Barbie

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I’m so sick of having to say “no I’m not seeing it”, “but you’re a feminist, you know it’s a feminist movie!” “I’m not that kind of feminist.” I don’t care about barbie and I don’t think it’s an appropriate medium for a feminist message, even ironically. I’m sure it’s a good movie, I’m sure it’s very feminist FOR a barbie movie. I have no interest in it. I’ve been called a bad feminist for not seeing a movie about a symbol of female oppression and body dysmorphia. I don’t care if “barbie can do anything she wants”, I’m a real woman in the real world and I can barely walk down the street safely. I don’t care if they have a slightly overweight barbie, a disabled barbie, a doctor/lawyer/farmer barbie, it’s not good enough. I have no desire to hear a feminist message from barbie’s mouth, nor defend my feminism against it.
I get that for some people it’s just a movie about a doll and they don’t care, that’s fine. But it means something actively negative to me. Can anyone either commiserate or help me to come around to the idea?

Yep it’s easy for a man to prove he’s a feminist by liking a film. Do they do half the housework and caring in their families? Do they lobby for equal pay? They do ? Fabulous .

* There’s something about how as a mother you stop your life to let your children go out into the future or somesuch which I disliked immensely.*-

My life career etc is on hold with kids - but that's. Me ?

Ah, well I wouldn't have even known that if I hadn't read this thread.

Either way, it is cringeworthy reading such strong opinions on a film that op hasn't even seen! Thoroughly missing the point, the film isn't about women can be whatever they want. That is a given in Barbie world and not part of the story line.

I didnt know either.

I dont remember all the fuss in the little mermaid when Ursula was miscast :(

😂😂

See it or don't see it OP no one actually cares. I don't plan on seeing Oppenheimer because I will find it disturbing and upsetting but I haven't started a thread to slag it off

@WildUnchartedWaters Was just wondering if you’d missed my question about what rights trans people don’t have? Just that you’ve answered posts after it but ignored mine? I know when a lot of people are quoting you it can be a bit of a nightmare trying to keep up with what you’ve replied to and what you haven’t.

If it has been about femaleoppression it would have covered puberty, periods, shame, rape, fear of male violence, abortion, contaception, pregnancy, beastfeeding, raising children.

I agree with this. These are feminist issues, whereas the worrying over whether whether you are attractive enough/whether mean women will get jealous of you/ whether you're seen as a supportive/non supportive boss etc. seems more connected with feminine presentation. I don't know if I have explained that well, but I reject this film as anything but advertising and entertainment.

I saw it and it was a movie about Ken’s identity crisis. Barbie was just there looking nice.
He even had a dance number, which was fun.

It should have been called Ken.

I couldn’t agree more OP and I hate the way Mattel have got away with it. The humour in the film is also lame in the extreme.

In going to assume that was genuine and not PA but no I didnt.

Well, on this thread alone they're nor allowed to play a doll in a film because someone decided they cant. They're not even allowed to he called a transwoman. And as my lovely pal upthread pointed out, without transition they have no protection from discrimination in the same way that every single other characteristic in society does.

Wed all have been lining up to see that film with our pals and prosecco.

Sorry, are these issues too gritty for you and your 'prosecco' pals? They are reality, which is the concern of feminism. Actually, even middle class prosecco drinking women need abortions sometimes... But if people like the film on the grounds that they enjoy it and don't mind it being a marketing ploy to create mountains more plastic, exploit many more workers in sweatshop conditions, and commodify and dumb down feminism - rock on! Enjoy.

But they were allowed to play a doll in the film, the fact that they’re in the film shows that this is untrue. And people are happy to call transwomen transwomen, we’re just not happy
to call them women, because they’re not women. And it isn’t a right to get everyone to call you something just because you want to. I could ask everyone to call me Kate Moss, but it isn’t my right to force everyone to do so.
My DS is ginger and has no protection from discrimination, I’m fat and have no protection from discrimination (nor should I TBF, it’s my fault I’m fat) it’s untrue to say that every single characteristic has protection from discrimination.
So luckily and happily, it seems that transpeople have exactly the same rights as everyone else, hooray.

You might want to read the page of posts that I originally said this in before posting what you just have.

@WildUnchartedWaters I'm a woman. If someone online persistently tells me I'm a man, should I have the right to have them prosecuted?

I've seen it twice and thought it was loads of fun. Visually it is stunning and the visual humour is incredible. I loved Ken so much. It's just a very entertaining film that laughs at itself.

The speech at the end about the expectations on women was pretty powerful. Also liked the bit when they're rollerskating and Barbie encounters the male gaze and sexual harassment for the first time.

