After much anticipation, the live action Barbie movie took its debut to the big screens July 21st, 2023. The movie stared Margot Robbie who played Stereotypical Barbie, and produced the film, and Ryan Gosling who played one of the Kens. Becoming Warner Bros. highest grossing movie release, it took the world by storm from the exceptional cast, music and dancing to the inspirational message conveyed through such a timeless and iconic doll. The mastermind behind the blockbuster, director Greta Grewig, is known for her movies that shine a light on female empowerment such as her films “Little Woman” and “Ladybird.” While the Barbie movie was a film widely enjoyed by all genders and ages, it was particularly moving for young girls as the story of Barbie is very vulnerable but extremely relatable and validating.
The Barbie movie follows Stereotypical Barbie, played by Margot Robbie, a doll that is the definition of beauty standards amongst girls, who soon experiences a life crisis as she is faced with the reality of what life as a girl is really like. Stereotypical Barbie’s life starts to make a sudden shift as she begins to have thoughts of death that turn her world upside down. As she departs the utopia known as her home, Barbie Land, and arrives in the real world to fix her malfunctions, she is faced with female oppression, gender mistreatment and real feelings of sadness and fear, leading her to question if she really belongs in Barbie Land. Throughout many decades Barbie has been made to represent the ideal beauty standards girls should embody. Mattel lacked producing diversity with such toys for a very long time, an overall harmful message conveyed towards young girls. Gerwig contradicted this trend and created a validating message that allowed young girls to feel more confident in themselves and feel less alone in the harsh world women are presented with.
In Barbie Land, everything and everyone is perfect. As little girls, one is not faced with responsibilities, insecurities or much knowledge of how the world works. Barbie Land ultimately represents the world little girls lived in, a world where one felt free to become whomever they wanted, could live without pressure from other people or the expectations the world pushes on women. Stereotypical Barbie experienced major shifts in her life like her feet going flat, having bad breath and experiencing an abnormal day overall. This portrays the time in a girl’s life as they leave a childhood free of worries to being confronted with different insecurities the world places on girls. For young girls, watching a perfect looking character in the media experience the same insecurities they also have is a very validating experience as real life insecurities are never presented amongst characters. As Barbie enters the real world determined to fix her malfunctions, she is then presented with how the real world works, especially for women. She becomes saddened when she realizes the inequality women are faced with day to day. This realistic moment in the movie is disheartening to viewers to think about how girls are still treated in comparison to men today, especially as women in have done so much to try and overcome that battle of oppression throughout history. Stereotypical Barbie feels she is unable to go back into Barbie Land after experiencing how girls are treated in the real world, something that can be connected to the naiveness girls lose once they experience what Stereotypical Barbie has.
Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, has a significant role in the movie as he defines to Stereotypical Barbie and the audience, how men in our society act towards woman. Ken felt weak and emasculated when Stereotypical Barbie did not want to be anything more than friends with him, but felt safe and strong when Stereotypical Barbie was scared. This is why the Barbie movie is geared and understood so strongly by women as Ken portrayed to the audience the times that men in our society feel validated by the downfall of women to fill them with the feeling of masculinity. Therefore, it is so much easier for women watching the film to feel so connected to Stereotypical Barbie’s experiences, because it is something men do not have to deal with. This message being conveyed to billions of viewers can helps girls feel understood and allows them to have experiences in their life feel recognized.
This film has truly done an exceptional job at highlighting the real life experiences women have had to overcome through a character that would not be expected to be confronted with imperfection. The message Barbie holds on girls is to embrace themselves when they feel different or imperfect, to stand up to the inequalities of the world and that beauty can come from not only the outside but from the inside too. A message all girls could take with them through their life and having a film so popular as Barbie share this message with the world is truly comforting and memorable.
