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Barbie: Inspiring but Overhyped
Barbie: Inspiring but Overhyped
Charlotte Parker
Charlotte Parker
October 16, 2023
Sitting on the couch with nothing to do, you’re overcome by a feeling everyone’s been acquainted with: boredom. It’s a rainy Saturday afternoon, and you don’t have any plans. You contemplate what you should do for the next few hours, but your mind is drawing a blank. Why not watch a good movie? This past summer, the movie Barbie was released, and it was a big hit. The movie received high praise from everyone I spoke with, so I decided to see it. Is it really the best movie ever made?
It’s always refreshing to watch a film that doesn’t portray women as damsels in distress. I grew up watching things like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, both of which are Disney movies based on women needing men to save them from their tragic lives and seemingly cursed fates. The real question is, what idea does this give young girls about womanhood? Do I really need a Prince Charming to save the day for me? In my humble opinion, Barbie inspires young girls to feel empowered and implants the idea that women can do whatever they set their minds to. In the movie Barbie, Stereotypical Barbie faces real-life challenges women in today’s society go through every day, such as unmatchable, unrealistic beauty standards or not being taken seriously in professional or academic settings.
As a young woman, I’ve been belittled for my gender and told that I have to just accept the fact that I’ll often be treated like I’m incapable. This movie, however, contradicts these negative stereotypes about women by delivering the message that girls can do and achieve anything they desire, whether it be becoming an astronaut or doctor, or even a mechanic. The film does a decent job at conveying the idea that women are strong, capable people.
While Barbie motivates young girls to think they can do and be anything, its clichés and artificiality negate the message it’s trying to send. At times, I found it difficult to take the movie seriously. Sasha, the teenage girl who originally hates Barbie, is a bit over-the-top when she scolds Stereotypical Barbie for being anti-feminist and representing “everything wrong with our culture.” When Sasha says, “You are killing the planet with your glorification of rampant consumerism,” I find myself rolling my eyes. Quite frankly, Sasha sounds like some feminist wannabe on Tumblr who shames other girls for saying their favorite color is pink. Her “feminism” seems so banal, making the movie’s attempt to encourage women and girls to feel powerful fail. The feminism appears to be surface-deep, and it just makes the movie seem a bit pedestrian and superficial.
Overall, I think Barbie is a decent movie if you aren’t looking for something deep and revolutionary. The movie’s got a cute message, but its overdramatization of feminism diminishes it. I think this movie would be a great introduction to the concept of feminism for young children, but anyone older may find it a bit vapid and cliché. It’s worth seeing once or twice, and I don’t regret spending two hours of my time viewing it, but be wary of the fact that it somewhat undermines the feminist cause with its lack of depth.
It’s always refreshing to watch a film that doesn’t portray women as damsels in distress. I grew up watching things like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, both of which are Disney movies based on women needing men to save them from their tragic lives and seemingly cursed fates. The real question is, what idea does this give young girls about womanhood? Do I really need a Prince Charming to save the day for me? In my humble opinion, Barbie inspires young girls to feel empowered and implants the idea that women can do whatever they set their minds to. In the movie Barbie, Stereotypical Barbie faces real-life challenges women in today’s society go through every day, such as unmatchable, unrealistic beauty standards or not being taken seriously in professional or academic settings.
As a young woman, I’ve been belittled for my gender and told that I have to just accept the fact that I’ll often be treated like I’m incapable. This movie, however, contradicts these negative stereotypes about women by delivering the message that girls can do and achieve anything they desire, whether it be becoming an astronaut or doctor, or even a mechanic. The film does a decent job at conveying the idea that women are strong, capable people.
While Barbie motivates young girls to think they can do and be anything, its clichés and artificiality negate the message it’s trying to send. At times, I found it difficult to take the movie seriously. Sasha, the teenage girl who originally hates Barbie, is a bit over-the-top when she scolds Stereotypical Barbie for being anti-feminist and representing “everything wrong with our culture.” When Sasha says, “You are killing the planet with your glorification of rampant consumerism,” I find myself rolling my eyes. Quite frankly, Sasha sounds like some feminist wannabe on Tumblr who shames other girls for saying their favorite color is pink. Her “feminism” seems so banal, making the movie’s attempt to encourage women and girls to feel powerful fail. The feminism appears to be surface-deep, and it just makes the movie seem a bit pedestrian and superficial.
Overall, I think Barbie is a decent movie if you aren’t looking for something deep and revolutionary. The movie’s got a cute message, but its overdramatization of feminism diminishes it. I think this movie would be a great introduction to the concept of feminism for young children, but anyone older may find it a bit vapid and cliché. It’s worth seeing once or twice, and I don’t regret spending two hours of my time viewing it, but be wary of the fact that it somewhat undermines the feminist cause with its lack of depth.
Photo Credit: AMC Theaters
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