After the release of the “Barbie” movie, there’s been a lot of talk about how it’s meant to empower women and show the challenges they face. Despite its success, the movie’s message is still being looked over.
The movie itself tells the story of Barbie realizing that real life isn’t as perfect for women as it is in Barbie Land. It points out gender inequality and how women struggle to keep up with the perfect stereotype society has set. By portraying this message through Barbie’s experience in the real world, it sheds light on how no one is perfect and how women deserve more appreciation.
This is ironic because the movie’s message is being played out in real life. People are confused and outraged at how people’s reactions to the movie display exactly what the movie tried to warn against. Despite Margo Robbies outstanding performance as Barbie, the main character, Ryan Gosling, who played Ken, got a nomination for Best Supporting Actor, while Margo did not. Along with this, Greta Gerwig, the director and mastermind behind the movie, did not receive a nomination for best director either.
Another example was comedian Jo Koy’s speech at the Golden Globe Awards. In his speech, he made a sexist comment comparing the two biggest movies of the year, Barbie and Oppenheimer. Instead of pointing out the important messages and significance behind both movies, he said that Barbie was about a “plastic doll with big boobies.” This joke completely contradicts the meaning behind Barbie and is an exact example of the societal issue Barbie’s message was supposed to point out.
In the end, despite the unfortunate reactions from the media, the Barbie movie was very successful, breaking several records in the movie industry. Its message is powerful and one that everyone should pay attention to.