As the girlies have made it clear on TikTok: “Schmidt walked so Ken could run.” Max Greenfield’s iconic New Girl character has officially been linked to the Barbie movie because of a wildly fun parallel fans made between Schmidt and Ken. This detail has gone viral on TikTok, and people are having a heyday over the fact that Ryan Gosling’s character is wearing the same Western shirt Greenfield’s character dons in an episode of the Fox comedy.
Basically what I’m saying is “Schmidt happens,” and it happened to Ken. The New Girl fanbase is passionate, and it’s not surprising that they noticed this relatively minor detail. On top of this, Barbie fashion has been taking over, and it’s so fun to try and figure out how to recreate the looks from the movie. These two things combined plus the magic of the TikTok algorithm caused this video about the costume parallel to go viral, check it out:
@_maddie_erwin_ ♬ what the fuck was that - champagnemami
For some context, the shirt Gosling is wearing while in the doctor’s office during the full Barbie trailer is the same button-down Greenfield is rocking in the very first episode of New Girl. Schmidt went on to have hilarious moments throughout the comedy, and wore some fantastic (and extra) outfits, however, this cowboy shirt set the tone for his character. Now, it’s even more iconic because Ken also wears it in Barbie.
You know, I must say, Schmidt has big Ken-ergy. It’s palpable. One time Margot Robbie defined Ken-ergy, noting that there’s no one way to explain it, it’s simply a vibe, and Max Greenfield’s New Girl character 100% has that vibe. Even the Barbie Movie agrees with this take as it commented on the TikTok with over 3 million views:
Schmidt’s got BIG Ken-rgy 😎✨
The comments didn’t stop there either. While Ryan Gosling may have doubted his own Ken-ergy at first, fans were quick to point out that Schmidt has always had it, posting things like:
- Schmidt walked so ken could run. -Deborah Frisse
- Schmidt not being in the Barbie movie is a crime😭😭😭 -Alley Paige Cooper
- schmidt is so ken coded -jenn
- schmidt definitely has the kenergy -sarah h
- that is a fabulous cowboy shirt, so I'm glad it got to be worn again -Kayleen Sokol
Honestly, it’s kind of a bummer that Max Greenfield isn’t in the Barbie cast, he would have fit in so well. I feel like a Schmidt-like Ken would have been a perfect addition to the movie, and the actor likely would have had a blast working with the other Kens played by Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Scott Evans and more.
Sadly, that dream won’t come true this time, but this fun little Easter egg is a nice (likely unintentional) homage to a TV character with big Ken-ergy. Maybe if Barbie gets a sequel we can all rally to get Max Greenfield involved, I know I’d sign that petition.
To go back and watch Max Greenfield as Schmidt in New Girl all you need is a Peacock plan or Hulu subscription. Also, make sure to check out the 2023 movie schedule so you’re ready for Barbie when it hits theaters on July 21.
