Rabat – The July 21 release of Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, caused a furor all over the world. As reported by the movie’s director, Greta Gerwig, global profits came to a staggering $162 million over its first weekend, the most prosperous opening any female director has seen.
The “Barbenheimer” weekend — a nickname earned as Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer shared the same release date — served as a way for people to come together, enjoying both cinematic experiences. The occasion called for viewers to dig out from their wardrobes (or purchase) their best pink outfits.
Barbie dolls have featured in many young girls’ childhoods. Between 2001 and 2021, a total of 40 animated Barbie movies have been released.
The new movie provides a new interpretation of the Mattel doll’s story, not only because it involves live actors, but also because of the essential issues with the world it brings up to the viewers’ attention.
What Barbie is about
With numerous jokes and subtle hints, the movie brings up serious issues. An example is the Barbie-headed Supreme Court, which reflects last year’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Mattel’s attempts to capture Barbie and confine her in a box is a parallel drawn to the modern world’s efforts in controlling women.
In Barbie Land, gender roles are reversed. Emphasis is put on women and female empowerment, with the Kens taking a secondary stance. All the prosperous occupations are taken up by the Barbies, while their male counterparts have little influence and are not shown the same levels of respect.
The plotline starts with Stereotypical Barbie’s (Margot Robbie) existential crisis — and contemplating death — that slowly results in her becoming less and less “perfect”. Distressed, she heads out to the real world to help the sad girl playing with her find her way back to happiness, thus strengthening the human-doll relationship and bringing herself back towards a new type of “perfect”.
Swayed by her beauty, Stereotypical Ken (Ryan Gosling) decides to take on the journey with her. Once they reach “the real world”, in Los Angeles, Barbie faces sexism. Meanwhile, Ken discovers patriarchy. The latter causes a switch in Barbie Land, when Ken, influenced by his visit, establishes a patriarchy of his own during Barbie’s absence.
These intentionally ridiculous shifts in gender power serve to convey the message that as long as either side is oppressed, happiness and balance are out of reach for both. Men and women are shown to be dependent on each other, and perceiving life as a competition between genders rather than an exercise in teamwork is wrong.
Stress on female struggles
Through what can be described as a “gender war”, the movie critiques and challenges the impossible beauty standards imposed by the Mattel doll. The unrealistic depiction of what a female body should look like has caused much controversy over the past two decades.
As a result, Mattel started the Fashionistas line to show more diversity — including Barbies of different ethnicities, heights, and builds.
The movie itself addresses the Barbie dispute by displaying all the supporting and opposing arguments in its plot. A critique of the doll is presented through Sasha’s (the real-world girl playing with Barbie) outburst — when she ends up calling Barbie sexist and fascist.
The protagonist ultimately proves the young girl (and herself) wrong by her cathartic change.
She determinately fights sexism and dystopian beauty standards — imposed by her own self on others in the beginning.
Gloria (Sasha’s mother) also reflects on the impossibility and weight of expectations placed on women.
“It is literally impossible to be a woman,” she says. “We have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong.” Her speech brought some viewers to tears at Moroccan cinemas.
And while it is framed to address women, her words speak to everyone. With brave vulnerability, Gloria voices that it is okay to not be perfect — striving for perfection to no end is an internal battle we all go through.
How it is perceived in Morocco
Although Morocco is generally patriarchal, Barbie’s themes were well-received by the majority of young viewers. Supported by hearty laughter in the theater all throughout the screening, the witty jokes also landed just right.
Seeing the movie in French somewhat defeats the purpose of the carefully-worded English banter. Moroccans seem to realize that, as they protested French screenings of “Barbenheimer”.
As for takeaways, the movie’s message does not seem to have escaped Moroccan viewers. “I find equality in this movie,” a young woman told Morocco World News.
“Both Kens and Barbies can have a world of their own…while also finding and sharing a common ground,” another male audience member said.
