The movie Barbie has become a controversial topic. However, I must argue that this controversy is not a result of Barbie herself, but rather men’s insecurities. With few men at the opening, it’s hard to believe that Barbie received a fair critique from the population as a whole.
The movie briefly is about Barbie traveling to the real world to save Barbie Land, however, there is a much bigger message that touched women all around the world. When Barbie travels to the real world, she realizes that it has become riddled with misogyny and is in a truly appalling state of inequality. Alternatively, Ken sees this as an opportunity to transform Barbie land into a man’s fantasy, aka the real world, and get back at Barbie for not being romantically interested in him.
Most modern movies centered around a woman include a romantic relationship and subtle hints of feminism at most, while Barbie was entirely about a woman’s experience in a man’s world. Male viewers found the approach at this point of view insulting, however, I argue that they found it emasculating, as they have never been shown feminism so blatantly and were offended to see a woman not need a man.
Greta Gerwig, director of Barbie and many other popular films, has noted that “I want the movie to make people feel somewhat relieved of the tightrope. We ask ourselves — not just as women, men too — that we walk this impossible tightrope of being perfect,” explaining that Barbie is for everyone.
The movie itself even states “Everyone hates women, men hate women, women hate women” showing the culture around feminism is not centered at hating men, but rather empowering women. While women around the world have been touched at this realistically disgusting portrayal of their everyday lives and baffling expectations, men have accused this movie of being ‘anti-man’ and promoting a ‘man hating agenda’, once again completely missing the point.
This only furthers Greta Gerwig’s statement that, in this world, women’s empowerment is perceived as the equivalent to putting men down, and as a woman you truly can’t win. Although Barbie is appealing to women, clearly men are the ones who need to watch.
