Suzanne Harrington: The Barbie movie is a reclamation of a girlhood icon

"And yet there have been some people — right-wing people, mostly but not exclusively in possession of testicles — who have been triggered. Triggered!"

Ryan Gosling as Ken and Margot Robbie as Barbie, in the latter's recent film excursion.

As the credits rolled at the end of the Barbie movie recently — because it’s definitely a movie rather than a film — two small boys leapt from their seats a few rows ahead, their excitement spilling over. 

“That was better than Shrek!” one of them shouted. “Yeah!” shouted the other. “Wasn’t it Dad!” You could see a pink-bathed silhouette of the dad nodding, as the audience streamed out of the cinema, high on toffee popcorn and Barbie power.