The 2023 Barbie movie disappointed some viewers.
Courtesy | Wikimedia Commons
I am one of five daughters, so obviously I grew up in a Barbie-obsessed household. I was excited to see the live-action movie “Barbie” this summer to relive childhood memories and feel nostalgic. But instead, I received a lecture about something I have heard 100 times before.
If you haven’t seen the Barbie movie, let me save you some time: the message is that gender equality is important.
In the beginning of the movie, Barbieland is a matriarchal society. Although the Barbies are happy, the Kens feel useless and that their only purpose is to be with a Barbie doll.
Later in the movie, Barbieland becomes a patriarchy, with its own set of problems.
The movie shows how matriarchy and patriarchy are both flawed, and comes to the conclusion that both genders are needed for a successful society and the well-being of all citizens.
Although gender equality is important, I think most people know sexism is bad. Did we need a movie about dolls to tell us that?
If the goal is to educate people about sexism and why it’s bad, selling this narrative through a movie about a doll who lives in a dream house is probably a bad idea. The audience for “Barbie” is primarily women and kids (the citizens who aren’t oppressing women).
If director Greta Gerwig wants to make a movie about gender equality, she should. But she shouldn’t use “Barbie” as a means to do this. Why make a kids’ movie something serious and political?
Entertainment can have a deeper meaning, but it’s wrong for a movie to market itself as kid-friendly and then preach politics the whole time.
“Barbie” could have been a fun movie that had a strong message of girl power if the producers had let Barbie be Barbie. Instead they made her rude and unapologetic to Ken, unsure of herself, and, eventually, a human being.
I watched “Barbie” with my sisters in the hopes of getting a glimpse back into my childhood. But when I left, my itch for childhood nostalgia was barely scratched. Instead, I received a lecture I’ve heard many times before.
