The Barbie movie, directed by Gretta Gerwig and produced by (and starring) Margot
Robbie, is a fun, influential, and funny movie that was released on July 31st of 2023. The movie
is about the characters of “stereotypical” Barbie and Ken, their journey to the real world, the
people they meet there, and the repercussions this has on Barbie Land. The movie is not just
lighthearted but is also a critique of and a statement about feminism.
The movie begins in Barbie Land, a perfect world where the diverse cast of Barbies have
accomplishments, run the government, and have all the jobs that men in the real world have.
Barbie Land is perfect, until, when stereotypical Barbie notices some new imperfections within
herself, she tries to go to the real world to fix it. The film follows this while also showing the
viewers Ken’s journey of discovering himself.
There is also a feminist message that the Barbie movie is trying to convey. One way the
movie does this is by mentioning that Barbie (the character) isn’t really all that feminist. It shows
that the Barbies think they are saving women when, in reality, they have no impact on gender
roles in actual society and might have done more harm than good. Another way this movie
addresses feminist ideas is by having Gloria, the human character with nostalgia for what Barbie
meant to her, talk about all the things that make being a twenty first century woman hard. She
talks about how she feels there is nothing she can do without being criticized by society. This
scene was very emotional and impactful for many of the people who identified with this.
Overall, the Barbie movie has had an immense impact on popular culture this year. The
soundtrack for this album remains in the top fifty albums on the Billboard Hot 200 and has been
on the charts for fourteen weeks. There were also many people dressed up as characters from this
movie on Halloween and there has been a resurgence in the color “Barbie pink” since the movie
was announced. The impact that the Barbie movie has had is a mark of how great it is and if you
want to have a fun time watching a funny and interesting movie that says things about our
society, then you should watch the Barbie movie!
