Barbie has an unlikely ally in podcast king Joe Rogan

Barbie has an unlikely fan in the form of podcast king and UFC announcer Joe Rogan.

The Barbie movie has been an enormous success both critically and commercially, with Greta Gerwig becoming the first female solo director to helm a project that has gone on to earn at least $1 billion at the box office.

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Some have slammed it as being "woke" and "anti-men", though those comments have mostly come from right-wing commentators.

Rogan, who has made controversial statements on the Covid outbreak and the development of vaccines, thinks Barbie's detractors are wrong.

READ MORE: Why we might get a Barbie sequel and an entire Barbie universe

“A lot of people are upset about the Barbie movie, and I left perplexed,” he said on his podcast before calling the movie “interesting” and “original.”

“It was a fun, silly movie — I laughed. But at the end of it, I was like, ‘How did people get outraged at that?’” he continued. “I know some people personally who said it’s anti-men, I’m like, ‘No, it’s making fun of dorks.’

“Are we do this thing where we put all men as men? It’s one category? We’re not going to judge people as individuals? Like, I don’t understand why people think that represents all men.

“It’s a fun movie, man… I’m appalled at how easily outraged so many people are."

A Barbie sequel is likely

The enormous success of the movie so far has, naturally, led to speculation as to what could come next. And, for the makers of the Barbie doll, Mattel, they want more sequels and spin-offs.

As for writer/director Gerwig, she is simply enjoying the success of the first Barbie movie before thinking about a potential sequel.

"At this moment, it's all I've got," she replied to the New York Times when asked about a Barbie franchise.

"I feel like that at the end of every movie, like I'll never have another idea and everything I've ever wanted to do, I did. I wouldn't want to squash anybody else's dream but for me, at this moment, I'm totally at zero.