For some women in China, “Barbie” is more than just a movie — it’s also a litmus test for their partner’s views on feminism and patriarchy.
The movie has prompted intense social media discussion online, media outlets Sixth Tone and the China Project reported this week, prompting women to discuss their own dating experiences.
One user on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu — a photo-sharing site similar to Instagram that’s mostly used by Gen Z women — even shared a guide on Monday for how women can test their boyfriends based on their reaction to the film.
According to the guide, if a man shows hatred for “Barbie” and slams female directors after they leave the theatre, then this man is “stingy” and a “toxic chauvinist,” according to Insider’s translation of the post. Conversely, if a man understands even half of the movie’s themes, “then he is likely a normal guy with normal values and stable emotions,” the user wrote.
Women in the US are doing that too.
I guess it works, to a point. If your man throws a Shapiro-esque fit over this movie he probably isn’t great to be around the rest of the time.
I have to admit, Barbie becoming a Chinese feminist icon was not on my 2023 bingo card. Anyone taking bets on when we’re gonna get a kpop version of this classic?
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Good bot!
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good bot
If you base your relationship on a fucken Hollywood movie then that should be a litmus test in and of itself.
Also, guys, if your girlfriend constantly feels the need to “test” your relationship, then she’s not the right one. Thats a massive red flag.
I mean there’s no harm in using a cultural moment as a starting point to see if two people are compatible?
I think the language in the article and perhaps from the influencers is a bit rigid.
I don’t think anyone is suggesting that if a man has valid reasons for disliking the movie they are automatically exist. The idea is that the film is causing a knee jerk reaction in men who are otherwise prone to hiding their misogyny.
I didn’t get a lot of the inside jokes about the product. And the barbies and Ken’s did not unite to kill Will Ferrell.
The idea is that the film is causing a knee jerk reaction in men who are otherwise prone to hiding their misogyny.
Why would a knee jerk reaction be any indication of misogyny? The movie is very antagonistic towards men. The proposition that having a negative reaction to that is misogyny is absurd.
It’s not, though. It’s antagonistic to the patriarchy, sure, just like it’s antagonistic to the matriarchy, but “man” and “patriarchy” are two entirely separate concepts.
It’s like if a movie came out that criticized the for-profit medical insurance industry in the US and people started saying that it criticized all doctors. That doesn’t make any sense, and neither does this
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The movie is very antagonistic towards men
Lol no it isn’t
If you have that point of view after watching the movie that’s exactly the red flag the women in the article are looking for
Lol straight up told on himself live in the comments
Cool, you didn’t understand the Ken subplot.
The movie makes it pretty clear what they were going for at the end too.
Wanting to test if your new boyfriend is a misogynist is hardly a red flag. The article doesn’t say anything about testing dudes constantly. It doesn’t even say he has to like the movie, just understand some of its themes.
It’s not basing the relationship off of the movie. It’s just a way to test if any red flags come up.
I think it’s healthy to observe your partners reaction to things. Especially when it comes to things that are quite important for a long term relationship, like their thoughts about gender roles. If you organically went to see the movie and your partner is clearly displaying red flags from it, then that’s just good (not the red flags but that you now know).
I guess the trickery of going to assess them specifically can be seen as a asshole move. But I think it’s a good move compared to alternatives ^^
Being manipulative is a good alternative compared to just being direct and asking your partner what they think? I’m sure someone who is going to throw a fit about the Barbie movie will be happy to tell you what they think about feminism if you just ask.
How many dudes on dating apps say they’re “not into politics” because they know admitting they’re conservative will diminish their dating pool?
Women know better than to only listen to words. They’ve been trained to watch for actions as well.
I don’t see it as more manipulative then to ask leading questions to assess anybodies stance on subjects ^^ Especially when it’s a way to shield yourself from real harm that might be caused by the party you are probing information from.
If you’re worried about real harm this person should not be your partner. It doesn’t matter what they think about a movie.
Movies are not a good basis on someone’s perception of anything. Their interactions with reality are.
Many movies are based on real-life or have pertinent real-life themes. They depict something “fake” in order to communicate a truth about real life.
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I think it’s probably more marketing for the movie than anything.
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I feel like the movie woooshed you a little bit. The entire point was that both versions of the society sucked. It wasn’t “telling women to be terrible” it was that if either sex acts terrible it’s bad for society.
if your boyfriend is a mysogonos you should do a selfcheck. If you keep attracting asshole then the problem is you.
Sounds like somebody failed the Barbie boyfriend test
because reaction to art can be a good indication to what someone thinks. For example, a negative reaction to the song ‘Alabama’ by Neil Young might indicate that the person thinks that Alabama is a swell place and people shouldn’t be putting it down just because it’s government is racist as fuck.
I agree with what you’re saying except I think the Barbie movie has provided a unique and well thought out message that manny have failed to convey and finally feel they’re being heard.
Seeing a movie with someone is part of your experience with them, through which you determine their personality and character, is it not?
