Over the past year, we have been bombarded with hype surrounding Barbie. There have been articles about people embracing the Barbie fashion trend, glamorous quotes from the cast of the film, and coverage of individuals competing to live in a life-size Barbie house. It often feels like our minds have been taken over by the residents of Barbieland.
Surprisingly, many of us have been quite captivated by this craze. With Barbie constantly trending on social media, we find ourselves reminiscing about our childhoods and engaging in pointless arguments defending the dolls against critics who claim they perpetuate harmful body and racial stereotypes.
Amidst all of this, an intriguing question arises: Is Barbie feminist? Admittedly, the Mattel doll, with her unrealistic proportions, is a plastic embodiment of the white male gaze. However, she has taken on various forms representing different races and enjoyed careers as a doctor, astronaut, and pilot. She has owned homes and had loyal friends. This complexity makes it difficult to provide a straightforward answer to the feminist question when it comes to the doll.
But when it comes to the movie, it becomes even more complicated, albeit for different reasons.
One might wonder, why does it matter if a movie is feminist? The truth is, it doesn’t really matter. This expectation has arisen in the age of social media, where audiences often label certain pop culture offerings as feminist without considering the reality or true merit of the work.
However, as history has shown us, any story can be twisted to become a feminist one. “Barbie” falls into this assessment. Directed by Greta Gerwig and co-written with Noah Baumbach, the film combines mainstream expectations, brand recognition, and the creators’ own ambitions.
According to The New York Times, Gerwig was given complete freedom to do whatever she wanted with the film. After watching it, one can understand that this freedom was likely limited within established branding parameters.
On a positive note, “Barbie” offers plenty within its just-under-two-hour runtime. It is heartfelt, sexy, weird, naive, somewhat feminist, and of course, very pink.
The most visually striking aspect of the movie is its vibrant pink hue. “Barbie” is not purely feminist; it is much more complex, just like most people and the way great characters should be portrayed.
Margot Robbie portrays the eponymous doll, embracing the stereotype of Barbie to perfection. She wakes up every day in a vibrant world surrounded by fellow Barbies, each living their best lives with dream jobs and ideal homes. Life is wonderful, just like the day before and the day before that. Ken, played wonderfully by Ryan Gosling, serves as the “great, nice guy to have fun with.”
From the first few moments of the film, it becomes clear that Gerwig and Baumbach were fully aware of the questions surrounding Barbie’s feminist symbolism. They make significant efforts to prove that Barbie has always been a feminist icon.
However, this becomes the crux of the plot and, unfortunately, the entire point of the film. Soon, Barbie begins to deviate from her stereotypical persona, exhibiting existential fears and flaws, and sets out on a journey to the Real World to rectify the malfunction.
In Los Angeles, Barbie and Ken discover that female domination exists only in Barbieland, while patriarchy rules the Real World. Ken undergoes a different kind of awakening that gives him a new purpose. Barbie, accompanied by new human friends, played by America Ferrera and Ariana Greenblatt, must challenge patriarchal norms and prove that women are powerful.
On the surface level, the movie works. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling deliver excellent performances, striking the necessary balance between pathos and ridiculousness. The film features choreographed scenes with diverse Kens, reminding us of the doll’s range.
America Ferrera shines as a determined mother showcasing Barbie’s feminist values to her daughter and the audience.
However, the movie fails to escape its need to constantly remind us of Barbie’s feminist and cool qualities. It feels more like brand promotion than a genuine exploration, with just a hint of substance. The diversity in the film also feels superficial. While it is great to see Barbies and Kens portrayed by actors of different races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations, the focus remains on Stereotypical Barbie. Other characters are merely sprinkled throughout with comedic one-liners and minor roles, with Gosling and Ferrera being exceptions.
Critiquing a doll-themed movie for lacking soul may sound absurd, but “Barbie” is most powerful when it delves into the protagonist’s struggle against societal expectations. The movie raises questions about whether Barbie should be feminist or ordinary, if she can embody both qualities simultaneously, and whether trying to please the brand or the audience undermines her self-actualization.
This meta commentary and self-reflection could have elevated the film to the level of a brand-inspired movie like “The Social Network.” One wonders what Diablo Cody, known for her darker fare like “Juno” and “Young Adult,” would have done with the script.
In conclusion, “Barbie” is an enjoyable movie that has its moments. It explores the internal conflict of its protagonist and grapples with the balance between brand expectations and self-expression. While it may not be the ultimate feminist film, it offers valuable discussion points and showcases some excellent performances.
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