I’ll go ahead and say it even though it sounds preposterous. Because that was the first thought I expressed while exiting the movie theater. Barbie reminded me of another B, Buddha. Before I get attacked for the billion times that of any outrageous idea, how so one could ask. Well, the stereotypical Barbie does raise some genuine existential questions a la Buddha when he was a stereotypical prince. Simply put!
The pink lotus of Buddha may look a tad less pink compared to the pink seeping from every corner of the screen and spilling over onto the hallways of theaters everywhere. Claiming their pink power were many girls, women of different age groups. Did ‘Barbie’ deliver?
Oblivious of the real world and its myriad problems of aging, death and oh-so-certain cellulite, Barbie lives in her picture-perfect pink existence. Sounds like a familiar story? Having no idea about the stages of life, states of people, or the world where men exert power, Barbie’s journey to becoming human, capable of fears, tears, and feelings is both real and metaphorical. But every time the actor Margot Robbie—who looks every inch a Barbie—appears on screen the very stereotype seems to be getting reinforced.
Barbie, which was simply a plastic toy that became a source of inspiration for little girls to aspire to becoming whoever they wanted to, is now a real movie star. None of us or young girls of impressionable age can ignore the fact that Robbie’s perfect figure with not an iota of extra pound or inch is the protagonist of the film. Every other Barbie is on the fringe. Mind you, there are many Barbies of different races, ethnicities, professions and colors. But who do we see occupying the center stage? It's the quintessential Barbie that is being lauded for making the perfect Barbie who is also not plastic anymore. Breaking stereotypes is harder than breaking a Barbie doll's image.
Ken never appeared appealing from the toy store aisles. Played with panache by Ryan Gosling, Ken projects everything wrong with the patriarchal society. Kens of the Barbie world are busy horsing around with their blinkers that make women invisible. Kenough said!
Greta gets the mother-daughter dynamics. America Ferrera’s character is the real hero of the movie. Her explosive monologue touches every heart. What if instead of the stereotypical Barbie Greta gave us a story centered around a non-stereotypical Barbie? America could have portrayed that new-age Barbie challenging the old notion of what a heroic Barbie looks like. Then Mattel wouldn’t have produced it, I presume. Barbie means business, too.
Barbie--white, tall, slim, with perfect features-- is still the same old Barbie–feelings and thoughts of death now included. There are many other Barbies, but they play supporting roles. After all these years, we are back to idolizing Margot’s stereotypical Barbie. Mattel’s marketing genius behind the movie must be applauded. Yes, I fell for the trap. I grabbed the chance to become a Barbie for a little while, not just in my imagination but in an enticing photo booth resembling the iconic package. Enlightenment remains elusive.
‘Barbie’ works because a big section of the world's population can relate to the doll. We have young women and mothers all over the world associate either their own childhood memories or their children's childhood with the doll. Barbie stepping out of her heels and continuing to walk on her toes is such a strikingly familiar image. Barbie demonstrating her sadness by falling flat on her face is so doll-like that it evokes more nostalgia and less sympathy. Similarly, Kate McKinnon’s weird Barbie with a sketchy face and stretchy limbs is not only funny, but also endearing.
Greta taps into experiences and feelings associated with an ubiquitous doll to enunciate skewed logic and reprehensible facts about the world we live in. Even the discontinued dolls have stories worth paying attention to. From waking up in her perfect plastic bed at the beginning to her journey in the real world, leading to her awakening–in every sense of the word–at the end of the movie, ‘Barbie’ keeps the viewer in the thick, entertained. Who cares about the wafer-thin plot?
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