Did I just watch a two-hour commercial? Did I read those glowing reviews correctly?
The acting and dancing are great, there are some very funny scenes, and it’s overall entertaining. I certainly don’t begrudge anyone who enjoyed it.
But “Barbie” is a manipulative movie. It creates an illusion of diversity, while following the usual script of casting white actors in lead roles. There are satirical jokes at the expense of company executives, which seem to be a smokescreen to distract from the profit motive. The movie tells us repeatedly what it’s about: the objectification of women, and women’s empowerment. And yet from the moment “Stereotypical Barbie” appears on screen, her body and conventional physical beauty are highlighted and showcased.
The themes explored in the movie are outdated. We’re told that there are unrealistic and unachievable expectations of women. That women can be anything they want – even astronauts, or the president! That women never feel “good enough” – despite being more than capable. And that women tend to bend over backwards to be “liked.” Seriously?
For a movie which is ostensibly about the complexity of gender, there’s not a lot of nuance here. It adheres to a hetero-normative, binary notion of gender. With all due respect to transgender actress Hari Nef, the “Weird Barbie” character was the only noticeable outlier in otherwise conventional gender expression.
This movie would have worked for me if there were openly trans, nonbinary or genderfluid characters who spoke their truth, and encouraged other characters to question the social constructs of gender. While that may seem like too much to ask of a movie about dolls, there are plenty of moments in this movie when the characters explore intellectual and existential themes.
Ultimately, a profit-seeking company isn’t going to make a movie which undermines profit. While the self-deprecating humor gives the illusion of self-awareness, the company has found a way to reinforce traditional narratives of gender while making themselves seem enlightened.
I want a refund.
