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Barbie: who saw it? (lemmygrad.ml)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by RedWizard@lemmygrad.ml to c/comradeship@lemmygrad.ml

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Today was the first day that both our kids are in day-care all day. Effectively the end of our parental leave. Me and my SO decided to treat ourselves to a movie and saw Barbie. We figured if the conservative sphere was getting pissy about it, it must be good.

Anyone else see it?

I wasn't expecting much. I have to say, I don't think I could have ever expected this movie to be what it was. It's campy, funny, colorful, and steps on your throat with it's message and hardly let's it off. I say that as positivity as someone can.

It's amusing to me that some people think the movie is anti-man. It did make me feel mournful for my daughters inevitable loss of innocence. A corporate, big budget toy advertisement of all things. I think that's the most surprising part. In some ways Barbie is the most unlikely and perfect vehicle for what the movie has to say.

I don't know. It's conflicting because, at the end of the day it's a huge corporate puff peace, but also... What else could deliver it's message to so many people?

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[–] Munrock@lemmygrad.ml 0 points 1 year ago

Yeah I saw it.

It's good. And worth watching. But there are so many people on social media saying this is going to be revolutionary for the feminist cause.

You're right about the corporate puff piece part. And the rehabilitation of Ruth Handler's image like she was anything other than a cynical capitalist whose creation played a huge part in calcifying the concept of gender roles in generations of children that came after her.

Mattel signed off on the movie. It exists with their permission and approval. They are not going to start or enable a cultural revolution against their own interests, and if they reinvent themselves so that it is in their own interests, they'll be doing it for profit, not for the liberation of women.

But fuck if anyone will listen to the skeptic's take. This thread is the first discussion I've come across where saying negative things about the movie (not even saying it's bad, just criticizing) doesn't result in a dogpiling of misogyny accusations.

The face of feminism in 2023 is a fictional character and it's copyright belongs to Mattel.