I just left the Barbie movie and was compelled to write a short blog about my thoughts. There will be spoilers.
I remember my first Barbie. I received it from a guy who worked at a local store in the neighborhood. I had the “stereotypical” Barbie, and it must have left an impression because I still remember it. My fondness for my Barbie and the inside jokes of the movie reinforced to me that this movie was for older Millennials. I don’t suggest you take your younger kids to see it.
As the movie progressed, I was excited to see how Barbie’s idealism would be crushed as she entered the real world. The real world was “a man’s world.” Unfortunately, Barbie’s world was “a Barbie’s world.” I say unfortunately because the ugly head of privilege was depicted so well in both worlds. The movie showed what it looked like to be on the wrong side of privilege. It hurts. I felt sorry for Ken by the end of the movie. Even as I write this, I’m not sure if it was because Ken was Ryan Gosling or because he was treated so poorly. By the end, Kens were treated how women are treated in the real world. If you have any true empathy, you’d feel for Ken in Barbie’s world just as much as you’d feel for anyone who has succumbed to the various “isms.”
I read “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates a few years ago, and the concept that stuck with me from the book was the idea of being on the wrong side of history. It is the concept that powers will rise and fall, but the song and dance remains the same. The powerful capitalize, and the less fortunate pay the price. In the book, he states, “The new people are not original in this. Perhaps there has been, at some point in history, some great power whose elevation was exempt from the violent exploitation of other human bodies. If there has been, I have yet to discover it.”
Another aspect of the movie that I have to address is the concept of aging and depression. Unfortunately, as we age, many of us feel like “Irrespressible Thoughts of Death Barbie.” I believe that it’s common to think about the difficulties of aging once someone is fundamentally “old.” However, I’ve seen many people have difficulty as they transition from youth to middle age. The 30-50s are a crucial time where people have the infamous midlife crisis. It’s not a joke. As a child, I thought the phenomenon happened when people were over 50. I, like many others, am mistaken. It’s when the lumps and bumps, varicose veins, dark circles, baggy eyes, hair thinning, and grey hairs first emerge that we are most vulnerable… just like Barbie and her adult playmate. If you have depressive thoughts, I have a course that may be helpful for knowing when and how to get help.
Overall, I liked the movie up until the last 15 minutes. I still can’t put my finger on what happened or why it fell flat for me. I got a little emotional during the monologue about female inadequacy. Yet, at the tail end of that and a few minutes later, they lost me. If you had a similar experience, please comment. I’d also like to hear your thoughts on the movie.