During the 2000s, male artists found inspiration in their childhood popular culture for their artistry. They repurposed these materials in imaginative ways, as seen in Michael Chabon’s novel “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” and Jonathan Lethem’s “The Fortress of Solitude”. However, it felt like women artists didn’t have the same opportunities. The popular culture of American girlhood, such as hobbies like horses, dolls, and gymnastics, was often dismissed as trivial and juvenile.
But Greta Gerwig has emerged as a counterexample. Throughout her filmmaking career, Gerwig has been dedicated to making art out of girlhood experiences. Her film “Little Women” from 2019 revitalizes the classic girlhood story for a modern audience. In her directorial debut “Lady Bird”, she authentically captures the complexities of a 17-year-old girl’s coming-of-age journey, exploring themes of longing and anger.
Now, we have the Barbie phenomenon. The Barbie movie grossed an astonishing $155 million on its opening weekend, making it the highest-grossing film directed by a woman post-pandemic. It proves that art centered around girlhood can be both economically successful and culturally impactful. Many women, both acquaintances and long-time friends, have reached out to me to express their excitement about the film. However, some of them also shared a common sentiment of feeling oddly disappointed by it.
One possible reason for this disappointment, as pointed out by critic Dana Stevens, is the inherent paradox of the film. While it claims to criticize the Barbie brand, it is heavily sponsored by Mattel, the company behind Barbie. Gerwig addresses this constraint by turning it into a joke within the plot. The Barbies within the movie mistakenly believe that their existence has created a feminist utopia in the real world, which becomes a central plot point. But Gerwig understands that viewers don’t want a preachy film about the negative effects of Barbie on girls’ self-image. Instead, she playfully mocks corporate culture while simultaneously celebrating the essence of Barbie. Thus, the Barbie movie becomes a powerful testament to the peculiarities of American girl culture and its limited perspectives on young girls’ desires and identities.
Barbie occupies a unique position at the crossroads of reality, fantasy, and critique. It’s a delightful and visually stunning film, complete with extravagant costumes, skillfully choreographed dance numbers, and aesthetically sophisticated visual metaphors. Margot Robbie portrays Barbie as a self-aware character, known as “Stereotypical Barbie”, who effortlessly embodies the doll’s iconic features. She never gets wet in the shower, gracefully floats through the air, and walks on her toes. The screenplay cleverly includes incisive and humorous commentary on gender stereotypes. One pivotal scene involves the Barbies allowing the Kens to serenade them with guitars, a subtle yet genius play on prepositions.
Like its predecessors, Barbie attempts to cater to a diverse audience. One of the film’s taglines captures this challenge perfectly: “If you love Barbie, this movie is for you. If you hate Barbie, this movie is for you.” Gerwig aims to create a film that appeals to viewers with differing opinions on Barbie and its cultural significance.
This conflict is also mirrored in Stereotypical Barbie’s journey. She embarks on a quest to comprehend perplexing aspects of reality, such as cellulite, cold showers, and melancholy. Initially residing in Barbie Land, a world dominated by women, she discovers that the real world isn’t the feminist paradise she believed it to be. Men objectify her, and she even encounters accusations of being a “fascist” from a girl. As Stereotypical Barbie becomes disillusioned with reality, she articulates a disconcerting mix of emotions: feeling ill at ease and sensing undertones of violence. Meanwhile, one of the Kens, portrayed brilliantly by Ryan Gosling, undergoes radicalization. He enjoys the newfound attention and envisions a world where men hold the power. Returning to Barbie Land, he manipulates the other Barbies into serving the Kens, usurping their previously respected roles as Supreme Court justices and transforming them into cheerleaders.
Rather than responding with anger to the changes in Barbie Land, Barbie herself feels crushed. She abandons her makeup and succumbs to despair, lying on the floor and hoping for another Barbie to take charge and fix their society. The latter half of the film explores her transformation from feeling inadequate to becoming a woman determined to define her own destiny. In the real world, she befriends Gloria (portrayed by America Ferrara), who delivers a moving motivational speech about the challenges of being a woman in a society that demands contradictory expectations.
The cultural object that Barbie represents presents a significant challenge for Gerwig. She aims to navigate the performative joys of fashion and dance, while also critiquing the flaws of modern American culture. However, she frames the story in a way that suggests these aspects are entirely disconnected. Gerwig attempts to illustrate the journey from a dream world to a complex reality. This reality includes the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the absence of guaranteed parental leave, and the prevalence of male CEOs in corporate America, including Mattel.
Barbie, as a film, simultaneously embraces radicalism and conventionality. It subtly criticizes patriarchal structures, with one standout line from Ken highlighting the disinterest he felt when he discovered the true meaning of patriarchy. On the other hand, Barbie adheres to traditional notions of an idealized feminine childhood and the limited perception of what Barbie represents. Mattel’s influence is evident in the film’s adherence to rigid beauty standards, the portrayal of a night of fun through glamorous and sexualized dance numbers, and the absence of any significant conflicts. The film reflects the fashion-focused and superficial vision of girlhood that corporate America has perpetuated. This vision led my second-wave feminist mother to ban Barbie from our home, and the ones my aunt gave me mysteriously vanished shortly after.
To some extent, Gerwig emphasizes this superficiality as Barbie’s departure from Barbie Land mirrors the transition many girls experience when faced with a messier reality. However, the film skirts the deeper cognitive dissonance that Barbie often evokes in young girls. Thanks to my mother’s ban, I rarely played with Barbie dolls, finding them dull due to their constant connection to societal expectations that didn’t yet interest me, such as boys and a stereotypical notion of a perfect home in Malibu. Instead, my friends and I would modify Barbie dolls to resemble the character of Weird Barbie from the movie, a doll with a punk hairstyle from the 1980s who defies convention. Like the film’s montage that shows the transformation of Weird Barbie, we would cut her hair short, turn her head backward, and alter her appearance in unconventional ways.
In conclusion, Gerwig’s Barbie film grapples with the challenge of reconciling the performative aspects of Barbie with the flaws of contemporary American culture. It presents a blend of radical and conventional elements, subtly critiquing patriarchy while adhering to traditional notions of girlhood. The influence of Mattel is evident in the film’s adherence to rigid beauty standards. Nevertheless, the film’s portrayal of Barbie’s journey serves to highlight the inadequacies of a vapid and superficial vision of girlhood. Barbie leaves behind her dream world to confront a more complex and messy reality, paralleling the experiences of many girls. Ultimately, Gerwig crafts a film that fun and visually striking, while addressing the intricate relationship between Barbie, societal expectations, and girls’ self-perception.
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