Full disclosure: I hadn’t planned to see the Barbie movie, but with so much denouncement from the political right, and word-of-mouth from friends, I made it the highlight of my weekend. Besides, since I usually go from working at home to working out, I used the occasion to dress up, fondly recalling the days that I used to produce a monthly theme-inspired spoken word and storytelling show, where I hosted while dressed in a theme-inspired costume.
My Barbie Pose
I planned to attend the Saturday matinee alone, but thank goodness my family co-opted my plans. Made finding someone to take my picture for the inevitable photo opportunity that much easier.
Like a Treasure
What I hadn’t counted on was a hastily constructed Barbie box, which apparently was meant for kids and not those who were kids at heart.
My Nephew’s Barbie Pose
Although my nephew hadn’t dressed in pink, he was all aboard for posing.
My Sister’s Barbie Pose
My sister, on the other hand, shod in her pink sneakers, sported her pink “Sisters” T-shirt, which was quite appropriate for a film that dealt with sisterhood…among other things.
An amazing transformation took place among conservatives when Barbie hit the billion-dollar mark in only 17 days, which was the fastest any movie had done so. And *GASP*…. by a woman director.
Suddenly, the movie that conservatives had decried as “woke” became a cautionary tale against feminism. They claimed that Barbie was in a loveless, sexless relationship with Ken although these dolls have never been “sex dolls.” Besides, would conservatives be happy with the promotion of sex before marriage?
Amazing how lots of money continues to be a game changer.
As much as I’d love to believe that a movie can have a radical impact on society, after all, a movie did inspire the second rise of the KKK when it was shown in the White House, I’m cautiously optimistic. The recent success that Ohioans delivered at the polls, which stopped a bill that would have made it harder to change the state constitution is an example of the type of action that needs to be reproduced.
We’ll never reach Barbieland, but we can mitigate male toxicity.