Barbie: More Than Plastic
Who would’ve thought that a movie about Barbie would actually have something profound to say?
When I saw some paparazzi photos of Margo Robbie and Ryan Gosling in their Barbie movie costumes on the Venice Boardwalk, I rolled my eyes and felt annoyed. I thought the movie was going to be dumb, and I mean dumb in a bad way.
Then I saw the teaser trailer — the one where the audience sees Robbie’s feet stepping out of her high-heeled shoes and her feet stay on their tiptoes. There was a glimpse of the set, some short snippets of some scenes, and a poppy version of The Beach Boys “Fun Fun Fun” playing in the background. I still thought it looked dumb but in a way that it would be a silly and fun little comedy; I figured that I would probably go see it at some point.
Finally, I saw the trailer where Margo’s character, Barbie, is happily dancing with her other Barbie friends, and she suddenly says, “Do you guys ever think about dying?” It was then that I knew this movie was going to be about more than Barbie parading around her pink world playing dress up. In the weeks that followed, the hype over the movie, and its true messaging, started to leak on social media accounts.
I shielded myself from a lot of spoilers after the movie was released because I was going to see it with my two bffs; I didn’t want to know too much beforehand because I was trying to keep my expectations at bay. On the day we went to see it, the three of us dressed up in Barbie themed outfits and hit the theater feeling excited to see the film.
“Wow,” is all I can say. Yes, it has many fabulous sets, sparkly costumes, and plenty of chuckles, but this movie really dug deep. Obviously, a major message from Barbie is how the patriarchy has not only damaged and held women and girls back, but it has also damaged men and boys, too. In fact, the negative reaction from many men around the world to Barbie is a clear indication of the negative power that the patriarchy holds on us all.
Case in point: In Barbieland, Barbie and her other Barbie friends (because they’re all named Barbie) run everything and everything is centered around these female characters. Ken, played by Gosling, and his other Kens, are simply there as an afterthought to Barbie. It’s supposed to be symbolic of what the patriarchy stands for in that one gender has almost all of the power, and how that is wrong.
Things aren’t perfect in Barbieland because no society, whether it’s real or in a fictional account, is good when one gender has all the power. This is a lesson that is learned by all of the Barbies and Kens by the end of the film when they learn to compromise on the power dynamics in their world. If only those angry men who hate-watched this movie could grasp that concept… but that’s a different discussion.
On top of the social commentary about the patriarchy is another message that I feel hasn’t had enough emphasis: the relationships between mothers and daughters. A big plot point of the movie revolves around Gloria, portrayed by America Ferrera, who is not from Barbieland, and her strained relationship with her tween daughter, Sasha.
Most mothers and daughters go through a tough time when girls start to grow up and head into their teen years. Girls naturally want to pull away from their mothers — the same people that provided most, if not all of the caregiving when they were children. I know that there are some moms out there that don’t provide a majority of the caregiving, so this statement is only true for those that can relate.
Moms can sometimes get thrown to the side, kind of like what happened to Sasha’s Barbie, which is symbolic of how Gloria feels now that her daughter is growing up. Much like that neglected Barbie, Gloria longs for the days when she and her daughter were best friends and confidants. Gloria knows that this is part of the journey of motherhood, but it doesn’t dilute the pain she feels.
There’s a line in the movie that made me tear up and also sums up a lot of the mother/daughter dynamic that many girls and women experience. It goes:
We mothers stand still so our daughters can look back to see how far they’ve come.
That line is so painfully accurate and beautiful and heartfelt! Of course I’m speaking from the vantage point of someone who pulled away from their mom as a tween and teen, and who also knows that my mom will always stand on the sidelines to be my biggest cheerleader so I can shine, so that scene touched a nerve.
If I could give any advice to someone that has not seen this movie, it would be to go in with an open mind and open heart. The surface of the movie is sugar-coated: lots of pink, musical numbers, and chipperness, but beneath that is a message about making room at the table for everyone, learning to accept and tolerate the painful reality that life is full of change, and to learn about who you truly are and want to be.
BONUS CONTENT
The soundtrack is awesome! The standout song that I adore is “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish. I love a good sad song, and this one is amazing.
