BARBIE LAND
Alexandra B., Abril O., Daniella V., Evelyn L., Camila S.
“Every Fun Set Detail You Might Have Missed in ‘Barbie.’” House Beautiful, 24 July 2023, https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/entertainment/a44345243/barbie-movie-sets-design-filming-locations/.
BACKGROUND
Barbie Movie Behind-the-Scenes SECRETS! www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXLrU43_L9Q. Accessed 11 Oct. 2023.
Mattel was introduced to the idea of a “Barbie Doll” when cofounder Ruth Handler saw how her daughter didn’t have any adult or three-dimensional dolls to play with. Along with inspiration from a German adult collector doll named Bild Lilli, Barbie was born: a fashionable blonde doll in a black and white striped swimsuit and heels, made to give girls a role model to follow and a doll to play the role they never had on the shelves before. Released in 1959 at an American international toy fair, she took the market by storm. She was a fashion icon; she had outfits for every decade, careers to inspire, and a shoe for any occasion. The doll was an eye-opener to little girls for what and who they could be.
Then came the Barbie movie! Although, if you count the animated movies, this is movie 43. The film took 14 years to form, starting as a Universal Pictures production starring Anne Hathaway. It then moved to Sony Pictures with Amy Schumer as our Barbie before finally making it to Warner Brothers. That’s how we got Margot Robbie as Barbie, Ryan Gosling as Ken, and cast features like John Cena, Dua Lipa, Simu Liu, and more! With director Greta Gerwig, the movie was underway.
Filming finally took off in 2018-2019 when they started to get stuff done. The cast helped build an actual dreamland, bringing it to life with the passion they had for the project. Gerwig wanted to make the movie larger than life; at least, she wanted the movie to look like a doll’s life. They had every set to have the proportions be just right for a doll and her dreamhouse, including sizing the car to be disproportionate (to the point of needing to be a remote-control car instead of a regular one), making the hair brushes huge, and backgrounds that look almost 2-dimensional. It took many props and takes to make sure all of the cast were moving like dolls. This creative effort pulled off, though, and the Barbie Movie was an instant success; grossing over 1 billion dollars.
“In a Barbie World: Experts Weigh in on Barbie’s Legacy Ahead of Film Release.” University of Arizona News, 11 July 2023, https://news.arizona.edu/story/barbie-world-experts-weigh-barbies-legacy-ahead-film-release.
“Photos from Barbie Movie Photos.” E! Online, https://www.eonline.com/photos/34705/barbie-movie-photos. Accessed 12 Oct. 2023.
REVIEW
Does anyone want to know what Barbie Land is like? If so, Barbie came out on July 21, 2023. It is rated PG-13 and it’s been the best movie of the summer. It has a good plot, amazing characters, and perfectly tells us what Barbie is all about. Margot Robbie is cast as Stereotypical Barbie, Ryan Gosling is cast as Ken, and America Ferrera is cast as Gloria. Barbie is directed by Greta Gerwig and distributed by Warner Bros. Barbie has currently made 1.62 billion dollars at the box office and is the first live-action movie Mattel has helped make.
Official Movie Site. Barbie. (n.d.). https://www.barbie-themovie.com/
This movie is a good combination of humor, sadness, and entertainment. When I watched it for the first time I wasn’t prepared for the beautiful combination of Billie Eillish’s singing and different home videos of little girls at different stages of life and doing different things that showed exactly what Barbie was made for. She was made for little girls to show them that they can be anything and people have forgotten about that and just focus on what Barbie looks like. There was also a healthy amount of references in the movie including The Matrix, The Creation of Adam, The Wizard of Oz, and Ruth Handler’s Tax Scandal. One of the most hilarious parts of the movie was when we finally got to see what a beach-off was and we were graced with Ken's singing talent.
“2023 Barbie Movie Poster 11X17 Margot Robbie Ryan Gosling Ken Hasbro Comedy 🍿.” eBay, https://www.ebay.com/itm/364317761100. Accessed 12 Oct. 2023.
Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, October 6). Barbie (film). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie_%28film%29
It all started after Barbie woke up after her girl’s night and discovered that she had FLAT FEET. She was sent to see Weird Barbie to see if she could fix the problem. After Weird Barbie told her she couldn’t fix her, she sent Barbie to the real world to find the kid who was playing with her to cure herself. On the way to the real world, she realizes that Ken came with her and after begging Barbie to let him stay they end up in Los Angeles where the story begins. After everything is said and done and Barbie Land is back to normal Barbie finally learns what she was made for.
