#barbie critique

[library-fae]

as a trans guy, watching barbie was a weird experience. i felt disconnected from every character except allan, and even then there was a disconnect

this decision of solely men as the patriarchy and women as the oppressed ignores so much of the nuances of race, gender, sexuality, disability and culture and how that impacts your treatment in society

am i a trans gay disabled man given the same amount of priviledge as a cishet abled white man?

[the-eclectic-wonderer]

The Barbie movie really said. Yes you will grow up and childhood wonder will vanish. Yes you will grow up and learn to hate yourself, your body, your awkwardness. Yes you will grow up and lose your confidence and certainty and sense of purpose. Yes you will grow up and the world will seem a bleaker, lonelier place every day, and society will seem bleaker and lonelier every day, and you won’t understand what went wrong in the span of just a few years, what took you from a happy and secure young girl to a sad, uncertain, scared grown woman.

And yet. You will learn to find beauty again. You will find joy in not having a purpose, in building a purpose for yourself. You will find beauty in connection, with the people and the world around you. You will learn to love signs of ageing as proof of a life well lived, of experience and happiness. You will take that little girl by the hand and tell her “I know, this isn’t what you thought it would be, but it’s real. Let me show you how beautiful it can be.”

[a7xlizardqueen]

Thank you. I finally watched it for the first time last night and I completely agree on all these points. I almost spit out my drink at that “white saviour” line. Like Jesus movie, pick a fucking topic. It was all over the place. And I don’t feel like they really thought out any of the points they were trying to make. The base premise also didn’t really make sense ie. Ken’s relation to Barbie. If Barbie is thinking the things she is thinking because someone in the real world is playing with her doll that way, then who the fuck is playing with Ken to make him feel that way? At some times the Kens act like little girls playing with Ken’s but then not really… it’s definitely no where near anything I used to do with my 1 Ken doll, so why does Ken think the things he does before The Real World happens?

(I don’t know how to put things under a readmore so spoiler alert for the Barbie movie)

I think my biggest issue with the this movie was just its general political incoherence, of course the Barbie movie produced by Mattel isn’t going to be a groundbreaking work of feminist theory but I wish they had thought harder about what points they wanted to make and what the movie actually said about the issues.

One specific thing that really got to me was the sheer amount of dialogue where characters just stated the political perspectives we’re supposed to take away, which firstly, what happened to show not tell? And secondly, the rest of the movie often undermined those statements pretty egregiously. Case in point, 10 minutes after the “women shouldn’t have to constantly mother and apologize for men” monologue, Barbie is kindly and patiently consoling Ken as he cries about how being in charge is so difficult and he really only reinvented patriarchy because he felt friendzoned and emasculated. Also case in point, after opening with a whole spiel about how Barbie saved girls from the omnipresent pressure to be mothers, a big chunk of the story revolves around a mother-daughter story which imo could have been totally omitted without significantly affecting the film.

My problem really isn’t that it’s not a great feminist movie! I didn’t expect it to be! It is the Mattel Barbie movie! It’s a marketing vehicle dressed up as a feature film dressed up as political commentary! But it’s still deeply frustrating to me that the filmmakers did a bad job of making the point they were trying to make. There’s a lot of potential that this movie just would not have been able to live up to by virtue of its corporate identity, but even within those limitations, it could have been so much more. And yes, there were lots of really good and interesting story elements, it was visually excellent, it was entertaining, all of that, but I feel like the ways in which it was a good movie just made me more disappointed that it wasn’t better.