I agree that “testing” people is kind of toxic, but the idea that your assessment of a person isn’t cumulative and inclusive feels odd.
Barbie starting the revolution in China? Hopefully other countries as well. Good timeline.
Little Pink Cookbook!
Little Pink Cookbook!
Little Pink Cookbook?
You’ve got to do the cooking by the book ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
YEAH!!!
I was supposed to read this with a lil jon voice, right?
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I think you meant “YEAH!!!”
China is already communist
No it’s not lol
Their political leaders are billionaires, the workers don’t own any means of production, there’s terrible workers rights, etc.
That’s how communism always ends up. When you hand over majority of the power to the state, it won’t be keen on giving it back.
That’s like saying the US is not capitalist because we don’t have a true free market and better products/services don’t always rise to the top.
These simply aren’t things that can practically happen, just like the workers owning the means of production.
That doesn’t make any sense though. Communism isn’t when you “give power to the state.” It’s a word used to describe a specific economic system that China does not have. The word that best describes what I think you’re getting at is “authoritarian.” Words mean things, and if a thing doesn’t fit the definition of a word, then it isn’t that word.
Which communist state didn’t end up authoritarian?
Homie, which states have ever actually implemented communism? Calling yourself “Communist” means about as much as North Korea calling themselves a" Democratic People’s Republic" if you don’t actually implement it’s ideas.
Additionally, all attempts at democracy, and all instances of capitalism, have resulted in tyranny, because it’s just really hard to build a society that doesn’t do that no matter what governmental system and economic system you set out to establish.
Even places like New Zealand or the Nordic countries which are much closer to a social democracy are tyrannical insofar as they participate, propagate, and benefit from a global network of capitalism that is only possible through the exploitation of hundreds millions, if not billions of people. Outsourcing your tyranny and exploitation to other places on the planet is still tyranny.and exploitation: it just has better PR.
which states have ever actually implemented communism?
Ah, no true communism. Communism certainly can’t end up authoritarian if there is no true communism. ;p
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Good news everyone, the Politics Understander has logged on
Yeah and North Korea is a democratic republic.
Lol sure buddy
I think if anyone gets mad at a Barbie movie or some random article on the internet that has nothing to do with them, that’s a good sign they’re emotionally unstable
I’d call it emotionally immature.
A surprising number of the people I grew up or work with act like they’re still in high school when it comes to social/interpersonal skills – these people are all well over 30 years old.
I am only 42, but I work with a bunch of 60+ y/os. They never grow out of it from what I can tell. If they are like that in their 30s they’ll be like that till they die most of the time.
Tomato, tomato. If you’re a grown ass man, emotional immaturity IS instability.
I just treat most people like 16 year Olds and it tends to work out pretty well.
Define “mad”. I’ve watched it (arrr) myself and The Barbie movie is very political, despite them completely hiding it in the trailers and the promotional material.
Fervent political media tends to rile people up, especially when it’s very one-sided. I presume you haven’t seen it and think people are upset over a light hearted comedy.
It’s only political if you think human rights are political. For normal people who care about other people, it’s a light hearted comedy
The fact that I don’t want to go to the movies to watch propaganda doesn’t mean I’m against that propaganda. I go there to be entertained.
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You’ll get nothing from communists in this discussion friend. People refuse to allow our media to be escapism anymore and demand even already addressed issues drilled into ‘entertainment’. We traded pop culture references for this, and somehow I want the references back
The Barbie movie is still escapism, media in general is still escapism. Media has always contained messages or lessons or political meaning, it’s not a new thing, nobody’s disallowing anything. If you don’t like today’s media, maybe it’s because you don’t like the messages they contain anymore. Sometimes you gotta look inward before blaming things on “society”.
It’s my opinion that thematic messages presented now are overt, with little nuance, and hold the same level of failure to look inward biases you claim. There is no discussion to be had when you hold a meeting with strawmen.
Great writers and media of the past were lauded for holding something that is presented as a moral evil up to caliber in logic and presentation. Taking a threat seriously so to speak. Look at an instance like Metal Gear, where despite the intent and presentation saying warmongering is bad, the writers still had the wherewithal to gauge a reasonable position you’d face fighting that ideology. You aren’t meant to agree with Zero or the Patriots or BB. But you can see and understand their logic to lead these actions.
What is this but taking a child’s doll and using it to spew word vomit level rhetoric that focuses on buzzwords and failed symbolism than actually addressing anything core to the point. If you want to make some preaching movie do it. But when you market your film as a lighthearted romp of self discovery involving an inanimate object, don’t be shocked when people push back.
Ahhhhhhh, so you do have a point to make. It took this entire thread for you to share it with us, and it was after it was heavily implied that you’re too much of a social conservative to enjoy art, which I still believe is the case. Did you get all of your talking points from The Critical Drinker? Also, your comparison of Barbie to MGS3 is apples to oranges. Highlighting complicated characters such as Zero and the Patriots doesn’t negate any of the heavy-handedness Kojima is also known for, and it certainly isn’t a compelling argument that the Barbie movie is without nuance or merit.