Gibson, K. (2023, August 28). Everything to know about the barbie movie. Peoplemag. https://people.com/movies/barbie-movie-everything-to-know/
You can watch the Barbie movie in theaters, or you can watch it on Apple TV, Vudu, Google Play Movies & TV, Redbox, Amazon Prime, and YouTube. It costs 24.99 dollars on all of these websites so I recommend just watching it in theaters because it’s cheaper, but if you want to rewatch it a couple of times you should definitely just buy yourself a copy. Overall, Barbie is a beautiful movie and I would recommend it to everyone because it’s a powerful movie for women. I give it a 10/10.
Purslow, Matt. “New Barbie Trailer and Images Reveal a Fantastic Life in Plastic.” IGN, 16 Dec. 2022, https://www.ign.com/articles/new-barbie-trailer-and-images-reveal-a-fantastic-life-in-plastic.
IMPACT
Barrios, William. “Celebrating National Barbie® Day With All The Pinkest Spots In Los Angeles.” Secret Los Angeles, 10 Mar. 2023, https://secretlosangeles.com/national-barbie-day/.
The Barbie movie was more than a movie and helped shape a more inclusive world for future generations. This film showed diversity and representation while connecting to current cultural and societal values. Barbie fans say how this movie brought people together while also sparking important conversations about feminism. 63% of men say the Barbie movie made them more aware of patriarchy in the workplace and 62% of men say the film led to self-reflection (Quigley). The Barbie Film can connect, inspire, and impact anyone.
Many people felt that the message of Barbie could connect to anyone no matter their gender. The overall message of this movie is that everyone is “Kenough,” patriarchy harms everyone, and women can hold any position of influence, responsibility, and power. Barbie inspires children to follow their dreams and not change their physical appearance or personality to conform to stereotypes. Barbie’s hundreds of careers spark motivation for females all over the world to break barriers and pursue their dreams. Each Barbie is the only one of its kind which encourages people to believe in themselves and spreads a message that women can be whatever they want without conforming to patriarchy.
Although some people make the claim that the movie is “anti-men,” the journey of Ken in the Barbie movie is a perfect example of how a patriarchal society harms everybody. Everyone is “Kenough,” meaning it's important to work on yourself, build your own dream house, and you are enough the way you are. This movie has a positive message for men by giving a model of male self-care and self-acceptance. Throughout the movie, Barbie helps improve the way men view women in leadership positions while also emphasizing the importance of being yourself. The Barbie movie definitely not only has a positive impact on women, but men as well.
To sum up this movie and the beneficial impact Barbie had on people, the messages of the film inspired so many people. Everyone is impacted in a different way by watching this movie, yet Barbie did not fail to spread positivity, promote creativity and inspire. Everybody can watch Barbie and relate to it in a different way and feel touched. This movie inspired positive and meaningful conversations about gender equity and so much more, Barbie has spread such an important message about the power of being who you are.
Chaney, Jen. “Which Barbie Scene Made You Cry the Hardest?” Vulture, 27 July 2023, https://www.vulture.com/article/will-the-barbie-movie-make-you-cry.html.
“The New ‘Barbie’ Trailer Explains That Viral Foot Moment in the Best Way.” InStyle, https://www.instyle.com/official-2023-barbie-trailer-margot-robbie-7504288. Accessed 17 Oct. 2023.
FASHION
Barbie has been known for her fabulous fashion taste. Her fashion is showcased in the movie and represents how Barbies are and their jobs. The fashion in the “Barbie” movie shows how clothes can be elegant and authoritative. Barbie's variety of careers and personalities are shown through her outfits; the costume designer (Jacqueline Durran) made all these iconic outfits.
“Do These Barbie Dolls Actually Look Like the Stars They’re Supposed to Resemble? You Decide.” Peoplemag, https://people.com/celebrity/celebrity-barbies/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2023.
Barbie's fashion was made to influence people to different career types. Expressing yourself with the clothes you wear can show who you are and your fashion style. Clothing can help you be confident and comfortable with yourself if you are not. In this generation, people are more insecure and pay more attention to what they wear.
Archive, View Author, et al. Margot Robbie Puts Spin on Barbie’s Iconic 1959 Striped Swimsuit. 29 June 2023, https://pagesix.com/2023/06/29/margot-robbie-puts-spin-on-barbies-iconic-1959-striped-swimsuit/.
