Barbie
Barbie
If you'd told me five years ago that there would be a Barbie movie that somehow was not only just not a cash grab or nostalgia bait but also a genuinely amazing piece of cinema with an amazing message to boot I'd never believe you.
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This is the only place I'll admit that i didn't really get it.
I completely didn't get it, I was expecting to be wowed with the amount of hype, and what I got was a toy movie with girl power vibes, and some weird boy power struggles, and singing and dancing. Any higher message or meaning was completely lost on me, and I give it a C- on my scorecard.
Same. I figured people’s expectations are just lower these days. The plot was nonsense. The acting was pedestrian. There were a few jokes that landed, many that didn’t and some nice messages, but nothing deep. It was an average movie.
But, if people loved it, then great. One of my favourite movies is Robin Hood:Men in Tights, which by all accounts has the same criticisms from others and I love it.
When Ken got to the real world and started seeing strong Macho men I expected d him to come out as gay instead of patriarchal.
I was hoping once it got the real world and the Ken's started being assholes the Barbies would decide to murder the Kens haha. But it's not that type of movie, but was really hoping for it to start turning into some type of surreal horror.
My wife cried during America Ferrara's speech. That shit really hit home for women.
"It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don't think you're good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we're always doing it wrong.
You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can't ask for money because that's crass. You have to be a boss, but you can't be mean. You have to lead, but you can't squash other people's ideas. You're supposed to love being a mother, but don't talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman but also always be looking out for other people.
You have to answer for men's bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you're accused of complaining. You're supposed to stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you're supposed to be a part of the sisterhood.
But always stand out and always be grateful. But never forget that the system is rigged. So find a way to acknowledge that but also always be grateful.
You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line. It's too hard! It's too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out in fact that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault. "
The video is more impactful:
That, to me, is sort of what women are supposed to say because they're emphasizing the idea that they're not supposed to say it. I dunno. Women do experience difficult things, but doesn't everyone? I wouldn't choose to switch. I did just recently realize that men (the ones i asked) are rarely scared and that was kind of a shock to me.
My husband hasn't seen the movie. Maybe I'll put it on and see if my opinion changes with a rewatch.
Of course everyone faces difficulty, everyone faces expectations and trials. They're not the same for everyone, though. And there are unique, and often much more challenging ones, for women.
I found it something I empathized greatly with, even if it didn't describe my trials and tribulations exactly. Because it still mirrored them.
I just cried again reading it, and I've seen the movie 3 times. That speech is so good.
For me, I REALLY related to the entire speech, so I would've sobbed anyway. But America Ferrera giving the speech made it even more impactful for me. When she was on Ugly Betty, I remember people were really mean online and harshly judged her looks and body type, so the speech felt personal.
There is definitely room for a similar speech about men and toxic masculinity, and the way men are made to feel like they have to be strong and stable all the time. But the speech in Barbie wasn't about them. It felt like it was for me, for my teenage daughter, for my friends, and for all the men with women in their lives that they love.
Life can be really hard, and I was stunned by the "I don't get it" crowd. She spells it out pretty clearly. It's hard not to get.
Which part?
The whole thing i guess. It has funny parts and i like the lead actors, but i was expecting something thoughtful or profound or....i dunno ... more than just a silly show.
The main thing that stood out to me personally is something that was posted elsewhere in the comment section. Every time something makes you feel bad for Ken it's because he's experiencing something that women deal with every day in real life.
The movie has a lot of girl power vibes yes but overall it's inherently political in its messaging about how we treat women by showing how unfair it is when men are treated the same way.
I went into this in depth when it came out, but I think it missed the mark here somewhat. If it committed to the message of Ken being marginalized in a matriarchy as a mirror to the struggles of women in a patriarchy, it would have been much more powerful with a clear message.
But then it made some choices which, in that context, basically just translated into "men bad" and really muddled the message.
Maybe the part about Margot robbie's feet?
I can't do feet. 🤮