The wife of Rep. Matt Gaetz has called for a boycott of the Barbie movie after attending the launch of the flick, citing a ‘lack of faith and family’ as poor reviews begin to flood in.
Ginger Gaetz was one of the revelers who walked the pink carpet to sip on pink cocktails at the British embassy in Washington, D.C on Monday.
Her husband Matt Gaetz, 41, even got into the spirit of Barbie, choosing to don a pink sport coat for the occasion.
But afterwards she said she was disappointed by the movie’s values and slammed star Ryan Gosling‘s ‘beta energy.’
‘The Barbie I grew up with was a representation of limitless possibilities, embracing diverse careers and feminine empowerment,’ she wrote in a tweet.
Ginger Gaetz, with her husband Rep. Matt Gaetz, attended a Barbie party and screening at the British embassy on Monday night. She was not impressed with the movie, however
‘The 2023 Barbie movie, unfortunately, neglects to address any notion of faith or family, and tries to normalize the idea that men and women can’t collaborate positively (yuck).’
Other attendees included members of the Washington Spirit women’s basketball team and politicians.
Those who watched the film on Monday also had a chance to hear from director Greta Gerwig, who appeared for a Q and A session.
The Barbie movie is set to land in theaters on July 21, with Margot, 33, leading the cast as the eponymous Barbie doll alongside her boyfriend Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, 42.
British officials see it as a chance to cash in on an iconic American toy, highlighting the strength of the U.K.’s movie industry.
‘The UK is Warner Brothers’ biggest base outside the US & Barbie was filmed primarily in the UK,’ tweeted Dame Karen Pierce, the British ambassador.
‘An excellent example of the UK-US relationship at work in the film industry!’
As a result, the ambassador’s residence, designed by Sir William Lutyens to resemble an English country house, was transformed into Barbie’s dream home.
Disco balls hung from the rose bushes and guests snacked on pink burgers and sushi.
Gaetz posed in a giant Barbie box, one of the attractions for guests at the party
Margot Robbie’s ‘Barbie’ is expected to become one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer
Afterwards guests went on to see the film at a Georgetown movie theater.
But the movie about such a beloved aspirational toy is not without controversy.
Republicans are furious that a crayon map in the film features the ‘nine-dash line,’ which is used by Chinese authorities to show its claim over as much as 90 percent of the South China Sea.
That has riled up the likes of Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Mike Gallagher who have accused Hollywood of buying into Chinese Communist Party propaganda.
Ginger Gaetz had other concerns. The negatives, she said were: ‘Unfortunate portrayal of big dreams causing anxiety instead of inspiration; Disappointingly low T from Ken; Unfair treatment of pregnant Barbie Midge.
‘I really wanted to enjoy it, but ended up feeling let down.’
From left to right: Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Margot Robbie, Greta Gerwig, Issa Rae, Simu Liu and Will Ferrell attend the European Premiere of ‘Barbie’ at Cineworld Leicester Square on July 12, 2023 in London
But Republicans are furious that the movie shows the ‘nine-dash line’ which China uses to claim territory in the South China Sea
She also criticized Gosling in a follow-up tweet.
‘He’s got major beta energy in this one,’ she said.
However she had praise for Robbie’s performance, the costume design and the soundtrack.
The movie has been lauded by reviewers for breaking away from what could have been a cynical marketing cash grab.
‘In fact it’s deeply bizarre, conceptually slippery and often roar-out-loud hilarious,’ wrote critic Robbie Collin in the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph.
The Barbie movie is set to land in theaters on July 21, with Margot, 33, leading the cast as the eponymous Barbie doll alongside her boyfriend Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, 42.
Critics who viewed the flick have shared their thoughts on Rotten Tomatoes, with one describing the highly-anticipated Margot Robbie film as ‘one of the most entertaining movies of the year.’
Critics also praised director Greta Gerwig, 39, for achieving ‘a pleasing balance between the silly and the serious.’
Director Greta Gerwig attends the ‘Barbie’ European Premiere at Cineworld Leicester Square on July 12
Barbie world: The Barbie movie is set to land in theaters on July 21, with Margot, 33, leading the cast as the eponymous Barbie doll alongside her boyfriend Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, 42
‘This is a truly original work – one of the smartest, funniest, sweetest, most insightful and just plain flat-out entertaining movies of the year,’ Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gushed.
The Daily Mail’s Sarah Vine wrote that while her daughter Bea, 20, ‘loved every second’ she was not convinced.
In her review, Vine said: ‘My main criticism, actually, has nothing to do with the subject matter.
‘Barbie or no Barbie, it’s not intrinsically that good a film. It’s uneven, disjointed, the plot makes no real sense — and the dead hand of corporate America weighs heavily upon it.
‘But my main objection is that Barbie is not really a film about Barbie at all.
‘It’s one hour and 54 minutes of extended misandry, dressed up with a few fun dance routines and one or two (granted fairly decent) jokes.
‘Every male character is either an idiot, a bigot or a sad, rather pathetic loser.
‘If the roles were reversed, and a male director made a film about how all women were hysterical, neurotic, gold-digging witches, it would be denounced — quite rightly — as deeply offensive and sexist.’
Concluding her review, Vine said: ‘It’s all just a bit of a poorly thought-out soup. Did it make me love Barbie?
‘Of course not. But it did make me feel a little sorry for those who subscribe to this nonsense — and for the young men growing up in a world that tells them they’re worthless.’
British journalist and film critic Brian Viner took along his 24-year-old son Jacob to watch the film earlier this week.
Writing for the Daily Mail, Viner said that the jokes directed towards Ken’s misery in the film begun to ‘wear thin’ by the end.
He said: ‘
