Joe Rogan Defends Barbie Amid 'Anti-Man' Backlash

Mega-popular podcaster and stand-up comedian Joe Rogan is entering the debate over whether writer-director Greta Gerwig's billion-dollar worldwide smash "Barbie" is an "anti-man" movie. Following criticism of "Barbie" by some conservative commentators including Ben Shapiro, talk show host Bill Maher became the latest man to get upset about Greta Gerwig's blockbuster this week, calling the movie "preachy" and "man-hating." On the flip side, podcaster Marc Maron slammed the film's male haters, calling them babies.

Rogan appears to be of the same mind as Maron in defending "Barbie" but isn't as harsh in his analysis of the male criticism of the movie based on toymaker Mattel's iconic doll. During an episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience" where the eponymous host discussed the "anti-man" controversy with rapper Post Malone, Rogan admitted that he was uncertain what the hubbub was all about. "A lot of people are upset about the Barbie movie, and I left perplexed," Rogan said. 

Noting that "Barbie" was merely a "fun, silly movie about dolls who come to life," the podcaster said that any backlash is wrongfully being driven by politics. "A lot of it is about the patriarchy, and it's a comedy. It's a comedy about dolls," Rogan said. "People are upset that it's this progressive metaphor for life, that they're pushing progressive politics in this. I'm like, 'It's a f***ing doll movie!' It's a doll movie. It's a fun movie about dolls who come to life and try to interact with the real world."

Joe Rogan is no stranger to controversy himself, as he has opined in the past about political, sports, and entertainment figures and has fearlessly tackled such hot-button issues as COVID-19 mandates and government secrets, including the existence of UFOs. As for the flap over "Barbie," Rogan said on "The Joe Rogan Experience" that the anti-male outcry is simply much ado about nothing. "No one's ever done a movie like this before," Rogan said. "... It was a bizarre movie, but it was a fun, silly movie; I laughed. But at the end of it, I was like, 'How did people get outraged at that?' I know some people personally who said it's anti-men. I'm like, 'No, it's making fun of dorks.'"

One thing the film's objectors fail to recognize, Rogan added, is that the movie isn't painting a story about men with one broad stroke. "Are we gonna do this thing where we put all men [into] one category? We're not gonna judge people as individuals?" Rogan asked.

Rogan also gave his observations on whether "Barbie" — which stars Margot Robbie in the title role — is "woke" and pointed to Ken's (Ryan Gosling) true purpose in the film. "They think it's a super-woke movie. ... It's also a movie about how Barbies are the dolls that everyone cares about, and Ken is just a f***ing accessory, which is real," Rogen said. "When you bring these things into a movie, you make real-life Barbieland, that's how they have to be 'cause that's how it is in the real world."

Controversies aside, "Barbie" is still playing in theaters.