If you weren’t already aware, March is Women’s History Month, and what celebrates women more than Barbie?
With the film and entertainment awards season coming to an end, it’s time to close out journey that the “Barbie” movie has brought into the lives of girls and women globally.
The hit blockbuster was released in July 2023, with women everywhere flocking to movie theaters to see the cinematic masterpiece directed by Greta Gerwig.
For countless women, this movie has been life-changing and has allowed them to step back into their childlike self for a moment. The film was more than just the goofiness of Barbieland, but it also made women feel seen and heard, as well as creating a new awareness surrounding gender inequalities, stereotypes and the everyday struggles women face.
The film brought a fresh perspective to what it means to be a woman in modern society, and how far we’ve come throughout history. In Barbie’s world, everyone is a feminist and gender roles don’t separate women from men.
Unfortunately, this isn’t something our real world has in common with the fictional fantasy. The topics touched upon in the film has further fueled women to find empowerment and independence in all aspects of life.
Historically, women have been the ones who put others before themselves, take care of the home through cooking and cleaning, are viewed as “dainty” or “lady-like” and are expected to have their lives centered around men and their children.
If you don’t understand some of the issues that women face today, watch America Ferrera’s iconic speech from the “Barbie” movie. It’ll surely give you chills and open your eyes to how it really feels to be a woman.
Gerwig’s film reminds girls and women that they can be more than just a wife or mother. They can be anything they want to be — whether it’s an astronaut, president or fashion designer.
Gerwig did an incredible job at showing girls that it’s okay to be a wife and a mother, but that they’re so much more than that and they don’t need to be confined to the expectations of society.
The film appeals to all ages of women, with a variety of Barbie versions being shown. Some of the versions of the iconic doll are newer, appealing to younger generations, while other versions go back as early as the early days of Barbie.
These details show many gender-related battles women have conquered since Barbie’s origin in 1959.
The film, which amassed more than $1 billion in the box-office, also had a significant effect on men as well. According to some male viewers, Gerwig’s movie allowed them to become more aware of the patriarchy, both in society and in their everyday lives.
One of the biggest aspects of the movie was to depict the patriarchy in the workplace. To give some background, although women make up about 50% of the world’s population, they only make up 10% of Fortune 500 companies, 25% of 100 seats in the Senate, 29% of 435 seats in Congress, and for every dollar earned by men, women earn 84 cents.
The “Barbie” movie created a storm when it came to conversations of female representation in various aspects of society, showing that the current policies put into place for women aren’t doing enough.
Overall, “Barbie” has empowered women to be their authentic selves and to not give up on the joys they thought they needed to check at the door of adulthood. This movie has reminded women that they have a voice, knowledge, and strength to punch their way through a world that has overlooked us.
I hope that this is a movie that remains a part of life for women and continues to be passed down to the generations of strong, brilliant and talented women that are to come.