It's summer, and for pop culture, that means the event of the year has arrived: the Barbie movie is now in theaters, and in addition to bringing with it a comeback of the color pink in clothing, shoes, and accessories, it also brings us a message of feminism and gender equality that will undoubtedly mark a before and after.
Although 2023 brought the first live-action Barbie movie, the character already had more than 40 animated films that debuted since 2001.
The film begins in the perfect world of Barbieland and shows the status quo that exists in everyday life. Barbie's goal each day is the same: to have the best day of her life, while Ken's goal is to make Barbie happy. The message of the film is simple: Barbies (females) rule the world, while Kens (males) only have to please and admire their Barbies.
This is basically the representation of the message that Barbie has given over the years: be what you want to be. In other words, the fight for feminism is due to the creation of Barbie.
Even though the existential crisis is the climax of the story, the Barbie movie is a comedy with the warmest and most nostalgic production design ever seen. The level of care and affection that was put into Barbie is something that not all movies are accustomed to these days, and on top of that, it achieves its goal of making the audience laugh.
Since the beginning of her era, more than 60 years ago, Barbie has been the most controversial doll and figure. For a long time, her body was criticized for being unrealistic for women, to the point of being called a “harmful stereotype.” Some parents even thought that Barbie was an incentive for women to focus much more on their appearance than on their career.
However, 2023 is creating a completely new reputation for Barbie; the doll designs have diversified, there are changes in both her physical and professional range. There is a lot of talk about racism and expectations towards women, and on top of this we get a film that totally alludes to gender and the feminist movement.
Greta Gerwig has had nominations in the Best Picture category for her hits Lady Bird and Little Women, and Barbie will surely be no exception because, like the aforementioned films, Barbie is a feminist masterpiece.
Comments