Barbie's dreamworld is home to many iterations of its title character, including Mermaid Barbie. There are also a number of Kens. They are coupled, but they aren't having sex.

Barbie, based on the Mattel doll that launched in 1959, leads the way for recent toy-centric titles — and the season’s theatrical features in general, having topped $1.1 billion globally.

Inevitably, Barbie’s embrace of feminism and inclusiveness (including a trans character) has triggered a “Barbie” backlash from the expected sources who feast on cultural outrage, although ...