Comedian Marc Maron hailed Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” as a masterpiece and said he’s dumbfounded by right-wing backlash against the satirical comedy.
“The comedy about men is inspired,” Maron declared Tuesday in a TikTok video that has gone viral. “And the fact that certain men took offense to the point where they tried to build a grift around it … is so embarrassing for them.”
“Any dude that can’t take those hits, in that movie, they’ve really gotta look in their pants and decide what they’re made of,” he continued in his nearly two-minute rant. “I mean, Jesus Christ. What a bunch of fucking insecure babies.”
“Barbie” hit theaters last month to critical acclaim and broke the box office record its first weekend for a film directed by a woman. It also sparked outcry from conservatives, including Ben Shapiro, Charlie Kirk and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
Cruz suggested investigating whether Barbie was a communist, saying a crude map in the film draws disputed territory in China’s favor. Kirk called the film “trans propaganda.” Shapiro had a meltdown over what he called “angry feminist claptrap.”
Evan Agostini/Invision/Associated Press
Maron, however, said “Barbie” does “a fairly amazing thing” for feminism and is “a fucking masterpiece.”
“To create a sort of broad-based entertainment product that applies to the entire spectrum, I think primarily of women, and then just seep it in progressive politics and basic feminism in a way that’s funny, informative and well-executed … is fucking monumental,” said Maron.
“It shouldn’t be, but it is pretty radical and it’s intentionally thoroughly explaining feminist ideas in a way that’s funny,” he continued. “I’ve just never seen anything like it and I guess the world is having the same experience on all different levels.”
Maron said he’s also baffled that right-wingers don’t seem to have taken note of actor Will Ferrell’s role in the film.
“They cast Will Ferrell to be Will Ferrell-funny, which is always a treat,” he said. “It made me proud somehow.”
Gerwig recently addressed conservative fears, saying she hopes her movie’s critics can “let go of the things that aren’t necessarily serving us.”