What Does It Mean To Be "Kenough?"

There isn’t a man today who doesn’t know the phrase, “I am Kenough.” Ever since the release of the Barbie movie on July 21, Ryan Gosling has constantly received praise for the portrayal of the character, Ken, after he appeared with the phrase engraved on a sweatshirt. Ken’s story is one that many men can relate to, as Ken not only made audiences laugh at his antics but also portrayed an important life message through his decisions and actions.

There are many critics such as Ben Shapiro who call the film “feminist garbage” that pushes the “anti-men” agenda, but upon closer examination, audience members can tell that was never the goal of the movie. Ken’s character depicts the path that many men go through when they feel insecure about their masculinity. A large population of men believe that they need to like certain things or act as a man would to give themselves an identity and attract women. However, when they find their masculinity lacking, they begin to feel inadequate, invisible and ineligible. Therefore, they lash out at the most non-masculine figures — women — through incel behavior.

Now, look at the Barbie movie. Kens are treated as second-class citizens who only feel happiness when their respective Barbies look at them. It leads them to fight over their attention. However, Barbie often ignores Ken, making him feel deficient. After Ken learned about patriarchy, he and the other Kens could take control of Barbie Land, empowering himself so he could feel some sort of fulfillment and self-respect that Barbie could not give.

That is what makes Ken’s character so special. He transitions from a subservient, insecure figure, to nearly an incel, to finally discovering that he needs to find himself. By the end of the movie, he admits that he was never interested in patriarchy, but just felt lost because he doesn’t have any other identity without Barbie.

This is a lesson that men everywhere can learn from. The phrase “I am Kenough” is meant to tell men that they don’t need the approval of anyone in order to feel fulfilled and respected. They are enough the way that they are. It is a lesson for those who are lost and insecure that they don’t need to be masculine or stand with the patriarchy; they just need to be happy with who they are.

To be “Kenough” means to be enough. Men don’t need to become an overly masculine figure, nor do they need to become someone they are not.