To be honest, when I entered the theater in my all-pink outfit to watch the Barbie movie for the first time, I didn’t know what to expect. I saw the trailer a couple of hundred times and thought it was going to be a fascinating story with a captivating plot. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.
While some have dismissed and labeled the film as mere children’s entertainment, it is our duty to educate people on how this movie actually holds a mirror up to societal issues and challenges us to rethink our perspectives. If you found yourself struggling to comprehend the deeper themes within Barbie, it might be time to reflect on whether you’re inadvertently contributing to the problem.
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Certainly, the plot was everything I thought it would be. However, the tone, the message it tries to impart, and the characters that embody it, gave the movie a whole new meaning and importance in the film industry. I realized that, more than a new Barbie adventure, it’s a coming-of-age story where the audience can clearly see the forced shift a girl has to make from innocence to maturity. It’s a desperate cry for help and awareness. It’s the “hey, you’re not alone” our generation desperately needs.
No, it’s not just another movie about feminism. Well, it is, but not quite. Barbie takes its magnificent time to explore a woman’s struggle with societal double standards and their effects on mental health.
A woman’s sole purpose is to find and accept herself in a world that will never fully appreciate her for who she truly is. [Insert America Ferrera’s speech from the movie.] Sharing the “being yourself” narrative, comes with the responsibility of guiding girls and women to finding themselves whilst ignoring the perception, bias, and comments of others. It is, without a doubt, a difficult path. But we have achieved this much, haven’t we?
Certainly, we have won many battles. However, it is time we win the war.
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To the men who were offended: Barbie just reversed the roles of the patriarchy to emphasize its grip on modern times. No, it’s not about you. It’s not for you. It’s about her. It’s about every woman you have known, know, and will know. It even includes the women you will never have the chance to know.
To all the Kens out there: In a world full of Kens, choose to be an Allan. Choose to UNDERSTAND us. Choose to fight and change for us—but not in a “damsel in distress” way, in a “create a better place to live in harmony” way. Because, after all, a problem can never be solved if both parties disagree.
It’s extremely tiring to fight in a one-sided war.
However, it’s important to note that misunderstanding Barbie isn’t necessarily a sign of opposition to equality. Rather, it highlights the lack of education, awareness, and consciousness of the challenges of societal conditioning towards women. I’d like to believe that the film invites viewers to question their own biases and consider alternative viewpoints. Because, certainly, by dismissing it as frivolous, you’re inadvertently endorsing the very attitudes the movie seeks to combat.
Finally, and most importantly, to all the Barbies out there: I see you. You are shining so bright; you are so hard to miss. You are perfect. Don’t change who you are for a mere standard. Own it. Become the standard.
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