EvErYoNe WhO dIsAgReEs WiTh Me Is A cOmMuNiSt. You’re not even aware at how much of a self-report you’re doing.
You didn’t reply to their comment, you just added your own idiotic take. The movie isn’t propaganda unless you think a story about women and men having equal rights and equal opportunity is propaganda.
Is The Matrix propaganda? Is Terminator propaganda? Is Star Trek propaganda? All entertaining movies, all have heavy social commentary.
Those are all propaganda, the problem is people use propaganda to mean lies when it means information and ideas disseminated to impact public opinion.
So, you know, basically all art and every intellectual pursuit.
I haven’t seen the Barbie movie. I have no idea what it’s like. My comment was about “propaganda” movies in general
Human rights are political by definition. Feminism is political by definition. That the average person (or at least the ones worth knowing) is a feminist, whether they know it or not, doesn’t mean the ideas aren’t political in nature.
The problem is that people think political means bad or controversial instead of, you know, relating to concepts of governance and self rule.
It’s not one-sided, though. It argues that both matriarchy and patriarchy are not inclusive ways of operating a society. The movie did not shy away from showing Ken’s dissatisfaction living under a matriarchy, just like it did not shy away from showing Gloria and Sasha’s dissatisfaction with living under a patriarchy
I liked that it at least gave a few nods to the idea that living in a patriarchy isn’t necessarily great for all men either. Not all men have power, and even the ones that do aren’t necessarily happier for it and find themselves competing with other men and restricting their own self-expression. That’s a nuance that’s lost in a lot of pop feminist messaging.
Absolutely! The dolls of both genders that were discontinued or discarded were the first ones to bring down the patriarchy in Barbie land, including Allan and Sugar’s Daddy/Magic Ring Ken
Fucking Good. I’ve really got to watch it.
I love it for being an egalitarian movie. More of that please.
That really is the whole point, too. The entire conflict is based on the fact that Barbieland is a construct of the imaginary world created by girls playing with their dolls, in which Ken has only ever been marketed or existed as an accessory to Barbie. His entire existence, in both the real world of marketing and consumerism, and in the imaginary world of Barbie, is predicated solely on giving Barbie arm candy. I’m not entirely convinced that this point was entirely deliberate, but it really does highlight that, in creating a product to give girls a role model that says they can do and be whatever they want, that those girls internalized their understanding of the male-dominated world around them, and flipped that on its head. Their imaginary world is a very literal mirror to our own, and as a result, it is still dominated by the same inherently sexist attitudes, only kinder and gentler because they are created through the lens of childhood innocence. Kids are only able to create with tools and media they understand, and the polarized nature of the world around them, and our intense need to make everything a binary, means that a “fair world” never looks like one where everyone is treated the same. It’s a world where they’re in charge.
I’m not even going to get into the overtly sexist assumption that only girls play with dolls, and with Barbie in particular. Toys are toys, and I never understood the need to tell a kid that something is off limits because it’s pink or is “a doll”. The people who most strongly hold these beliefs tend to be the ones that grew up when GI Joe was a full size doll just like Barbie, with his own clothes and uniforms and such. Well before the idea of an “action figure” came around. These folks played with dolls that were, for all intents and purposes, functionally identical to any girls’ doll of the day, and yet are so quick to slap a Barbie or a Bratz doll out of the hands of their grandsons.
Anyhow, long story short, it’s a great movie that explores some very heavy subject matter, and almost but not quite gets its own premise. Most of the people who are irrationally angry with the film have never seen it, and probably won’t for fear of being turned gay, or worse: liberal.
Exactly the way actual feminism does instead of the conservative boogeyman “feminism” that’s just female chauvinism espoused by an extreme minority.
despite them completely hiding it in the trailers and promotional material
…
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There are only two categories: the status quo (no matter how shitty it might be for some populations) and “political”.
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If it’s talking about equality then it’s not political. People’s lives are not political they are not objects for other people to react to. Touch grass.
It’s just exhausting that people feel the need to turn every form of media into a fight over cultural values instead of just letting people enjoy things. It’s like they can’t enjoy anything themselves unless they know that, somewhere out there, someone they don’t like is upset about it.
It’s very obvious here that no one is saying “if you don’t like a Barbie movie then you’re sexist.” The point is if you don’t agree with equality, whether in a movie or irl, then that’s the problem. But I feel like you probably already know this.
But yes, if people from certain religions and political parties would just stop with the racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and xenophobia, maybe people wouldn’t feel the need to express
cultural valuesthe oppression they’re experiencing. Maybe consumers wouldn’t identify so much with the message of films like this. Yet somehow it’s always positive media like this that gets pushback, and meanwhile, laws keep getting passed in bumfuck states that are stripping human rights from people one by one. But sure, Barbie is the “exhausting” issue here.In other words, maybe there wouldn’t be media “pushing” for equality if we already had it.
