If you haven't seen Barbie yet, beware of MAJOR SPOILERS down below...
Ever since Barbie made its theatrical debut on July 21st, audiences and critics cannot stop talking about it. Because of the Greta Gerwig comedy and its lead, Margot Robbie, Ken-ergy is now an adjective that people will be using in a sentence more often. Another new word from the movie is “Kenough,” and a fan pointed out after watching a bootleg of the film (a practice I will never condone) what the A+ Spanish translation is of the new word.
Isn’t it funny how made-up words are translated in other countries? One fan on Twitter mentioned after watching a bootleg of Barbie that they discovered what the Spanish translation of the film’s term “Kenough” is. While I cannot stress enough how wrong bootlegging practices are, it’s worth pointing out the uncanny translation this Twitter user realized was a thing. Prepare to be amazed at how “Kenough” translates in Spanish.
The bootleg copy of "Barbie" my friend and I were watching last night had spanish subtitles and I could not stop crying at the translation for "I am Kenough" 😭 pic.twitter.com/2gmpredLChJuly 30, 2023
There you have it. The bootleg’s subtitles have said “I am Kenough” in Spanish is “Soy suficienKEN.” The screenshot this Twitter user posted was Barbie's final shot of Ken saying goodbye to the title character as she leaves Barbieland and enters the real world permanently. It was the funniest send-off for the Barbieland resident who magically had an “I am Kenough” shirt out of nowhere appear on his body. This translation makes a lot of sense since the Spanish word for “enough” is “suficiente.” Other social media users pointed out some inaccuracies about the translation, with plenty saying it should have been “suficiKENte.” No matter how you say it, as another Twitter user pointed out, the translation is still “Kencredible.”
Ryan Gosling’s Barbie looks may have made a splash when promotional photos were first revealed, but now more people have been talking about the true essence of Ken. By the time you watch Greta Gerwig’s Barbie ending, you realize that Ken makes a compelling case for why he’s after a position of power in Barbieland. There may be a lot of feminism throughout the satire, but there are also a lot of elements of male fragility. Ken is struggling to find his place in Barbieland as his job is “just beach” and he needs Barbie to look at him in order to be happy. It's almost like the gender roles are reversed in the Mattel Inc. comedy where men feel devalued by women. By the end of the movie, he realizes the importance of establishing his own identity and that it’s “Kenough” for him to be “Just Ken.”
Margot Robbie herself has championed Ryan Gosling’s famous Barbie character and said that we all need a Ken in our lives to support women. She also stressed how important it is for men to know they’re “Kenough.” While the “Kenaissance” was formed initially due to the Canadian actor’s chiseled abs, this movement can keep growing for the male population who were really excited about seeing Barbie. Men should feel inspired that despite life’s plights, they truly are “Kenough” in everything they do.
Whether you say “I am Kenough” or “Soy suficienKen,” there's a lot you can take from Greta Gerwig's latest film. You can watch the Barbie movie in theaters now (and stay away from bootlegs).
