David Pastrnak's 'Barbie Girl' Interview Is Everything Right About Sports
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Professional sports is a big business. A huge business. More often than not, the fun of the game gets stripped from the equation altogether.
Thankfully, though, there are young stars who help remind everyone that the game is still just that: a game.
Example 1A on this day is Bruins superstar David Pastrnak.
The reigning Rocket Richard winner has been on fire since joining the Bruins' lineup at the end of January, scoring nine goals (and picking up five assists) in just nine games played. The most recent three of those goals came Sunday night in an outdoor setting at Lake Tahoe, a one-of-a-kind NHL event which Pastrnak and his teammates enjoyed immensely.
GALLERY: Photos From Bruins-Flyers Outdoors Game At Lake Tahoe
They showed up dressed in their finest early '90s gear ...
... and after tallying his 10th career regular-season hat trick, Pastrnak donned his pink-rimmed "Macho Man" glasses for his postgame press conference.
Pastrnak was asked by The Boston Globe's Kevin Paul Dupont why he was wearing the shades at night. The answer was better than anybody could have ever expected.
"Well, we were listening to 'Barbie Girl' before you guys asked me to do media," Pastrnak replied earnestly. "So I was kind of dancing with these glasses out in the locker room. And then you guys ruined it and I had to go answer the questions, so I missed the 'Barbie Girl' song. And, you know, who knows what's going to be on when I come back?"
Truly, nobody was ready for that one.
In case you lived in a remote cave in the late '90s, "Barbie Girl" is a masterpiece song by the group Aqua, released in 1997. The singers took on the personas of Barbie and Ken, and the finished product was every bit as magical as you might imagine. Pastrnak was a little infant in the Czech Republic when the song was released. Now 24 years old, he's wise enough to know what true music greatness is.
That all of the hyper-macho tough guy hockey players were letting their hair down and dancing to "Barbie Girl" in 2021 was a delightful enough story by itself. That Pastrnak sounded like a disappointed 8-year-old to have missed the dance party with his friends makes it even better.
In the bazillion dollar business of sports, that level of good old-fashioned fun is rarely seen. But that picturesque setting and memorable victory made it impossible for Pastrnak and Co. to hide their joy.
And though the end result of it all leads to us having "Barbie Girl" playing on repeat in our heads, it's a small price to pay for witnessing one of those honest to goodness sports moments that are few and far between these days.