[they-them-pussy]

new metric for media literacy for film bros is if they understand the barbie movie.

the kens are first presented as accessories to their barbies and it's pointed out loud that they don't even have places to stay in barbieland. one of the barbies straight up asks "wait, where do the kens stay?". they're just arm candy made to look pretty and cool while the barbies run their world.

but that's fucked up!!! the film presents it as fucked up! that's why ken screams "YOU FAILED ME!" and why he is insecure in the first place because he wanted to be respected and seen as a person, not someone who only exists in relation to someone else. should he have done what he did? no!!! that's why it's part of the conflict! the root of both of their breakdowns was in their society in that the barbies are supposed to be perfect and the kens exist in relation to them! it's barbie and ken. he was a footnote. that's why barbie apologizes to him in the end and tells him he can be himself. she doesn't have to exist by some set of rules and neither does he! it's barbie and it's ken! sure, the resolution to the whole barbieland issue wasn't perfect, BUT KEN'S WHOLE ARC IS ABOUT HOW THEIR WORLD FAILED MEN. WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS MOVIE WAS 'WOMEN GOOD MAN BAD'. WHAT ABOUT THE NUANCE

[nicollekidman]

Why are people mad at the barbie promo?

it's not a standard promotional cycle for a film that happens to involve mattel's famous toy. it is a massive brand push to revitalize a product for a new age, and the movie is the commercial. it is not normal to have promotion that includes collaborations with: airbnb, hair tools, many makeup companies, rollerskates, forever21, canned lemonade, ruggable, toothburshes, skincare, shoe lines, gap, pacsun, OPI etc etc etc............... like i'm going to go see the movie! it will in all likelihood be fun and enjoyable. but this rollout is explicitly mattel's first phase in what they hope is a HUGE endeavor to make "cinema" out of every one of their products, as a way to get more people to buy these products. regardless of how the barbie movie turns out, it is not actually good for anyone to have a failing film industry turn to self-cannibalizing commercial products for story. i hope everyone has a good time! i don't give a fuck if you want to buy a hot pink dress and go with your girlfriends and revel in your #womanhood or whatever. but the degree to which mattel has already had input in the actual movie + made people think that their massive push of product is some sort of cool innovative trendy Promotion (while having plans to do this to. 45 other producuts) is like. lol oh boy.

[melonisopod]

Whole chapter showing war being pointless and exploitative and how the government that funded said war was all too happy to throw away the soldiers they used as literal living weapons: Apolitical.

Whole chapter about a woman urging her friends to do something about their starving neighbors and how she ended up killing a pawnbroker to enact justice but the system ensured the most helpless were still punished: Apolitical.

Whole chapter where literal Crusaders murder people for modifying their bodies and how it relates to bodily autonomy and identity; main characters visit a border crossing and witness a child being separated forcefully from their family: Apolitical.

Whole chapter about corporations appropriating and exploiting well-meaning genius inventions to benefit themselves and quite literally profit off the suffering of others: Apolitical.

Female character doesn't have her tits out: Evil Feminist Agenda, Forced Politics

[almacambiondaughterofsaleos]

Vivziepoop Stop Leaving Barbie Wire Out Of The Narrative

Again showing this would give her even more understanding why she never wants to see Blitzo again. Heck, one could say that this scene would have been better if Unhappy Campers did more to foreshadow this flashback so we better understand her anger instead of the M's dicking around with a bunch of campers. And again it would have been good if we saw Barbie Wire in the "Circus" flashback as well.

[arteicetb]

I really hate how Barbie, Blitz’s literal Twin Sister, has no where near the amount of attention for their past or childhood with Blitz compared to Fizz. Who for some, myself included, confused him to be their other sibling. No way in Hell (HA) would I have thought that they weren’t related let alone that Blitz had a crush on him. The build up was no where, just that Blitz was extremely jealous of him😭

Worst of all, we don’t know how Barbie feels about Fizz. We’re they close like Blitz and him? Did she also have a crush on him or saw him as a lil brother?? Nothing at all is given to this woman and it’s actually frustrating.

Sometimes I think Helluva Boss (the art not the artists) thinks it’s audience doesn’t think, as if we’re stupid and wouldn’t question the simplest thing.

[gartenofbanny]

This is how Fizzarolli should've responded to Blitzo's apology

Fizzarolli: "I lost my livelihood, my friends, my horns, and my limbs!"