And idk, I find Marvel/superhero bullshit to be exhausting and immature and just bad, so I don’t watch any of it, I block everything about it on lemmy and reddit, and I don’t comment on it. Then it’s not exhausting anymore.
Blocking doesn’t work when it just keeps sprouting new heads like a hydra. The whole damn problem that people have with the modern version of feminism is that it essentially demands that their personal problems have to be everyone’s problems everywhere, and the very existence of media which doesn’t cater to feminist ideals is a problem which must be solved. The primary argument for patriarchy, ever since the days of Babylon when Marduk subjugated Tiamat, was that women left to their own devices cause nothing but chaos and conflict. If feminists actually want to achieve equality then they will somehow have to learn to coexist with things they don’t personally appreciate. If anybody wants to learn to live in this world they will have to learn to live on their own for themselves, instead of looking at everything through the lens of how other people think about it. I’ve seen basically nothing of anyone simply enjoying the Barbie movie, but plenty of circle jerking about how other people don’t like it.
You should add a TL;DR to that which says “I don’t understand feminism and I’m making it everyone else’s problem.”
It may not line up with the theory of feminism, but it is how things have been working out in practice. That’s the whole problem, if your theory is flawed then it won’t produce the results you desire. The theory of feminism is built upon the very same patriarchy/matriarchy power struggle that Babylon was, and so it fails to account for the existence of people who don’t recognize that power dynamic. And bluntly, that power dynamic is famous for destroying nations, regardless of who “wins” it.
Some people do.
Just like some people genuinelly believe the Earth is Flat and some people will have no problem drinking their own piss on a dare.
And then beyond those weirdos there’s an entire subculture of weirdos out there whose wierdness is to pay massive attention to and rage all about what weirdos do and, worse, they’re divided into factions and they’ll feed-on and feed-out weirdo rage between factions, so it doesn’t take much to trigger them into a positive feedback cycle of weirdo raging about weirdos.
The secret here is to remember that although they are often loud and lacking self-restraint on the Internet, all those weirdos (in all factions as well as factionless) still add up to a minority of people.
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A matter of opinion. I thought that it was quite poorly written in the second half
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Really funny movie I’m glad with the direction that they went with it
People are free to be mad at anything as they please as long as they dont harm to other people.
Or maybe people should not be mad at news article of Russia invading Ukraine for no reason?
You are comparing war to an article on Barbie lmao I can’t take you seriously
It is an article. Both.
Dont worry, I also dont take people on Internet seriously. Most of them are not even my equal.
damn dude. I hate people too, but jeez.
I am genuinely amazed this movie wasn’t banned in China
Well they included the nine-dash line in the movies silly map (I believe Vietnam banned the movie because of this) and there’s no zombies or Winnie the Pooh references so all good as far as the CCP goes.
9 dash line?
It’s a line China drew in the south china sea and claim its theirs for historical reason if I remember correctly.
Pissed off a load of other countries as it claimed some of their ocean defined by international law
Wikipedia link: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine-dash_line
https://twitter.com/rzhongnotes/status/1675936014135619584?s=20
How the fuck can anyone take this seriously is my question. This is not a geopolitical map.
I suppose the argument would be that including the line must be a political argument because it’s even more absurd to include it on the map otherwise.
In reality, some intern probably googled a map and noted the line and decided to include it without understanding the context, being a generic idiot American.
It’s China’s interpretation of how the South China Sea should be divided. AKA they claim the vast majority of it.
This is an insult to the free world. Fuck the Barbie movie.
Tbh that map looks nothing like the nine dash map and there are only eight dashes. It’s quite a stretch imo
It’s absolutely intentionally supposed to be the 9 dash line. You don’t think movie studios are INTIMATELY aware of how to get their movie seen in China?
I thought the movie criticizes both extreme feminism and male chauvinism, or did I watch a different Barbie movie?
That’s what the article is saying as well.
Any gendered chauvinism sucks and patriarchy causes suffering to anyone.
And if someone comes out of the movie angered by this knowledge, they can be a troublesome person to other people.
Yeah. Barbie Was not the good guy in the Barbie movie, right? Like, even in the end they admit that they will not give the Kens true equality, just enough that they basically won’t revolt again. People here calling Barbie a feminist icon, what movie were you watching?
Obviously she wasn’t the good guy. She developed a nuclear bomb for heaven’s sake. To be fair I did fall asleep for a bit but I’m pretty sure I got the big plot points.
Lmfao what the actual fuck?
I didn’t watch the movie, nor do I know anything about the premise, so seeing that comment and thinking about Barbie the toy is absolutely hilarious…
It was a Barbienheimer joke, I think
He’s making a joke about Barbenheimer…
That’s the point. They blatantly say “someday, the Ken’s will have as much rights as women do in the real world”
The entire point is that treating people as second class like thst isn’t good, regardless of which side its coming from and that we should all be equal. The only time I’d see men complaining about that is when they don’t get it.
