The live-action Barbie movie, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, has released a new trailer and posters that showcase the diverse cast and the whimsical world of Barbie Land. However, not everyone is happy with the marketing campaign, especially in South Korea.
The official Twitter account for Warner Bros Korea posted Korean versions of the character posters, but fans were quick to notice that they had removed the iconic slogans “Barbie Is Everything” and “He’s Just Ken” from them. Instead, they simply wrote “Barbie” and “Ken” on the posters, which many felt was a disrespectful move.
Fans expressed their outrage and disappointment on social media, accusing Warner Bros Korea of catering to the male-dominated culture and undermining the message of female empowerment that the movie is supposed to convey. Some even compared the Korean posters to those of other countries, such as France, Italy, Thailand, Indonesia, and Latin America, where the original slogans were translated faithfully.
The backlash was so strong that Warner Bros Korea eventually deleted the controversial posters and replaced them with new ones that restored the original slogans.
The incident has sparked a discussion about the representation of women in media and society in South Korea. Many fans hope that the Barbie movie will inspire young girls and women to pursue their dreams and be confident in themselves, regardless of what others may think or say.
The Barbie movie is set to be released in July 2023 worldwide. It follows the story of Barbie (Robbie), who gets expelled from Barbie Land for not being perfect enough and ends up in the real world.
