The Jewish-American publicist and political commentator Ben Shapiro watched a movie that became a viral sensation, and he criticized it angrily. He set a Barbie doll on fire, creating a storm on the internet.
The conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro watched the movie "Barbie," which has become a social and internet sensation sweeping the web. Shapiro watched the movie together with the film "Oppenheimer" as part of the "Barbie-heimer" phenomenon, where viewers go to movie theaters and watch both films back-to-back. However, Shapiro left the screening of the movie "Barbie" particularly angry.
Shapiro posted a 43-minute critique video on YouTube, in which he criticized the plot of the movie. In the video, Shapiro criticized what he described as a "radical feminist perspective" portrayed in the film and expressed opposition to the film's portrayal of men and its attribution of women's issues to the "patriarchy."
He continued and explained that the film promotes a narrow viewpoint, portraying women as victims and men as aggressors, and he advised parents not to take their young daughters to see the movie. Shapiro was so opposed to the film that, following his critique, he filmed himself setting Barbie dolls on fire and throwing them into a burning trash can.
Despite his anger at the film's plot, Shapiro separately discussed how the marketing surrounding the movie was among the best he had seen, and the success of turning the film into a social phenomenon was remarkable. He acknowledged that despite his criticism of the movie's plot, the creators deserved praise for their unique advertising campaign's achievements.
Shapiro's critique became a phenomenon in itself, much like the movie "Barbie" itself. Many news sites in the US published articles on the subject and held extensive discussions in shows like "The View" about Shapiro's critique of the film and the fiery manner in which he presented it.