That line literally made my jaw drop because I had just been thinking, “Wow this is still kinda messed up. I thought their society would end up much more equal” and then BAM! that line hits. That movie was so good. I’ve been trying to get everyone I know to see it.
Same. I was thinking the exact same thing at that point. A massive part of the movie’s message hinges on that line and I smiled so wide when I heard it because it clicked much of the rest of the film into place.
Like, even in the end they admit that they will not give the Kens true equality, just enough that they basically won’t revolt again.
That example isn’t really accurate, they say the Kens eventually will be given the same representativity as the women in the real world. That line is more of a jab against gender inequality than anything.
Yeah. I would not take it that literally. I’d say it means they’re gonna do to Kens what “the patriarchy” and many people who support it do to women. Concede rights when they absolutely have to and begrudgingly accept them for the sake of avoiding bigger problems, but still believe in their own supremacy and acting one way while publicly pretending to be accepting of feminism. Then they will say, see, you have all this rights and equality now, no need for “Keninism” anymore and slowly start to backslide and undermine those rights when they feel like they can.
They’re rather copying the spirit of real world patriarchy than just plainly introducing the same laws as it
Yes! This is a great way to put it and shows the mirror it’s putting up to Western society
Oh that sounds more of a nuanced theme than I was expecting. Cool.
Sure but it’s still them making a conscious choice to keep oppressing a group until an unrelated reality fixes their shit. Doesn’t sound like they’re good guys at all tbh.
Sure but it’s still them making a conscious choice to keep oppressing a group until an unrelated reality fixes their shit.
I hope you see the irony in that phrase.
Doesn’t sound like they’re good guys at all tbh.
This isn’t Star Wars my dude, not everything needs to be good vs evil. Sometimes there’s even room for satire.
Yeah the movie doesn’t paint them as good guys though? The narrator comes in and states that they aren’t at that point, and stereotypical Barbie leaves because she can’t see herself as taking part in such a system anymore.
But even though the women have the control, they do not oppress men like men do to women in the real world. Men still do everything they want, even if the women have the power because the women make the world amazing for everyone. A little different from reality.
Aren’t the kens homeless?
It’s not that they’re homeless, it’s just that where they live isn’t important to the story. This is because when little girls play with Ken dolls, they don’t give Ken any backstory. Kens are only there for supporting Barbie’s journey.
I don’t think they’re supposed to be “good guys”.
I think that was the point, it’s the perfect mirror to the real world. Everyone not okay with how the Barbies treat the Kens in the end should think for a second why that is and why anyone should accept the reverse in the real world.
It’s also kind of a clever subtle call to action. “If you don’t like this ending, you can change it by changing things in the real world.”
“Stereotypical Barbie” (the Margot Robbie one) actually seems to get it by the end. In fact, her main character arc was going from being like the other barbies—watered down stereotypes of feminism—to actually a feminist who has a better grasp of why just equalizing out positions of power, while still good, does not address the root of patriarchy.
Okay, I’ll admit I had not the slightest clue what the plot was to Barbie before opening this post but I’m getting a little curious about this movie now.
It didn’t end up in a world that’s ready. More like a mirror of the real world but maybe healthier?
I take slight issue with your phrasing. “Extreme feminism” isn’t an issue, that’s like saying extreme racial equality is an issue. Feminism isn’t about female superiority, it’s about gender equality. The movie does not criticize extreme feminism, it criticizes chauvinism, whether male or female.
“Extreme feminism” isn’t an issue, that’s like saying extreme racial equality is an issue.
There was a time during the 2010s when third-wave feminism was pushing things too far and trying to create divisive splits on subjects that really didn’t need them, like Atheism+ and a bunch of other things with a plus sign tacked on to it. Fortunately, once the #MeToo movement picked up speed, they switched gears to more important things.
So, yes, you can have an extreme view on anything, even feminism.
I don’t know about you, but I didn’t find that movement extreme, just weird and lost and a tad silly.
When your definition of feminism is “gender equality”, you’re right, there’s no such thing as an extreme. When you take the equity stance and start treating people as groups and funding/defunding one group or the other you are building up new systems of discrimination instead of breaking them down.
That is indeed what is in Barbie - if you watch it and actually think about the themes. If you’re just there for the experience then the message is (quote moviegoer behind my back discussing with friends): “goddamn, this is a step in right direction, we won’t change this patriarchal world with one film however“ :P
On a basic level the message “Ken was silly, broke Barbieworld because he wanted to emulate men, they had to get Barbie and a feminist back to fix it” - and that’s what most people will get out of Barbie.
On a basic level the message “Ken was silly, broke Barbieworld because he wanted to emulate men, they had to get Barbie and a feminist back to fix it”
How did he break it? He basically just flipped the genders so Kens are the ruling/working class and Barbies are just subservient eye candy. Barbie just flipped it back. It’s a broken and unimaginably unfair world in either case.
