Trudeau's 'Barbie' tweet sparks heated social media discussion

PM's Barbie post proves provocative Justin Trudeau posted a photo of him and his son decked out in pink to go see Barbie, prompting a swift and strong reaction online.

Moviegoers around the world have propelled 'Barbie' to a billion-dollar box office bonanza -- and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among those who took in the film this past weekend.

Trudeau shared a photo to social media of himself and his teenage son sporting pink shirts.

"We're team Barbie." the caption on his tweet said.

As with most things Trudeau does, the post generated polarizing opinions online.

Some said it was a wholesome father-son outing -- but it made others angry and even inspired misogynistic and homophobic comments.

Upon seeing the photo, British journalist Piers Morgan tweeted it out to his millions of followers.

"So glad I'm not Canadian," he commented.

The Barbie movie has retained the number one spot at the box office for three weeks in a row, and in downtown Vancouver Tuesday afternoon people continued to flock to the theatre to see it.

"As someone from the UK, I'll tell you...Piers Morgan, you shouldn't listen to a word he says," said Isaac Finlayson, as he made his way into the Scotiabank Theatre. "If your Prime Minister wants to go see a film with a pink shirt with his son, anyone who has a problem with that is an idiot."

The box office smash has struck a chord with audiences not only for its nostalgia and entertainment value, but also for its underlying message.

"The sort of overarching theme is about finding out who you are. There's a lot about patriarchy, what Barbie means. What she meant before and what she means now," said Karla Thomas.

She spoke to CTV News on her way to see the movie with her young daughter for a second time.

"Men need to learn about patriarchy, as well," Thomas said when told of the controversy surrounding Trudeau's outing with his son.

It's quite possible the social media savvy Prime Minister started this conversation on purpose.