Blitzo: "Well, you have no idea what I lost. I lost my mom!"

Fizzarolli: "SHE WAS MY MOM TOO, YOU BASTARD!"

I think people tend to forget that Fizzarolli was also raised by Blitzo and Barbie's parents.

Though we never see how Fizzarolli reacts to losing Tilla because God forbid we'd have two characters who aren't Blitzo, Moxxie, or Fizzarolli interacting with one another.

[littledemon55]

The only Alastor I respect ✋😔

(His name is actually Alistair, but it sounds exactly like Alastor)

He's from Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 2 btw, which is a solid experience ^°^

[will-pilled]

I genuinely wonder why seeminlgy every gay man in Helluva/Hazbin is always a sterotype of gay men and why every woman character is always a plot device.

[dolly-birdi]

Any doll brand that tries to appeal to the christian soccer moms that call their dolls "demonic sluts" or "child hookers" are missing the point so badly. Changing the dolls faces, clothes, or bodies won't improve their opinion on these dolls, because those were never the issues to begin with. These are just the kind of people that take issue with virtually any depiction of the female form because it makes them uncomfortable. Even the amount of skin showing isn't the problem. (I've seen westerners call licca-chan "pedo bait" before. No dolls are safe lmao)

If it was about modesty, realistic body image, positive role models, etc then they would also take issue with male action figures that are marketed to boys as well (they're built like fridges, wear skintight bodysuits, and are made to play in fight scenes). But they don't. I've never seen anyone call action figures "roided up gigolos" or "slutty barbarians." Only the toys designed to look like girls/women are called sexually derogatory names and slurs. How curious.

There IS an important conversation to be had about over sexualization of toys aimed at little girls, but this is not what this is about. These people pearl-clutching over dolls in strapless dresses, skirts, or crop tops aren't doing it because they are concerned about the mental health or innocence of young girls. Tbh I think it's more of a projection of internalized misogyny from these women, and just plain old misogyny from men.

[everything-in-retrospect]

Guys please can’t we admire a movie while acknowledging that it was built around a flawed perspective? Like. Oppenheimer is a work of cinema. It’s impeccably crafted.

It was also made about one of the shittiest things in American history. It’s inevitably from a predominantly American, white perspective. That sucks. But it’s opening the door for people to talk about the other side of the story.

Good movies can have bad messages. Bad movies can have good ideas. There is nuance.

Please acknowledge the work of the artists who made this possible. The crew of talented actors, editors, camera-folk, musicians, and everyone else who worked to shape this story.

And acknowledge that maybe it’s not the story that needs to be told in the future.

[thealogie]

Barbie movie is definitely a long form ad for Mattel that much is obvious but it’s really not as bad as when everyone tried to argue the long form ad for the US military was the movie of the summer

[deadliestpieceontheboard]

"The Barbie movie can't have anything meaningful to say because it's marketing for a doll". Cool, now try again without the nihilism.

[squishy-min-mochi]

I understand both the capitalist nature in which Barbie (2023) exists in, and the reasons why it was made— advertisement, product placement, money for big corporations; a western lens of the story being told.

But I also know who I am and what my morals are. I have a deep understanding and security within myself, enough to say that I really loved that movie, and it will likely be one of my faves for a long time. It’s message rang true and resonated with me in a way I’ve never felt before and for that, I am in awe of this film.

Love and criticism can co-exist— in fact it’s important that they do. It’s the love for something that allows space for understanding and critical analysis, and it’s the love for something that fosters a safe space for that media’s message.

I feel my blog is a safe space for Barbie lovers and for Barbie critics— but not for Barbie haters. I feel as if genuine hate for this film does not come from a good or flexible place of understanding or critique, and I unfortunately don’t have the capacity to experience the endless might and possibility of humanities hatred for something I adore.

Please, if Barbie wasn’t for you, then neither is this blog!! And that’s perfectly okay < 3