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Malala Yousafzai Is Giving Barbie Energy on IG (& Her Real-Life Ken Is Totally on Board)

Malala Yousafzai took a trip to Barbieland with her real-life Ken, and it's safe to say that she's embracing her inner Barbie girl.

This week, the 26-year-old activist and her husband, Asser Malik, went to see Greta Gerwig's hit movie, Barbie, at a local theater and marked the occasion with a fun photo in a life-size doll box. On Instagram, she shared the snap and referred to the film's now-famous tagline, "She's Barbie, he's just Ken."

She joked, "This Barbie has a Nobel Prize. He's just Ken."

With a laughing emoji, she continued, "I hope this caption doesn’t hurt all the Kens as much as the movie Ken."

Malik was more than happy to play along, channeling his Kenergy with a comment that read, "I’m Kenough."

Yousafzai also shared her thoughts about the fantasy comedy, which grossed a record-breaking $155 million in its first weekend at the box office. She wrote, "We loved the movie, it was so funny and thoughtful."

barbie spin off cat
Warner Bros. Pictures

In case you're unfamiliar with the plot, the movie follows Barbie's quest to find her true purpose as she leaves Barbieland to explore the real world. The star-studded cast includes Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Dua Lipa and Will Ferrell.

In the comments, countless fans praised the film and showed their support for Yousafzai, noting her impact. One follower said, "Slaaaayyyy! This Barbie fought hard so little girls can have access to education!!! My 2-year-old daughter loves your story, Malala!!!" Another wrote, "This Barbie helped me value my access to education even more!!"

It comes as no surprise that Yousafzai is a fan of the film, given its strong feminist message. In an interview with ABC News, Robbie explained, “I think some people hear the word ‘feminist’ and think that means it doesn't mean men…And I’m like, anyone who believes that men and women should be equal is feminist.”

She continued, “If you look at Barbieland from the beginning…the Barbies are on top and the Kens are kinda disregarded…that’s not equal. So, whatever the opposite of misogynist is, is actually what Barbie is. Toward the end when they balance things out..then it might be feminist. But actually, it's like, beyond feminist. Because then the power dynamic is in the favor of the Barbies to begin with.”

*Cue Aqua's "Barbie Girl"*

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Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

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