Welcome to the Doll House: Barbie’s Billion-Dollar Baby
It’s no secret I’m obsessed with this burst of nostalgia. For many, Barbie was the first introduction to the female experience and empowered you with excitement about womanhood and the greatest of future possibilities out there for a young girl. This film brilliantly and beautifully sparks a reawakening of that excitement in a time young girls and women of ALL need it most. It’s a perfectly crafted journey through womanhood and identity, with the themes of self-discovery, existentialism, objectification, oppression, motherhood and becoming an adult navigating through the changes of live.
Apparently, some men want to crash the female celebratory party by calling it man-hating? Hardly. What’s upsetting fragile egos is actually anti-behavior, and not necessarily that of an entire sex. Dear Patriarchy, please don’t paint male oppression onto this.
It’s female liberation and, despite what bruised babies want you to think, that can happen without passing oppression onto men. Yup. We know how to highlight how hard it is to be a woman without comparing ourselves to the struggle of men. It’s a stand-alone theme.
And in case you want to bring up putting Ken’s against each other? Oh, that’s just from a page of the patriarchal handbook of how to hold women down! Don’t even try to argue, the entire marketing industry is built on the idea of women competing with each other. But that’s another article.
No, there’s no hatred of men. What the Barbie-nay-sayers are actually witnessing is in fact a fantastic display of empathy…a quality they clearly don’t have. Would Barbie APOLOGIZE and take accountability to someone she hates? Actually…probably, but that’s not what’s happening here. She recognizes the part she played and owns up to it, while still placing loving and reasonable boundaries with her Ken. She doesn’t stop there-she shows him he’s so much more than Beach. The horse-loving Ken then finds himself outside of the patriarchal influence, realizing he is Kenough. All the other Ken’s follow suit, finally liberated as individuals, each in their own way. It’s Barbie AND IT’S KEN. So, Kenough of the man-hating rhetoric, his journey (yes, a female director actually knows how to give the opposite sex co-star an actual journey and storyline separate to the main character) is empowering. He’s not superfluous, or else he wouldn’t have participated in Barbie’s journey. He plays a pivotal role on Barbie’s journey to humanity. If he’s there for her benefit, he’s there to showcase her empathy. Boys, you’re not being oppressed, you’re being shown how it’s done.
And Ryan’s performance? Best yet.
The movie simply observes and showcases the effects of toxic behavior women constantly endure, and that of the patriarchy gone wrong. Gentlemen, we don’t hate the patriarchy, except when it gets shit wrong. And it has. All we ask for is a seat at proverbial table-whether Will Ferrell is there with us or not-in order to help improve things. We understand the group assignment.
How did the masses miss the adventure and discovery of motherhood our heroic Barbie experiences? The theme of motherhood is deeply threaded in this colorful masterpiece. It’s the idea of motherhood that finally pushes Barbie’s desire to be human into fruition. Oh, and those who projected an anti-family reason for Barbie going to the doctor? Please!
She went to her OBGYN, because, *as mentioned in the film*, she’s never had genitals before! NONE OF THE BARBIES OR KENS HAVE EVER HAD GENITALS. Which also means…no sex. I won’t even address the “gay implications” within the Kens that haters are going on about. You call grasping manly hands in a dance sequence gay? Let’s get one thing straight, I’m embarrassed for your insecurity.
No matter what gender you align with, watch for the celebration of humanity. It contains strong messages about transition, change, and understanding our purpose in life. The only thing I wanted more on was an option for ridding ourselves of cellulite without having to travel from the Barbie World to our reality as I can’t rollerblade very well.
Let’s talk about what this iconic film means to the industry. Film is back. This billion-dollar baby packs a serious punch. The fashion industry has fallen in line. Marketing has been sensational. And opportunities for women in the industry are bound to open due to Greta. Barbie is every woman, and every woman is Barbie. Individually and collectively, we will build our dreamworld. The aesthetics of the film are unique and unmatched. Yes, Greta had decades of blueprints thanks to Mattel, but the visual aspects of the film bring serious eye-candy! From makeup, to costumes, to the old-school-50’s era sets, this production is flawless. Campy, original and delightful. If you have a fragile ego, just sit and enjoy the colors, will you.
Spoilers ahead: That. Monologue. Besides insecure viewers misbehaving, not a sound was to be heard besides women tearing up and even crying in agreement. We felt seen. Heard. America passionately describes the painful side of the female experience in both a captivating and motivating way. Her words liberate not only the Barbie’s from their cages they are trapped in, but the audience as well. Empowerment is the name of this game. There’s not a negative aspect to this film; just a human one.
To sum it up: Go for Barbie. Laugh through the Ken’s. Dance in Gosling’s gaze. Love Issa.
If you love Barbie, watch this film. If you could care less about Barbie, watch this film.
Plus, Barbie is Jewish, how rad is that?
Ashley Herman