When Kens ask just for a bit of equality at the end, they are shut down and given some unimportant appeasement as a joke.
When Kens ask just for a bit of equality at the end, they are shut down and given some unimportant appeasement as a joke.
The movie is calling this out on purpose. It’s how women are currently treated in western society.
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I don’t think that’s the feminism that the movie was criticizing, but rather the commodified “girl boss feminism” that holds up conventionally beautiful commercial attainment as the ultimate aspirational icon.
As opposed to the feminism of intersectionality and respect for the rights and choices of normal, everyday women.
Correct. Honestly, if a dude gets offended by a movie that says “hey dude, learn how to love and value yourself without basing all of your sense of self on your romantic relationship to a woman and you’ll be much happier”, they are NOT a catch at all and they need to shed some shit about their lives.
Of note…American conservatives/confederates absolutely detest the Barbie movie.
My boyfriend and i can’t wait to watch this movie 😊 💕 (but cinema got expensiv dudeee 🥲)
Please partake in the culture war, don’t just let conservatives win by default.
For those who saw the movie: do you think this test is valid?
As a man, I would say sort of. The movie does not shy away from a very obvious feminist message combined with an unsubtle (hilarious) spoof of toxic masculinity. On the other hand, it’s still a matter of personal taste. I really liked the movie, but I could see how someone would find it a bit too simplistic and formulaic in its story, completely independent from its themes. Not liking female directors in general just because they’re female is complete bullshit though.
To be fair it doesn’t say the boyfriend has the like the movie, just understand it and not bash it mindlessly.
I thought the movie was okay. The visuals were stunning the dance numbers fun (if you’re into that, which I am), they did a good job leaning into the comedy world-building and the takes on Ken loving the patriarchy were the most hilarious. Overall I think it did a good job. The story was a bit meh though for me because of how simple it was.
I haven’t seen it, but the criticism I’ve heard is that the feminist message is a pretty obvious one and not very deep. I guess you don’t go to the Barbie movie to “make you think”, but I’ve also heard that the movie spends a bit too long on that obvious message and it gets boring at parts. I think the majority of criticisms aren’t about the message itself, more about the execution of it.
Buuutt this is the internet and the ridiculous voices are always the loudest lol
I haven’t seen it
Do you think we can’t talk about movie reviews unless we’ve seen the movie? Kinda makes the reviews pointless then doesn’t it
you should go see the movie to form your own opinions. plus, it’s a good movie :)
I love reviews for after watching a movie, I don’t want my impression to be changed by someone else.
For example, I loved the Ralph Breaks The Internet sequel! I guess people and reviewers really hated that movie.
So those reviews didn’t impact your decision to see the movie and didn’t change your opinion of the movie after the fact? Sounds like the reviews were kinda pointless for you then, huh? Or at least not useful in their intended way.
I don’t know I one should derive a scientific test out of it, but if a guy gets batshit crazy over the movie, then he might not have the best relation towards independent women.
As a gay man, I say yes. I get to watch the hetero world from the outside and yeah, Barbie nails it. Folks just don’t like the mirror.
It’s not a movie for my taste as I prefer to watch sci-fi, action, thriller or historical themed movies. So if I was forced or coerced into seeing it, I would probably hate it too. Then again, I haven’t seen it so don’t really know for sure.
It doesn’t say you have to like the movie, just understand its themes.
That’s actually a very good point that I didn’t even realise. I did say “hate it” but didn’t mean hating the movie, simply disliking and not enjoying the time.
I guess it’s become far too easy to use extreme words in our daily speech nowadays, for which I blame social media.
I tend to prefer similar movies as you and I loved the movie. It is a VERY fantastical, intelligent, existential, and heady movie. It’s one of the most expert navigations of complex social dynamics I’ve ever seen and has an absolute shitload of cinema references and easter eggs to boot.
Don’t let the surface fool you. The franchise is just a vehicle for Greta’s ideas to reach a mass audience.
The franchise is a vehicle to sell barbies.
Mattel decided this was the best way in the current cultural mood.
Vehicles tend to have space for many things. Writers also tend to not be massive corporations even while speaking for said corporations.
That’s like saying The Lego Movie and the Lego Batman movie were a vehicle to sell Legos. That’s pretty obviously not all they were, and just because they could sell toys that doesn’t mean they weren’t also good movies.
I second your opinion and I’m a woman. I just never liked the franchise, no matter how good the movie is, I don’t think I’d enjoy watching it either.
You might not like it, but I have huge barbie issues and went with my 11 yo thinking it would be okay and poke a but of fun and have a slightly feminist bent. I truly loved every minute and am surprised how much I did. It is formulaic but done really well.
It’s rare, but this franchise owner understands very well that a lot of people hate Barbie. It’s even in the trailer “If you love Barbie, this movie is for you. If you hate Barbie, this movie is for you.”
