Story by Izzy McKnight.
Art by Claire White.
The Barbie Movie, whether you love it, hate it, or are simply confused; there is no denying its massive success, racking up over one billion dollars with no sign of slowing down. Why is this? It is a fair question, one that can be answered by watching the film.
Director Greta Gerwig took a very different approach to what one would expect from a Barbie movie. This is the key to this movie’s success, that and Margot Robbie. Instead of focusing on a child audience, Gerwig went for a PG13 rating and used it to create something unexpected. She realized that nowadays, kids do not really play with Barbie dolls, so why market to them?
Instead, Gerwig used this movie to address the issues with the iconic doll, such as impossible beauty standards, while also incorporating plenty of humor to keep things relatively light. They do not all land with younger audiences, but there are some genuinely amusing gimmicks and jokes in this movie. The messaging is also fantastic, providing a meaningful message that does not feel forced or spontaneous. Telling little girls that it is ok to just be you.
Another point worth mentioning is that The Barbie Movie does not alienate any gender. Some critics claim that this movie has a message of men being inferior, or that it is a movie specifically for women; however, this is not the case. Men, women, and anything in between can enjoy this movie. Gerwig took every stereotypical aspect of Barbie and turned it into something for everyone.
Barbie starts her journey in Barbieland where she then travels to the outside world into the reality of Los Angeles. Once there, the tone of the movie shifts from what you would expect from a kids movie, into something with much more meaning. Margot Robbie’s Barbie is instantly hit with emotions and awareness she does not quite understand, but that every woman knows very well.
Barbie has to fix the situation with a teenage girl and her mom before she can return to normal Barbie land. Gloria, played by America Ferrera, sees herself as nothing more than a boring mom whose kid does not like her. Sasha is a moody teen who has not even looked at her Barbies in years. Ken learns a very base level amount about the patriarchy and how it affects society.
Once back in Barbieland, Ken institutes his version of the patriarchy, which mainly consists of horses. The once dreamy Barbieland was flipped into Kendom Land. In Barbieland every Barbie had a career, goals, and simply an urge to be the best. Once Kendom is claimed, the Barbies are forced into a subservient role to the Kens. This portrayal goes a lot deeper than what is seen on screen. When the Barbies were in charge, the Kens were never forced to serve, while the Barbies were made to wear maid outfits and serve. This really dives into how women are forced to take on more submissive and almost motherly roles in everyday life.
The only dolls that have not been affected by Ken’s new ways of thinking are Barbie, Allen, and Weird Barbie. Allen symbolizes the men who unconditionally support women and expect nothing in return. Weird Barbie is a Barbie that was played with too hard “I’m Weird Barbie, I’m in the splits, I have a funky haircut, and I smell like basement,” said Weird Barbie. The three dolls, with the help of a mom and daughter duo from L.A, come up with a plan to bring the Barbies back.
Gloria, played by America Ferrera, sees herself as nothing more than a boring mom whose kid does not like her. Sasha, played by Ariana Greenblatt, is a moody teen who has not even looked at her Barbies in years. Together the team comes up with a plan to save Barbieland. The following minutes are filled with Gloria giving all of the Barbies a speech about society’s pressure on women.This movie does an amazing job of shedding light on some major double standards in our society while still being very entertaining. Gerwig did a phenomenal job of capturing universal experiences for women everywhere. Barbie even took on The Godfather, playing it as a tool to trick the Kens. Some critics say it is very anti-men, if that were the case, Barbieland would not have changed. Once the Kens are out of power, the Barbies understand that they were wrong, and that they should include the Kens. Ken had brainwashed her friends and completely altered her home, and she still wanted him to like her. Gerwig showed how no matter who you are, there will be insecurities, she captured the feeling of not feeling good if you are not the best. This movie was beautifully written with excellent humor all the way through, an A-list cast, and an amazing message that has brought many people to tears.
The Bagpiper 