Yes there was a male playing a barbie and that was dumb and annoying. BUT! There was also the bit where the CEO of Mattell says to the Barbie president, "Call me mother" and she says "No thank you" - loved that. As well as the exec at the board meeting saying "I don't have any power here - does that make me a woman?" I thought it was clever and not as woke as it's made out to be.

But overall, it's just a funny film and hating it without even seeing it because you don't think it's feminist enough for you is just pretty joyless, really.

Oh wow....

Where to start.

My own roots could write their own story I grew up watching gritty documentaries and films , I didnt see a chick flick until I was in my 20s. I was gender non confirking as it would be now as a kid so barbie never came near my house, now that it would have done anyway even if I'd wanted it. My pal asked me to go see barbie as a favour to her for a good laugh after a horrific divorce. We went to a later screening, one of the popcorn and prosecco ons. I'm not sure she would have enjoyed a miserable film.

Your comment about plastic is just churlish.

Incidentally could you point me out one film, mainstream, or disney or musical background that paints the actual realities of the situation? Any? I'm not taking about cool kid gritty films which of course is all you've ever watched.

Speaking of which, perhaps the film could have had the number of male domestic abuse victims we never talk about, talked about how males are routinely abused on tv or had ken committing suicide. That would have bee in line wouldnt it? Wheres the outrage for men getting the absolute piss ripped out of them?

But you enjoy your outrage about sweatshops. It just might be an idea not to judge people you dont know.

False equivalence.

I dont have an issue with the phrase transwomen. I have an issue with the phrase women.

Incidentally, thre was a huge uproar on here not too long ago about the word ciswomen. Why? After all, it's just a word.

I have heartily recommended it to everyone as freshest film for years

This is why I'm recommending it tbh. Was discussing it at dinner with wider family and a few weren't keen / couldn't understand why I enjoyed it and I said to my dad -- what was the last major blockbuster that was made for women by women? And I'm not talking about where they've just shoehorned women into a predominantly male IP like star wars or marvel or avengers etc. And I'm not talking about where they've taken a kids movie and decided grown assed women should like it too like beauty and the beast or maleficent or cinderella or avatar.

He had to think really hard and eventually said (sheepishly!), "Was it Titanic? Fuck me that's the only one I can think of?" My dad's a decent man who I like to think is as aware of the issues as any, but he was genuinely shocked and it seemed to really sink in for him then just how skewed the movie industry is towards stereotypically male IPs.

So like... I don't think this film solved world peace but can we not all agree that if it's successful enough, maybe down the road we might start getting films made for women by women that do a better job of trying? And if not... maybe we'll have more decent movies and entertainment made for us instead of being shoehorned in as #bossbabe superheroes or gratefully lumped in with the children for the next kickass princess movie.

I don't get why it's a female film maker's job to address all issues that affect women?

It's a film about Barbie and Ken - it addresses issues that are relevant in that context and which can be dealt with humorously.

There are other films that address other issues. Why does the Barbie film have to do everything? It's stupid to think that a comedy film about dolls is going to somehow bring women out of poverty or end domestic violence.

I have neither seen it, nor been asked if I have.

Just don't understand how you've been constantly having to defend your opinion about it, must run in an exhausting circle of people

I do want to see it so its not like I have anything against it, I also haven't read up on it so don't know what to expect I just want to figure it out for myself.

Hey OP I think you're getting a rough ride from people who aren't reading your post fully. I think it's clear from your post that you're frustrated about men in your life ignoring your opinions and telling you what to do. That does sound really annoying!

(And I'd not heard that is meant to be a feminist film - you learn something new every day on here! )

Re all the comments saying you can't have an opinion on something you haven't seen....Well you kind of can. We all do this when we decide not to see a film if it doesn't sound like what we would enjoy (same with choosing reading books, despite the old adage 'don't judge a book by it's cover'). Yes, you're not then in a position to make an in depth critical analysis of the work, but it doesn't sound like that's what you're doing.

Tell those men to do one with their critiques of your feminism!

I have read all the posts on this thread, and I stand by everything I said, can you give me an example of where I’m wrong?

What equivalence? What do you mean?

I just asked if you think women should be able to have people who say they are not women prosecuted.

I actually don't think so. What about you?

The speech at the end about the expectations on women was pretty powerful.

Or maybe not powerful enough considering we're on a thread where people are shitting on the director and producer because of the unrealistic expectations they've put on them in the making of their film ABOUT A DOLL.

"It doesn't even deal with puberty or abortion"

It's a fun movie about a doll....