his role in the development of the atomic bomb during the 1940s.

On the flip side of that, ‘Barbie’ taps into the world of the iconic doll that is known and loved across the globe.

The success of Barbie at the box office has cemented Greta Gerwig in the history books, with it being the biggest opening on record for a female director.

While Christopher Nolan, 52, celebrated his highest opening weekend ever and the best ever opening for an R-rated film, topping John Wick: Chapter 4’s $73.8 million.

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