Greta Gerwig’s Barbie brought with it a new wave of TikTok feminism. Conversations around girlhood surfaced as women of all ages and backgrounds were given the permission to celebrate themselves. The apparently universal experiences of being played at by guitar-wielding men or watching Pride and Prejudice while eating depression brownies became opportunities for bonding online. Watching the overwhelming surge of feminine joy filled me with hope. Maybe this was a sign that society was healing patriarchal wounds and coming together to honor our shared humanity.
But I’m an idealist. Barbie brought in a total revenue of $1.36 billion, making it the highest-grossing film in 2023 according to Forbes. Mattel, the company that owns the Barbie brand, is worth $7.34 billion. No small potatoes. Actually, rather large potatoes. These numbers can not be ignored. Barbie is as much a part of capitalism as anyone living in the United States. The movie recognizes this reality as well, as evidenced by Will Ferrell in a suit and rollerblades. His goofy presence is a reminder to the viewer that Barbie is, first and foremost, a product. So then the debate online becomes: how feminist can a commodified female body really be?
I have gone back and forth on this question myself. People are so quick to vilify objects or corporations. In a lot of ways, I think it is easier. However, the real problem is something much deeper. The debate around Barbie is not so much about Barbie herself, but about the culture she is a culmination of. She has been used as an example for little girls to be whoever they want to be. But she has also been used as an example for little girls to be thin and white and blonde. Barbie is a vessel to grow little girls’ imaginations. But boys, if they dare pick up a doll, are chastised and handed an action figure.
As a society, we have gotten so good at proscribing exactly what people should act and look like. Factors like gender or race or class or sexuality (I could keep going) come with well-labeled boxes. Not to mention the accessories that come with those boxes. Each one sold separately for the low price of $19.99. A stroll down the aisles of a grocery store will show exactly the box corporate America wants to put you in. Look at the options for waxing strips, or hair dryers, or self-tanner. Look at the camo clothes, or Old Spice deodorant, or legions of football-themed paraphernalia. If you don’t fall into those two categories, don’t bother going to the store in the first place. We are constantly being dressed up and paraded by the invisible hands of cultural expectations outside of our control.
In conclusion, maybe we are the Barbies. The Barbie movie started a crucial conversation about how we construct gender and identity within limiting boxes. Even further, it started a much quieter conversation about how businesses have gotten really good at selling those boxes to us. That is something that needs to be consistently challenged and called out. In the name of feminism. In the name of Barbie. In the name of Greta Gerwig.