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having a taste does not mean to show hatred. You can simply dislike something and you’re done.
But if you show hatred to a movie, a show, a book and the people who worked on that (actors, directors…) I think you have some issues. And that’s what this article is about right?
Yes. And the movie is fun and wholesome for anyone with taste!
No. The movie is very antagonistic towards men. I don’t think anyone who has seen the movie can dispute that in good faith.
Practically every male character in both the Barbie world and the real world is portrayed negatively. There are a few exceptions that are portrayed neutrally but they are mostly plot or exposition devices.
Conversely, practically every female character is portrayed positively. This creates a stark contrast that’s very difficult to ignore.
To be clear - personally I don’t care, it takes more to rile me up. But hating a movie that is deliberately spiteful towards your demographic is not an abnormal reaction. Neither is “slamming” the people who made it.
Man here. I disagree.
The movie is only “antagonistic towards men” if you think the Kens are somehow supposed to be a 1:1 realistic depiction of real life men which is something not only not textually supported but also actively and explicitly contradicted by the film
The kens aren’t stupid because they’re men, they’re stupid because they’re Ken Dolls. Both Kens and Barbies are highly hyperbolic depictions of how little girls play with Barbies and Kens.
Personally, I found the movie to be very empowering as a man too. I’d recommended rewatching it and trying to think critically about what the movie is doing. It’s a film, not an after school special where every character is supposed to be a direct black-and-white representation of “thing good” or “thing bad”
It’s antagonistic towards the patriarchy. You completely misunderstood the Ken plot and are the one arguing in bad faith.
In fact, your response is exactly why some people view the movie as a good way to see what an individual pays attention to and whether or not they genuinely understand what the film is critiquing and why.
You failed.
Do you really not see that’s how women are typically treated in movies? They’re just there to be arm candy to the men, don’t have real personality or depth, and just exist to make the men feel good about themselves.
It’s just funny to watch dudes get so riled up about how kens are treated, especially when at the end the Kens do get their own story arc. Unlike how women are treated in nearly all movies.
I definitely think it would do a fantastic job of baiting out reactions and listening to what someone has to say about it after would probably clue you in on what stood out to them about it. Obviously none of these types of tests can be conclusive, but I’d say if someone came out of the theater super angry then that’s pretty telling of something at least. A good starting point for further discussion with that person.
On the whole I thought the movie was hilarious and had a very compassionate message for men at the end of the movie as well.
My biggest issue after watching it has just been having to see braindead takes from people online, swinging in both directions. Lots of “the movie hates men” types but I’ve also seen a few “DAE, men bad?” tier takes as well which is a bit disheartening.
It kinda feels like you could come away with any interpretation you want. Like you could say Barbie put down a slave revolt, and its totally valid.
So yeah, maybe the test is valid.
I don’t know if it’s defininitive, but I do think it offers good insight into what a person notices when they watch things. There’s a whole lot to notice and think about in the movie
Is it cool if I just don’t watch it? It doesn’t really appeal to me.
The only reason I have any interest in it is all the conservative jimmy-rustling it’s doing.
This. I tried to buy bud light but it’s legitimately awful. Seeing barbie twice is a way better option.
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Lol
Honestly I was the same way going into it, and after watching it my thoughts were “I don’t regret watching it, but I wouldn’t have regretted missing out either.”
The movie is great, and there were multiple moments where I burst out laughing. It’s also a really bizarre acid trip, and I mean that in a good way! But at the end of the day, it’s a hot pink version of The Lego Movie, down to Will Farrell playing a (less evil and more well-meaning) Lord Business. It’s a movie made by women, for women, about a series of toys designed for women. That’s not a bad thing by any means, and it’s not like men cannot enjoy it, but it also means it may not interest you, and that’s fine too.
Is it really as critical of capital as The Lego Movie was? I haven’t seen it yet, though I intend to.
Fox Business, among other right-wing news outlets, were foaming at the mouth about how The Lego Movie was anti-capitalist. Search up “Lego movie anti capitalist” on your preferred search engine to see what I mean.
Mmmmm, I don’t think I’d go that far, no. Feminist? Very much so. Unable to decide if the Mattel executives are actually antagonistic because Mattel didn’t want to make themselves look too bad? Probably.
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I thought it was funny but it looks like this got removed.
Appears to be removed, yes
That means you are a misogynist through and through. /s
“If you love barbie you’ll love the movie!”
“If you hate barbie you’ll love the movie!”
Idgaf about barbie so I didn’t bother watching.
Same, I just can’t bring myself to care about a movie that’s about toys I have zero nostalgia for.
Heh. I feel like they would need to discontinue the toys before any of us get a chance to develop nostalgia.
I’m not nostalgic for Hot Wheels either. I just go buy a Hot Wheel when I want one.
