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Film data fromTMDB

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  1. Wokeometer
  2. Movies
  3. Barbershop
Barbershop
Box Office
Hit · 6.4x
Budget$12M
Worldwide Gross$77.1M
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Barbershop

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Barbershop

Barbershop

movie·PG-13·Aug 6, 2002·
Box OfficeHit · 6.4x
$12M
Budget
$77.1M
Gross
Shop

Shop this title

Barbershop

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Digital video
Amazon — Digital video. Search this format: Barbershop. Opens in a new tab
DVD & Blu-ray
Amazon — DVD & Blu-ray. Search this format: Barbershop. Opens in a new tab

Search US stores by format. Check the title and edition before buying.

Explore Prime Video — Opens in a new tab

Catalog availability and subscription terms vary.

Barbershop

movie
PG-13
August 6, 2002
Wokeometer Rating
1Based
Audience Woke Score
No Ratings Yet
Scale: 0 = not woke, 10 = maximally woke

TL;DR Verdict

Barbershop earns its 1/10 woke score by focusing on family legacy, community bonds, and personal responsibility in a classic story of self-discovery. It rejects identity politics and activist framing for straightforward, irreverent entertainment.

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Detailed Analysis

Barbershop (2002) centers on Calvin (Ice Cube) inheriting his father's struggling South Side Chicago barbershop, impulsively selling it to a loan shark, and ultimately reclaiming it after recognizing its role in family legacy and community life.

The narrative follows a single day of barbershop banter, a minor ATM theft subplot resolved through personal accountability, and Calvin's growth toward valuing tradition and entrepreneurship. Organic, setting-appropriate casting with no established-character race or gender swaps keeps the focus on the story's South Side setting rather than any imposed diversity agenda.

Core themes of family legacy, community bonds, and personal responsibility drive the film with zero identity-politics centrality, aligning instead with classic storytelling tropes of self-discovery and honoring heritage. An irreverent humor scene mocking civil rights icons drew activist backlash, underscoring the film's non-woke tone and resistance to contemporary political sensitivities. This approach prioritizes irreverent community dialogue and individual accountability over any activist framing, resulting in a straightforward comedy that celebrates personal responsibility without progressive messaging.

Key Factors

  • Organic, setting-appropriate casting with no established-character race or gender swaps
  • Core themes of family legacy, community bonds, and personal responsibility with zero identity-politics centrality
  • Irreverent humor scene mocking civil rights icons drew activist backlash, underscoring the film's non-woke tone

Methodology: Each score synthesizes audience discourse, critic and aggregator reception, and press coverage — weighed against the work itself, not any single source.

Detailed BreakdownPro

Identity Politics & Racial Essentialism
Gender Ideology & LGBTQ+ Themes
DEI Casting & Representation Mandates
Preachiness & Message-First Agenda
Corporate & Creator Activism

See how this title scores across all 5 woke subcategories with detailed explanations.

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Directed by

  • Tim Story

Is Barbershop Woke?

We've run a full content analysis on Barbershop and scored it 1/10 on the woke scale. Read our detailed breakdown above to see exactly what we found.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of woke content is in Barbershop?

Our analysis checks for themes like identity politics, race-swapping, gender ideology, environmental activism, anti-religious messaging, and other progressive agenda elements. The score breakdown above shows which specific categories were flagged and how heavily they factor into Barbershop's overall score.

Is Barbershop family-friendly?

Wokeometer focuses on ideological content rather than traditional ratings (violence, language, etc.). Barbershop is rated PG-13. For a full picture, combine our woke analysis with the age rating to decide if it's right for your family.

How does Wokeometer score movies?

We evaluate media across multiple ideological categories on a 0–10 scale. Scores of 0–3 mean story-first, 4–6 have moderate elements, and 7–10 flag heavily agenda-driven content. Learn more about our methodology →

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Top Cast

Ice Cube
2.2Based

Ice Cube

Calvin Palmer

Anthony Anderson
5.9Mixed

Anthony Anderson

J.D.

Cedric the Entertainer
0.8Based

Cedric the Entertainer

Eddie

Sean Patrick Thomas
4.8Mixed

Sean Patrick Thomas

Jimmy James

Eve
1Based

Eve

Terri Jones

Troy Garity
1Based

Troy Garity

Isaac Rosenberg

Michael Ealy
1Based

Michael Ealy

Ricky Nash

Keith David
2.3Based

Keith David

Lester Wallace

Jazsmin Lewis
1Based

Jazsmin Lewis

Jennifer Palmer

Leonard Earl Howze
1Based

Leonard Earl Howze

Dinka

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