In a World Full of Kens...Be an Allan.
How Barbie’s (2023) Allan Can Teach Us a Lesson in Secure Masculinity
Tags: #Barbiemovie #Ken #Allan #AllOfKensClothesFitHim #InAWorldFullOfKens #BeAnAllan #AlternativeMasculinity #HegemonicMasculinity
You thought we were done with the Barbie movie, didn’t you? But how could we walk away from this fantastic movie without shining a spotlight on the unsung hero, the viral sensation, the one and only Allan! By now, the craze around Allan has hit the mainstream media. But what is it about Allan that has caught so much attention? His rainbow shirt? His lack of social skills? His uniqueness? Or is there just something about Allan?
The Barbie movie has been breaking records since its release in late July this year. As we discussed in our July blog, while Barbieland may not be breaking out of the patriarchal mold as much as we would have liked, there is a truly brilliant spot that has been gaining more and more recognition. Ken’s buddy, Allan, has proven to be the hidden gem of the Barbie movie, generating a multitude of discussions around his character and the role he plays in the landscape of Barbieland’s masculinity. Allan represents a great example of how men can challenge traditional assumptions about what it means to be a man.
“There are no multiples of Allan. He’s just Allan.” (Barbie, 2023)
Allan provides a stark contrast to hegemonic masculinity; he is the good apple on the rotten tree. Hegemonic masculinity, according to Connell (2005, see also Connell and Messerschmidt 2005), describes the dominant ideal form of masculinity. This idealized form is typically young, cisgendered, heterosexual, employed, White, and able-bodied. Those subscribed to hegemony also showcase competitiveness and dominance, misogyny and homophobia, and lack emotional expressiveness (apart from anger, because anger is not seen as a ‘real’ emotion). Feminine traits such as help-seeking and self-care are rejected as they are not seen as ‘manly’.
Particularly men - and boys - organize themselves in relation to hegemonic masculinity. Yet, very few men can reasonably live up to to this ideal gender identity. As such, it provides a gendered hierarchy for other masculinities (and by extension femininities) to legitimize the patriarchy. Men are measured not just against women but also against other men. This leads to some men (& masculinities) being seen as subordinate. Those who adhere to subordinate masculinities, as a result, experience exclusion and discrimination. While the collective of Kens may not necessarily adhere to all aspects of hegemony, their masculinity is, nevertheless, superior to that of Allan’s.
Allan is defined in relation to Ken. Even his tagline – all of Ken’s clothes fit him – relates his existence to Ken. Despite this, his masculinity and manhood are seen as inferior. Throughout the movie, the Kens ignore Allan’s existence entirely. Only the Barbies return Allan’s greetings. Despite his resistance to the Kens’ patriarchy, Allan is not brainwashed and simply left to be Allan. Like the Barbies, he too must serve the Kens under Kendom.
Hegemonic masculinity, traditionally, lacks self-awareness. Beach Ken provides the perfect example. He secretly joins Barbie to the real world while dismissing her request to go alone, he introduces patriarchy into Barbieland without thinking of the repercussions for the Barbies, and he never apologizes for his actions. Allan, on the other hand, is self-aware. Unlike the rest of the Barbies and Kens, he is the only one who does not dance in sync with the rest of the group. When Gloria and Sasha attempt to leave, he wants to join them and escape Kendom before the Kens permanently vote to install their patriarchy in Barbieland. It even goes as far as Allan being the only character that responds to and, presumably, is the only one to hear the narrator - how much more self-aware can one Allan get?
Allan’s masculinity is inclusive and secure. Instead of joining with the Ken’s in their subjugation of Barbie’s, he joins with Stereotypical Barbie, Weird Barbie, and Gloria to reinstate Barbieland and helps undo the Ken’s brainwashing of the Barbies. Therefore, as opposed to accepting the injustices of hegemonic masculinity, Allan does not feel “compelled to behave in a particular way that will cause harm to others” (Waling 2019, 367, see also Nagayama Hall 2017). Rather, he actively “reject[s] oppressive regimes of manhood and masculinity in order to support the dismantling of unequal gendered power relations” (Waling 2019, 367, see also Berggren 2014).
Even though Allan does not represent hegemonic masculinity, there are still traits that can be taken and used within a certain context. More precisely, violence would generally be considered a ‘toxic’ trait of hegemony. Yet, it may be used as a valuable reaction to conflict; when Gloria and Sasha are faced with a group of Construction Worker Kens preventing them from leaving the newly established Kendom, Allan single-handedly beats up the Kens and protects both women. Allan does not dismiss conventional traits of masculinity but instead chooses to use them when the situation calls for certain response.
“Allans have been in the real world before, no one's noticed!” (Barbie, 2023)
Masculinity is diverse and always constructed relationally rather than being fixed identities. Allan has brought up a lot of discussions in the media around what masculinity is and how he represents an outlier to traditional manhood. He diverts from the hegemony while at the same time using its tools when needed. Allan is in tune with his emotions and seeks to address injustices. Despite being Ken’s loyal best friend, he does not stand for the subordination of women under patriarchy. Throughout the film, Allan stays true to himself. While living inside of such a defined binary, Allan is challenging traditional gender norms and pushing at the boundaries established around him. In a world full of Kens, be an Allan.
Sources
Berggren, K. (2014). Sticky Masculinity: Post-Structuralism, Phenomenology and Subjectivity in Critical Studies on Men. Men and Masculinities, 17(3), 231–252
Connell, R.W. (2005). Masculinities. 2nd edition, Cambridge: Polity Press
Connell, R.W., Messerschmidt, J.W. (2005). Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept. Gender and Society, 19(6), 829-859
Nagayama Hall, G. (2017). What is Healthy Masculinity? Psychology Today. 13 March, https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/life-in-the-intersection/201703/what-is-healthy-masculinity
Waling, A. (2019). Problematising ‘Toxic’ and ‘Healthy’ Masculinity for Addressing Gender Inequalities. Australian Feminist Studies, 34(101), 362-375
Image Credit
Barbie Movie (2023a). My crush: Me: Get tickets now for #BarbieTheMovie, Only in Theaters July 21: http://barbie-themovie.com. 22 June, https://twitter.com/barbiethemovie/status/1672009769601880065?s=20
Barbie Movie (2023b). Meet more Barbies and Kens, and Allan… #BarbieTheMovie. 4 April, https://twitter.com/barbiethemovie/status/1643238238356905984