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"Beyond Pink: 'Barbie' Shatters Gender Norms

Mishaal Usman 26100247



While it’s easy to see Barbie as a plastic doll embodying traditional femininity, the new Barbie movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, brings a deeper perspective on gender norms and the pressures on both women and men in society. This movie, through its vibrant and hyper stylized lense, brings on a fresh perspective on how gender norms shape personal expectations which are heavily influenced by societal pressure.

 

The movie starts off with showing Barbie Land, a world where Barbies hold every conceivable role from President to Nobel-winning scientists, demonstrating an aspirational society where women can reach their potential freely. In our society, where careers and roles are defined to be male or female dominated, Barbie Land advocates for gender equality. Liberal feminists like Betty Frieda argue that women should have the freedom to pursue any role without being restricted by gender and Barbie Land serves as an insightful look at this liberal feminist vision of equality, showcasing the kind of society where gender no longer dictates role and career aspirations. In contrast, when Barbie steps into the real world, she sees gender inequality and gender-based roles being enforced. This comparison highlights that while such liberal feminist theories do exist, true equality is still far from being practiced which resonates with liberal feminism's calls for systemic change and equal opportunities for all genders.

 

The movie also highlights women’s experiences as being intersectional, based on race, class and age. Intersectional feminism recognizes that women’s experiences are shaped by interesting identities, and these must be understood to truly be inclusive. In Barbie Land, different versions of Barbie exist, embodying all different ages, races and professions. This portrayal highlights the multiples dimensions of femininity and portrays an inclusive world where all women’s experiences are unique, where they juggle different expectations based on background, age and roles. Through such representation of women’s struggles as complex,  Barbie argues that genuine empowerment requires acknowledging and addressing the varied experiences of all women.

 

In Barbie Land, Ken’s role revolves around Barbie in contrast to how women are usually the supporting characters for male protagonists. Ken’s storyline showcases how he has to deal with the narrow definition of stereotypical masculinity and after discovering a patriarchal version of masculinity in the real world, Ken embodies hyper-masculine behaviors, only to realize that these roles feel unnatural. This aligns with Judith Butler’s work on gender performativity and how gender is a socially constructed identity, performed based on societal expectations rather than biological differences. Ken’s exploration of masculinity shows that these strict roles limit both men and women, and a more fluid understanding of identity where individuals are free to move beyond rigid gender norms is necessary.

 

Barbie has always been viewed at the standard of unattainable femininity, representing beauty and perfection. Only being limited to her role as “Stereotypical Barbie”, she eventually realizes she no longer wants to be her, which aligns with the idea of rejecting restrictive roles. She feels the burden of being perfect and understands that the only reason she feels the need to embody perfection is because of the expectation everyone has from her. Her journey reflects the idea that women should be free to define themselves on their terms and move beyond societal ideals of femininity, realizing that their true self lies in individuality and self-acceptance.

 

Through the satirical lens of Barbie Land and the realities of the real world, the movie explores the ongoing challenges women and men face in defining themselves beyond societal expectations and defined roles. The movie conveys the message of encouraging audiences to see themselves beyond the stereotypes and celebrate their unique identities.

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7 comentarios


25020297
25 nov 2024

I feel like while all of that stands true, it lacks a sense of complexity when it comes to the lived experiences of women. It felt like a white feminist take on what women go through or their problems. The presence of patriarchy and the ken dolls taking over in my opinion is a white idea of what kind of oppression women face. The highlighted aspects also included stuff like how one should look, act and wear. and while all of that remains true, problems for women and their strive for quality goes beyond the patriarchal lens and related issue which I do feel the film ignored.

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25020047
03 nov 2024

I loved Barbie, the themes, the style, Margot Robbie, everything! And while I do agree with your take on how the film tackled gender norms, liberal and intersectional feminism, and self-acceptance, I do have a few points of disagreement. Firstly, while Barbie challenges traditional gender norms, I’m not sure it subverts stereotypes. Barbie’s hyper-feminine appearance and stylized presentation could arguably reflect societal standards. Moreover, Kate McKinnon’s character was the Weird Barbie, perpetuating the idea that if you don’t meet conventional standards of long flowy hair, pretty short dresses, you’re weird and not beautiful. This didn’t sit right with me. The representation was spot on, but the naming was somewhat problematic. Moreover, while watching the movie I felt that the intersectional…

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Saniya  Arshad
Saniya Arshad
01 nov 2024

Your analysis on this movie provide a lens to see it from perspective of gendered norms and societal expectations. It highlights how the film uses the contrast between the fantastical Barbie Land and the real world to critique traditional gender roles and advocate for a more equitable society.

The portrayal of an aspirational Barbie Land where women can take on any role resonates the idea in a society where gender itself doesnot instill or force an opportunity on one another. Similarly, the analysis on the Barbie’s rejection of being a perfectionist is a powerful yet challenging message about self-acceptance and individuality. It delivers as a reminder that true empowerment and acheivement comes in the hands from defining oneself outside societal…

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onesamirr
01 nov 2024

While in truth, there are contestations upon audience's reception of this movie, i think there is still a lot we can learn from it. As you rightly pointed out in the very beginning, the "plastic doll wrapped up in tradiotional femininity” can very easily be the only takeaway from the movie but there are deeper aspects of it that require our attention. With regards to these aspects, this movie can even serve as a great pedagogical resource.


Firstly, it is important to note that “Barbie” as a concept has been rooted in objectifying and reducing women to certain appearances and expressions. Following this, the movie does a great job of picking up the same narrative and transforming it into one…


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Shahryar Nagi
30 oct 2024

Your analysis into how the Barbie movie shatters stereotypes was a really interesting read as I felt like you tackled a lot of the key aspects of how the film began a conversation really well. Your analysis on Ken as a supporting character was especially thought provoking as we've seen very few movies at the commercial scale of Barbie which have explicitly critiqued the prevalent notion of women being secondary characters to men. The notion of Ken struggling with conforming to a narrow brand of hypermasculinity was also pointed out in a great manner as it relates to Judith Butler's concept of gender performativity in the most clearest of ways a piece of media can.


Moreover, the contrast between the…


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