Man, I need to buy me some Hot Wheels…
Bruh… Transformers have been in almost continuous production in one for or another since 1993. They were briefly discontinued in the late 80s and early 90s, and were brought back with the Generation 2 line and then Beast Wars. The longest period that Transformers haven’t been on the market since their introduction to the US market was between Generation 1 and Generation 2 from 1990-1993. Generation 2 fizzled in 1995, and was replace a little over a year later in 1996 with Beast Wars. Since then, the brand has had some continuous shelf presence.
And it’s a huge brand today that is largely sold to adult collectors with an attachment to whichever show or comic they indulged in as a kid. Yes, discontinuation can definitely drive nostalgia and a desire to collect something, but it isn’t a necessity. In the case of Transformers, it’s just created an ever-widening pool of things for new adult collectors to be interested in. Right now, there’s a growing interest in modern updates of the Unicron Trilogy characters (Armada/Energon/Cybertron), which were shows being aired from 2002-2005, followed by Transformers Animated and the Michael Bay films.
Good summary.
I’m just bitter that Barbie and Hot wheels fans didn’t have their favorite toy pulled from the shelves between the late 80s and early 90s.
And Action Masters weren’t really Transformers, and everyone knew it.
Action Masters were hot garbage. Especially since some of them managed to somehow have even less articulation than their original transforming counterpart, which is saying something.
I had no prior experiences with any Barbie-related products or media (adult cis white male in the US) and wasn’t sure whether I’d enjoy it at all. After seeing it, i honestly think there’s something for everyone in this movie. It’s exceptionally well-written (very wry) and makes solid points about the current state of patriarchy in our society. It’s really well-done. Feel free to wait for it to come out on streaming, but then I’d definitely recommend checking it out.
Sure, maybe. I just don’t really think this is a movie made for me.
I feel you, but if the movie shows any type of struggle against power, it is probably a more universal theme than what we percieve , especially here in the US, its probably just not that great of a movie otherwise, but with a relatable message. I have zero interest in seeing it, but now that it’s become this culturally charged, I feel I must.
Eh, I don’t particularly care how ‘culturally charged’ it is, nor do I feel like forcing myself to watch something for a reason like that. I just don’t care enough about Barbie for it to be worth it.
Yea that’s fair, and tbh, the way I live my day to day, I probably won’t end up ever seeing it. Lol
Of course. I don’t care for Barbie either, and never played with the toys during childhood so there’s no connection for me. I went to watch with my fiance because it was something she was interested in. The movie was okay. Wasn’t great, wasn’t horrible. I think when it becomes telling is when people are somehow offended or pretend like it’s the worst movie created.
Why wouldnt it? It’s also cool if you dislike the movie, it’s not cool if you dislike female directors “because of this movie”
My interest in upbeat movies has never been very high. If it were a thriller or mystery that’d be cool. I’d watch. It’s ok we can pass on this one.
That’s interesting. I read that the film was about radical feminism, but gender switched with Ken as the feminist to overthrow the Barbie-dominating system. Really look forward to seeing the movie.
According to the guide, if a man shows hatred for “Barbie” and slams female directors after they leave the theatre, then this man is “stingy” and a “toxic chauvinist,” according to Insider’s translation of the post
Nothing against female directors, but the movie went from pretty damn good to pretty damn boring after a while.
You’ve got a fun and quirky beginning that makes light fun of barbie, mattel and patriarchal society. Then you’ve got the bits where
spoiler
Barbie and Ken get to the real world, get arrested twice for doing stupid shit.
This part was funny and for a bit there I felt like it was mainly not about driving a message home, but still had SOME things to say. Great! Then you’ve got the parts where
spoiler
Ken went on his own journey to discover patriarchy (which he thought had something to do with horses and was disappointed to find out it didn’t), Barbie meets her owner’s daughter, goes to Mattel HQ, then gets chased out and rescued by her owner.
Many hilarious moments here, poking lots of fun at patriarchy again, but it never felt like it was too on the nose. I mean I kinda expected that from the trailers and everything.
Where the movie started changing for me was when
spoiler
Barbie, her owner, and the latter’s daughter went back to the Barbie world to help fix the balance, only to find out that the Kens had completely taken over.
While the twist was predictable, it was still interesting because I wanted to know how they would resolve it. But it just kinda… fell off after that? At this point you have the expected low point in the protagonist’s life, and then they figure out how to fix everything, but it was just so… boring and uninspired somehow. By this point, the movie’s quirky and fun nature has worn down its’ course and the
spoiler
battle of the Kens
just did nothing for me anymore.
What’s worse, I was expecting
spoiler
the Mattel board of directors, particularly Will Ferrell’s characters to be villains and instead they just… arrived by the end of the movie and had a change of heart.
That subverted my expectations for sure, but not in a good way whatsoever. Slightly reminiscent of the last seasons of Game of Thrones.
And lastly, I really expected the resolution of the plot to have something to do with horses and I was sorely disappointed about that too.
TL;DR: Movie starts out great, but foreshadows things it doesn’t follow through on very well, ending is boring and sappy.
