Hater Tuesday: “Barbie” Was Dangerous

When Barbie premiered in theaters final summer time, I, like many different ladies, rushed to see it throughout opening week. I did the entire thing — I wore a totally pink outfit, smeared sparkly make-up throughout my eyes and walked into the theater with my associates anticipating a film that, whereas enjoyable, had a transferring message about what it’s to exist as a lady. Largely, I used to be excited to lastly have a film that was made particularly for ladies. Nevertheless, that was not what I received. Barbie was definitely not the groundbreaking feminist movie that everybody had stated it was. In actual fact, I discovered it deeply misogynistic for a number of causes, and it was discomfiting for me to see it being lauded as a masterpiece when it so clearly perpetuated most of the most dangerous mindsets that modern-day ladies are compelled to beat.

Firstly, your entire film is predicated round magnificence. That is certainly not removed from the reality of actual ladies. A lot of our lives are primarily based across the acutely aware or unconscious pursuit of magnificence that it was clearly one thing a film concerning the feminine expertise needed to handle. Nevertheless, the way in which the writers went about it reeked of typical entry degree feminism. Barbie insists on everybody being lovely — actually, in its most pivotal scene, which options Barbie crying as a result of she doesn’t really feel fairly sufficient, the film’s response is to have one other one of many feminine leads console her by telling her that she is so lovely. Whereas it’s necessary to know that magnificence doesn’t exist solely within the inflexible definition that’s usually assigned, by having probably the most emotional scene within the film finish with the principle character receiving validation to be able to really feel good once more, it reinforces the concept that to be able to be okay, ladies must be lovely. In a world the place Barbie preached extra than simply performative feminism, the scene would have gone extra like this:

“I’m not fairly.”

“You don’t must be, it’s not your job.”

Take into consideration how far more influential this dialogue would have been. If such a extensively seen film had modified that one line to be one thing really significant, its impression might have been a lot extra optimistic. To inform ladies that they’re lovely, even when they don’t really feel prefer it, is reinforcing the identical age previous thought {that a} lady’s worth is predicated on her look. What we’d like is a brand new tackle feminism, one that’s not deeply entrenched in misogynistic beliefs. Ladies must know that it’s alright to not be lovely, that it isn’t their responsibility to continuously, or ever, enchantment to the male gaze.

If it was simply that one scene the place these problematic themes have been prevalent, maybe the film might nonetheless be claimed as an general success. Sadly, the examples of this very same difficulty pile up. One other extensively mentioned scene in Barbie is when Margot Robbie, enjoying stereotypical Barbie, is speaking to an older lady and tells her that she is gorgeous. The previous lady responds, “I do know it.” Whereas at first a heartwarming sentiment (it’s all the time refreshing to see ladies act confidently and never knock themselves down within the face of a praise), this second shouldn’t be almost as revolutionary as many individuals appear to assume. As soon as once more, magnificence is framed as the final word praise, the final word aim of each lady. There was a really energetic motion not too long ago in opposition to anti-aging commercials and merchandise, aiming as a substitute to just accept how folks of all ages look, and to embrace the getting old course of as pure and one thing to be skilled totally relatively than averted. Whereas this push is an effective one — forcing ladies to attempt to look younger is definitely born of misogynistic beliefs — saying that previous ladies are lovely too shouldn’t be the way in which to go about fixing the problem. This solely signifies that even older ladies are actually held to male-instigated magnificence requirements. To me, this feels like a jail sentence relatively than a pardon.

Probably the most specific continuation of floor degree feminism is your entire plot of “bizarre” Barbie. Bizarre Barbie has uneven quick hair, marker drawn throughout her face and a patchwork outfit. She is ostracized by the opposite Barbies for her variations, and referred to interchangeably as “bizarre” and “ugly” Barbie. That is an outright exhibiting of how Barbie bases value on look. “Weirdness,” which is often used to outline one’s conduct, is proven as fully flesh with “ugly,” a phrase that’s used primarily as a unfavourable descriptor for look, (though in truth, ‘ugly’ is simply an adjective with no morality connected to it). This Barbie is disliked purely as a result of she is ugly, and on the finish of the film, when the opposite Barbies lastly be taught to just accept her, they apologize for calling her ugly, not for treating her in another way primarily based on that remark. They acknowledge the harm attributable to the phrase, however they under no circumstances dismantle it.

So sure, Barbie was enjoyable, and the aesthetic was definitely entertaining, however there was little worth beneath that. What had the potential to be a really highly effective film was thrown away on base degree feminism with deeply dangerous undertones. And whereas it’s good that so many individuals who had by no means seen their wrestle mirrored on display screen have been supplied that chance, and those that have been totally unaware of ladies’s struggles might develop of their understanding, there may be a lot extra that Barbie might have achieved whereas nonetheless preserving all of its optimistic themes intact. When film after film fails to ship a message really freed from misogyny, particularly a film that explicitly units out to take action, there reaches a degree the place the remaining sexism simply feels lazy. The writers didn’t care sufficient to eliminate it. It’s really not that troublesome to write down a non-misogynistic script, it’s simply that individuals don’t care sufficient to do it, as long as the narrative that they do present makes them cash. And isn’t that the age previous story of ladies a lot greater than Barbie is?

Hater Tuesday is an authorless column that runs alternate weeks and facilities round critiquing media or tradition.