A live-action version of the famous Barbie arrived in theaters this summer. The movie focused on the intended concept behind the doll. It also emphasized the male patriachy’s detrimental effect on female empowerment and growth. This included career industries and suffocating social stereotypes.
The character of “stereotypical” Barbie embarked on a self-discovery journey and attempted to prevent “toxic patriarchy” from invading the “Barbie World”.
Numerous Campo faculty members and students saw the movie. Attendance officer Stephanie Sliwinski “loved the soundtrack.” She also thought “the plot was so good from the very first scene to the very last. It was also very visually appealing.”
Sliwinski added, “What made the Barbie Movie great was the storyline, writing, the character development, and how complex it was. It was also an awesome juxtaposition of toys and the real world.”
She saw Barbie with her 82 year old mother. When they came out of the theater her mom said, “That movie was a ten out of ten.”
Junior Sidd Iyer also had opinions on the Barbie Movie after seeing it with a friend in the Rheem Theater. “It opened up to everyone so it wasn’t just Barbie because they did include Ken and how it all compares to the real world” Iyer said.
He also appreciated the casting and was impressed by “Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie’s performances throughout the film.”
Iyer’s interpretation of the message was “even though we all work equally hard some people have an easier way to get places but there’s ways to change so we’re all equal. Barbie showed that by switching how the world works [in “Barbie World”] where women are leading everything instead of men.”
Sliwinski also added her perception of the message. “Every girl has the potential to be awesome and anybody has the ability to shine, you just have to find it inside and bring it out,” she said.
On campus filmmaker sophomore Sophie Tang provided her unique artistic perspective. She was impressed with Barbie and it exceeded her expectations.“It was really empowering not only for women but for everyone in the world. We learned how to be more accepting and find true purpose,” she said.
She specifically liked “the more nuanced approach Hollywood took to portray activism and feminism.” Tang identified one of the larger themes as being “even though we’re living in a world of patriarchy [where] women still tend to fight and get pitted against each other, at the end of the day we’re all living in the same world so we should respect each other.”
Tang added, “It was a message I really needed to hear again and I think more people, not just women, need to hear.”
Sophomore Valeria Portal said, “I found the movie very inspirational and touching. The story of womanhood and growing up from being a child to a woman is so powerful and the story of how society treats women was very relatable.”
Although many enjoyed the movie, some also presented criticisms. Iyer said he didn’t agree with the stereotype portrayed by Ken’s actions that “men do everything to impress women.” However he added that it “made it more comedic.”
Portal added, “Ken could have been portrayed as not as worthless and instead as more of a partner and involved in [Barbie’s] parties instead of being excluded in everything.”
Overall Campo seemed ready for and appreciative of this feminist film providing many women with a relatable story and voice.
