Barbie

You skipped the songs! Why?

So I watched parts of it online (I skipped the songs) and I didn't find what I watched to be feminist. I found it to be both misandrist and misogynistic. It's a fucking awful movie. Just nasty and mean-spirited under it's pink candy shell.

Yes that's an accurate description of the film.

Your choice OP.
I did see it, twice, because it's fun.
Tbh, I thought the big Feminism speech (which the audience applauded!) Was tedious. And the ending was odd - the film was about women not being defined by their biology but she goes to the gynaecologist at the end because, seemingly, the womb makes you a woman. Plus the whole motherhood montage before it.

I'd say the men in your life are the issue rather than a film. Can't you just say no?

He's from Barbieland. That's the joke.

(Spoilers ahead...)

In Barbieland the females do all the important stuff and control all the wealth while the males are essentially an extension of the Barbies and kinda sit around waiting to be acknowledged. They don't have houses or value or roles other than stupid stuff like "beach". Not a lifeguard, just "beach". Standing on a beach looking hot. It's quite clever in that there's a lot of shots where they sort of put him in positions and have camera shots that are the opposite of "male gaze" where it would usually be a woman.

When he goes to the real world he's called "Sir" for the first time and treated with respect. Confused about this, he starts investigating, discovers the patriarchy, and figures the real world is the mirror opposite of Barbieland (an all female roadworks team in Barbieland is replaced with an all male one in the real world - he sort of extrapolates that into "men do everything here").

So that's why in the trailers it shows him going to a hospital and demanding to see a man. Despite the doctor he speaks to being a woman. He's under the impression they must all be men since in Barbieland all jobs are done by women.

He then asks this businessman for a job and is refused because he has no qualifications. "But I thought this was a patriarchy? Are you not doing that anymore?" To which the man leans in and replies with a snigger.... "Oh no, we're still doing it. We just have to be smarter about it these days." I'm paraphrasing but you get the idea.

Re the doctor in Barbieland, I've been called a terf on the internet more times than I care to count lmao, but it's worth mentioning that it's not a transactress playing a trans-barbie, it's a transactress playing a female barbie. The distinction is important imho. In Barbieland every job is done by women.

There isn't a joke about Ken being surprised at women doctors. All the working roles in barbie land were done by women. He's surprised at men having senior roles and being seen as superior to women.

The doctor barbie are you imply she was portrayed by a trans person. ? I didn't notice.

I’m a total barbie hating feminist, was never allowed them as a child, once nicked a barbie book to add positive messages to it and blogged it https://lettersfromladycurd.wordpress.com/2012/10/31/dear-barbie/ my kids trolled me one year getting the barbie annual for my birthday. Ha bloody ha.

BUT I have three daughters and the autistic middle one despite my best efforts is barbie obsessed and plays for hours with her charity shop dolls and stories.

so off we schlepped as a family to see it last week and it was BRILLIANT. My husband and I probably enjoyed it more than the kids. So many clever jokes. Yes it knows exactly what it is and yes it’s saccharine in places and yes Ken nicks barbies house doesn’t apologise and Barbie ends up responsible for comforting him despite not being in a relationship with him and a few other gripes but all fab for critiquing with the kids. But overall it was really good and I’m glad I saw it. Will go again to see it as a friend with cancer wasnt up for going as a big group so I promised I would go again. I never see films again.
so of course you are allowed to not want to see it and be fed up of people expecting you to see it but equally you are allowed to change your mind and be pleasantly surprised.

Ditto OP! Though no external pressure to see. I see it like watching diet tips or body positivity tips by Coca Cola or McDonalds. I can't say I'm not intrigued but I am pretty sure I will hate it and pick it apart.

But I don't see how you can comment on a film that you haven't seen

If it matters to you fair enough, but it isn't mandatory to go and watch it. Unless you're a film critic you won't lose your job if you don't see it

No real need to get so snippy OP. The film is a marketing exercise and I won’t be going. The comment about doctors is astonishing however. In the UK there are more women GPs than men and currently more female medical students than male. What planet is Ken supposed to be from?

Fgs it's a doll and a film. If you don't want to see it, don't. Nobody is making you. If people keep talking about it just say it's not your thing and change the subject

Two good reasons to see Barbie:

1. It’s funny
2. They seem to realise that their are two sexes.

I have seen the film and somehow managed to miss this fact. That’s really disappointing!

I found this article about it which is quite interesting.

https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/07/06/this-barbie-is-transgender-woman-new-movie-gone-woke/amp/

I’d be annoyed by the insistence that this film is must-watch viewing for feminists. Sounds like fun entertainment and a decent feminism 101 for young women, but nothing I’ve heard about it suggests it has anything new to say for those of us with a decent grounding in feminist issues. So if it doesn’t appeal from the entertainment perspective, why would you see it?

If someone was really badgering me about this I’d say the above. Great it’s got men thinking about feminism. But the info isn’t new to all of us.

For me the fact that the film pushes the message that women can be anything they want to me, than have Doctor Barbie played by a male, tells me all I need to know.

Isn’t one of the jokes in the film that Ken can’t believe a woman in the real world could be a doctor? Then the film doubles down on his misogyny by... hiring a male to play Doctor Barbie!

"symbol of female oppression and body dysmorphia."

Wow

Suggesting this toy is a good role model is toxic propaganda, and it needs to be rebutted.

Aye, the whole thing stinks of consumerism.

On top of the news that Mattel have been giving free barbies to schools with some clutching at straws evidence it increases social skills, I smell a lot of rats.

I'll watch it and probably enjoy the entertainment - I did like barbies till I really didnt and realised his toxic they were, but it does bother me that this is a new round of extra plastic and micro plastics about to be hurled at the world.

Ive seen it. It's a great film that explores patriarchy vs matriarchy vs equality. Whilst having a few digs and laughs at western society along the way. I don't thinks it's trying to tell feminists anything they don't know. So unless you like barbie and fancy a nostalgia fest, you probably don't need to watch it.

I would say it's a good message for teen/young adult females who are trying to figure out their place in society. The 'big speech' is very much aimed at a teen audience. There's nothing wrong with reminding young women that they don't have to put up with shit from men and to be aware of the pressure society puts on them simply for having a vagina.