When Barbie had a dress on, and she would go to the beach, she would already be in a swimsuit because you changed her. In the article The Deeper Meaning Behind The Color-Filled Barbie Costume it states, “I wanted to reference how you play with Barbie and how you dress Barbie, and I wanted sometimes to be conscious of the clothes coming in a pack so that you have the dress, the shoes, the bag,” says Durran. Every piece of clothing that you see in the movie has come from Barbies that some of you have played with as a kid. Some costumes even came from old Barbies that not a lot of people knew or played with. However, many costume choices, like the pink cowboy suit, they struggled to put something together they had to ask themselves, In the article The Deeper Meaning Behind The Color-Filled Barbie Costumes “What would Barbie choose to wear when she arrives in the real world? What would the Barbie Logic be for the thing that would make her fit in America?” This helped develop the costumes to put in the movie. Thinking like Barbie and being in that mindset really helped organize when each costume would be seen in the movie.
“Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling Go Skating in Matching Neon for ‘Barbie.’” TODAY.Com, 28 June 2022, https://www.today.com/popculture/movies/margot-robbie-ryan-gosling-barbie-neon-rollerblading-photos-rcna35710.
Dolan, Leah. “It’s a ‘Kenaissance:’ In Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie,’ Ken’s Clothes Are His Key to Emancipation.” CNN, 20 July 2023, https://www.cnn.com/style/ken-costumes-barbie-movie/index.html.
SOUNDTRACK
Dance the Night by Dua Lipa: Not only does Dua Lipa bring her disco pop sound to the first single on the Barbie soundtrack, but she also stars as Mermaid Barbie. This song is a fun disco romp that epitomizes the carefree energy of Barbie Land, while also hiding a deep existential pain within its lyrics. It’s about maintaining a perfect appearance even when you don't feel perfect.
Schube, Will. “Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice Team up for “Barbie World.”” UDiscover Music, 23 June 2023, www.udiscovermusic.com/news/nicki-minaj-ice-spice-barbie-world-2/. Accessed 17 Oct. 2023.
What Was I Made For? By Billie Eilish: This song is the epitome of Barbie’s journey into the real world and her struggle to find her real purpose. Billie Eilish is well known for exploring difficult topics like depression and anxiety throughout her music. So she’s the perfect choice for this song meant to explore Barbie's inner turmoil and sadness. Although this song may not make you want to dance it is definitely an important part of Barbie’s journey.
Gilger, Lauren. ““Barbie” Movie Is All about the Contradiction of Motherhood, according to ASU Assistant Professor.” Fronteras, 31 Aug. 2023, fronterasdesk.org/content/1856278/barbie-movie-all-about-contradiction-motherhood-according-asu-assistant-professor. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.
Nast, Condé. “Surprise! Dua Lipa Is a Mermaid in ‘Barbie.’” Vogue, 4 Apr. 2023, https://www.vogue.com/article/surprise-dua-lipa-isin-barbie.
Barbie World by Ice Spice, Nicki Minaj, with Aqua: Some fans were disappointed when it was announced that Aqua’s hit song “Barbie Girl” wouldn't be featured in Barbie due to bad blood between the Danish pop band and Mattel. Even though the song wasn't featured, Mark Ronson found a way to include it with the help of Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj. Their song samples the original song while also adding their own flare.
Williams, Chloe. “You Probably Missed This Important Detail in the Barbie Ending - Brit + Co.” Www.brit.co, 28 July 2023, www.brit.co/barbie-ending/. Accessed 17 Oct. 2023.
SOURCES
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14 Years to Make BARBIE Movie?? #didyouknow #shorts. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EtXXgbSUYw. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.“63% of Men Say Barbie Movie Made Them More Aware of Patriarchy in the Workplace.” ResumeBuilder.Com, https://www.resumebuilder.com/63-of-men-say-barbie-movie-made-them-more-aware-of-patriarchy-in-the-workplace/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
Barbie. Directed by Greta Gerwig, Warner Bros., Heyday Films, LuckyChap Entertainment, 2023.
“‘Barbie’ Is a Movie About Male Fragility.” Time, 21 July 2023, https://time.com/6287484/barbie-male-fragility-ken/.
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The Deeper Meaning Behind The Color-Filled Barbie Costumes. https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2023/07/11473290/barbie-movie-wardrobe-costumes-meaning. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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The Original BARBIE Was a GOLD DIGGER?! 🫢#messeduporigins #barbiedoll #barbiemovie. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfm78_Ewgu0. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
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Ulaby, Neda. “‘Barbie’ Is the Only Billion-Dollar Blockbuster Solely Directed by a Woman.” NPR, 6 Aug. 2023. NPR, https://www.npr.org/2023/08/06/1191940267/barbie-billion-dollars-woman-greta-gerwig.