Like it or not, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is an undeniable force. It was released alongside Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer on Friday, and movie theaters have been packed — screenings have sold out and box office returns have skyrocketed beyond expectation. Following the release of the film, the internet has been abuzz with hot takes and thoughtful contemplations (including that of Scene contributor Erica Ciccarone) about the movie and how it addresses the longstanding legacy of the famous — if at times problematic — doll.
Below, Scene staffers Hannah Herner and Kelsey Beyeler discuss the movie. Warning: Mild spoilers follow.
Hannah Herner: I'm just going to start with the way I got choked up in the first act because of the way she lived right next to her friends and "every night is girls' night." It very much made me miss when I had roommates, and the friend I watched it with said it made her nostalgic for the all-girls dorm she used to live in.
Kelsey Beyeler: I never thought about it like that but I agree! The beginning did have a bit of a college dorm vibe, but without the influence of the patriarchy. When I lived in (female-only) dorms, my friends and I would just hang out and get ready for shows that were mostly played by our white, male musician peers. Which is why I really connected with the part when Ken incessantly plays guitar at Barbie.
HH: That part was so Nashville-coded. I screamed. I also thought, "Great, because I thought it was weird of me to not like to be sung at?" But is it true that most people don't like it?
KB: For so long I wanted to be a girl that men wrote songs about. And the idea of a man playing a song just for me felt like a dream — so romantic. And then I became disillusioned with that idea somewhere along the way. I guess I was just conditioned to want that, and it eventually faded.
HH: Yes! It's like wait — who is this for? Me or you?
I got a kick out of the parts when the girls were acting like they were into sports and certain movies and beer to bond with the guys. I totally do that sometimes. I've loved the run up to this movie because it's felt more reciprocated, like men asking me about Barbies — so often, dude interests are mainstream interests.
KB: When I was young I was a huge horse girl, so I played more with Breyer horses than Barbies. That part of me was a fan of Ken's horse-forward redecoration of the Dreamhouse. The real world is certainly not as binary as Barbie’s world.
What I love about this movie is that I feel like it describes womanhood in ways I never could. America Ferrera’s character’s monologue about the difficulties of existing as a woman in contemporary society made me tear up. It also spotlighted normalized, patriarchal phenomena and how absurd and silly they can be. (See: any scene featuring Will Ferrell and his crew of Mattel corporate executives.) I know there have been mixed reviews about Gerwig's commentary on these bigger topics, along with the role that Mattel has played in them. She did directly take on some broad societal issues, and yes she probably could have gone in a little harder. But I was satisfied.
HH: I have that speech saved on TikTok. She says, "I'm just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie themselves in knots so people will like us." Feels very similar to Saoirse Ronan's speech in Gerwig's Little Women that begins with “WOMEN!”
I'm curious if it'll hit with the guys. Obviously not in quite the same way. But do they get that we are doing the knot-tying (so to speak) much more often than them?
KB: I think those who want to get it will, and those who don't will keep screaming "Woke film! Anti-man!" I would say that, while yes the movie shows (and comically exaggerates) how absurd men can be sometimes, it's not trying to say that we need to replace the patriarchy with a full-on matriarchy. Balance, people. Balance.
HH: Definitely! I think the core of it is that everyone wants to look out into the world and see people like them in power. And to feel like they really have a choice of what happens to them. It really clicked when Ken saw all the presidents and all the business executives of the real world. Women and definitely people of color simply don't get to see that representation as much.
KB: I will say, despite the ridiculous and desperate bravado of Ken's character, Ryan Gosling played the role with a good bit of humility. All of the acting was top notch.
HH: Gosling was so good, he really stood out among the cast.
KB: When the Kens had taken over, one of the Barbies who held a very important role (I believe it was Emma Mackey's Physicist Barbie) said something about how nice it is to not have to make decisions. I felt that hard.
The highly anticipated feature opens wide Friday
HH: Oh yes, I'm so glad you brought this up. Truly, men have hijacked feminism to mean that now we contribute to the household income while also still doing a lot of the housework, errands and making all of the "soft" decisions like what's for dinner, social plans, etc. I've read about this a bit, and we play into it because we know we're good at handling things. But it gets tiring!
KB: At the end, when Barbie is shown a montage of what "real life" looks like — I call bullshit. It was mostly positive, albeit less pink stuff, like family outings. The real world is a scary place that, yes, has those sweet-but-not-so-shiny moments, but there's also a whole lot of really terrible shit.
HH: It's true! Like if we're talking about womanhood, it's not feeling so excellent right now, but I may especially feel that way because abortion rights are a part of my beat.
KB: My relationship with Barbie was somewhere between Ferrera's character's and her daughter’s (Ariana Greenblatt). As I've gotten older, I've found myself more likely to criticize Barbie and her influence on society, lack of representation, etc. But when I was a young girl playing with them, I didn't think much of it. She was just a plastic thing for me to channel my imagination into, not a metaphor for what I could do with my life.
HH: This is the main other thing I wanted to talk about! I liked how Erica's review talked about the complicated relationship with Barbie, and there's at least one study that showed how it did affect body image for girls. But for me, I never felt very left out. She was girly, I've always liked girly stuff, so it also didn't feel that deep. But I love what you said about it being a way for you to channel your imagination. It's so nice to see dolls finally better reflect the kids who play with them. That is so key! I saw it a lot when I worked at the American Girl store.
KB: I guess one other thought I had is that I enjoyed the movie because I felt seen and represented. It seems like Gerwig made a solid attempt to diversify Barbieland despite limited material from Mattel, but I can see how others may not feel the same way. Though, when considering representation and dolls, let's not forget about the 2000 movie Life-Size, where Tyra Banks plays a doll who comes to life.
HH: A classic! I love this new wave of doing difficult serious things, but doing it in a cute outfit and getting compliments from all the other women. Like I was recently working with a communications professional and she had Barbie nails and I was like, "We are friends regardless of if we agree on this article."
