Barbie isn't a perfect feminist film, and that's ok.

[@trinaq]

Who'd have guessed that a movie about a Barbie doll would be more political than the story of the guy who invented the atomic bomb? 💣😂

[@andresbecerra1183]

I think they’re both pretty political as expected. As it is said in the beginning of this video, Barbie has always been at the forefront of the conversation and debate about female standards. I think it makes perfect sense that the Barbie movie addresses this head on.

[@joesiemoneit4145]

maybe they should have hired greta gerwig to direct oppenheimer

[@juliaghoulia5933]

I havent even seen Oppenheimer yet but dude.... seriously? It's about one of the most impactful historical events in our universe. The invention of the nuclear bomb is SO inherently political.

[@BG12sofia]

Yes! This video was the first time someone brought that up, finally! I can't say I didn't enjoy Oppenheimer or that the portrayal of the protagonist is too sympathetic, but there were some points where I thought "Dude created a weapon that killed 200k people and I'm supposed to feel sad that people think he's a communist?". Also, I hated that they brought up the trope of sexualising a mentally ill woman.

[@IsabelRodriguez-jt8tg]

@@juliaghoulia5933i found it very political too

[@taylorgayhart9497]

I think what’s been most frustrating is all of the people who’ve been criticizing this movie solely based on its femininity. I’ve had so many men tell me that the movie is shallow, frivolous, “not really art”, and “not worth their time”, all solely based on the fact that it’s a movie about Barbie, and yet they don’t understand how misogynistic that is. When Transformers came out no one way making fun of adults for seeing it, and LITERALLY telling people they’re “stupid” for liking it (it’s happened to me multiple times), and that’s a movie about a toy, the ONLY difference is this is hyper-fem where that was hyper-male.

[@elleliteracy]

preach

[@elleliteracy]

same with the Lego Movie!!

[@female115]

You mean to say hyper-female if you are going to say hyper-male. Or just say hyper-masc.

not only that, but there's also the antifeminist women claiming is not feminine enough. I mean, divisive is an understatement

[@one-onessadhalf3393]

@filmfatales I wouldn’t say that The Lego Movie is hyper male, it’s just awesomely androgynous

[@DS-ub1jm]

The monologue worked for me(maybe more than others) because I went with my mom grandma sister and niece who is 13. The message never felt like it was too complex for my niece to fully understand. Barbie is ultimately a kids toy so I appreciate that the movie balances the story G.G wanted to tell with out writing a script that is narratively to complex and completely excluded kids who currently (or more recently) play with Barbies . I think a lot of commentary is forgetting how many young girls are likely seeing this movie regardless if they’re the “target audience “ for the movie. The message I got from watching the movie with 4 generations of women in my family was that even if perfect progress doesn’t exist and it feels like we’re going backwards , we’re always going to fight to make it a little bit better for the girls after us. The line that got me was along the lines of “ mothers stand still so their daughters can see how far they’ve journeyed ” and it wasn’t the deepest message sure, but it felt powerful and honest sitting next to my family.

[@taylorgayhart9497]

Same! It worked for me because it’s Barbies’ first experience hearing about the complicated and contrary expectations placed on women. To me it represents the first time any of us engage with feminist rhetoric, when we finally have the words to explain the chaffing we feel under the weight of the world’s expectations. Yes it’s simplistic and entry level feminism, but it’s also the first mainstream movie to ever tackle these themes head on, and had to do the job of educating everyone who is new to these ideas. And then for anyone who has already heard the rhetoric and doesn’t need the lesson, there are deeper themes to be found in other areas, so I feel like there is something for everyone!

[@juliaghoulia5933]

It worked IMO because of all of the boyfriends and begrudging viewers who were "dragged along" to see Barbie were basically being told "IF YOU MISSED THE POINT OF THIS WHOLE FILM HERES THE BULLET POINTS BITCH" hahaha

[@mackielunkey2205]

I always thought that last quote had a double meaning. Barbie looks back at the progress she made after being created as a daughter, while Sasha looked back at what Gloria made during her time as a mother.

[@luvdiarvie]

well said😊

[@MB-ic3ou]

I saw someone on Tiktok say that they found the feminism in Barbie to be surface-level and non-revolutionary; however, their mum texted them after seeing the movie, asking if Gloria’s monologue was a speech from somewhere and if there was a copy available. It made the creator realise that feminism is different to different generations of women and there’s no “right” way to employ feminist messages into media because it will impact somebody regardless. I thought the Tiktok was very interesting and really proves your point!

[@industrialsunflower]

I also think that the tension between the surface-level commercial feminism and how deep you can explore some of the themes of womanhood, is that this film was written and designed to appeal to the biggest number of people. My aunts, niece, mother, etc they don't know about feminist theory and (at least some of my aunts) they don't "get" movies like Ladybird (or the majority of Oscar movies). But for them the monologue was condensed and pointed summary of their experience, they loved it, it was one of the first things they quoted when they got out of the movie.

[@Garcelle1987]

You have succinctly noted exactly WHY Barbie’s feminism was presented in the simplistic and palatable way that it was far better than any of these various pretentious and nitpicky 'feminist' criticisms on KZbin/social media 👏

[@Akane1313]

Absolutely. I think that the movie is a great entry point. It points out things from a very relatable level. I did feel like they did it in a way that felt a bit like it was trying to hammer me over the head with it but not everyone can pick up on subtlety so I can’t find it in me to hold that against them. Even without being subtle, plenty of people still misunderstood. It’s very frustrating. 😅

[@elevenseven-yq4vu]

​@@Akane1313It is also lightyears beyond irony how some people complain about Barbie being too on the nose while praising Oppenheimer as a cinematic masterpiece. I guess Nolan doesn't get the importance of subtlety or nuance even when you hit him in the face in slow-motion with an imprinted baseball bat that spells out the words in glittering neon capitals. 🤣

[@alexparker9250]

Gloria's monologue did feel obvious to those of us who experience those standards every day, but some people (often men) still need to be walked through it and have it explained to them. When I watched that monologue in the movie my brain was immediately like "thank you Gloria because I'm tired of explaining this crap."

[@bakedpotato1717]

My mom is a feminist and agrees with everything Gloria said but still doesn’t have a mind like that to get the words like in the script herself. Sometimes people feel the things without being able to even notice they’re feeling it let alone describe what they’re feeling. The monologue would be helpful to people like my mom too :)

[@llywas]

The whole oppenheimar and Nolan thing hit me really hard - I hadn't even considered it but it is so true. Like you said, there probably is some talk over the movie how it could've explored certain things differently, but from pov of someone casual I don't think I've ever seen any. While with Barbie it pops up from every single corner. Comparing between the discourse between those two movies... it does feel so unfair that anything that isn't made by a man is considered "political" or "woke" (and even more so, generally as a dog whistle for people who somehow missed the point of Ken's role in the movie for example).

[@mhawang8204]

Barbie had multiple things making it vulnerable for criticism. Feminine media is automatically dismissed as frivolous and silly, and it openly discusses feminism and the patriarchy, which irritates and even angers certain people 😒 The Barbenheimer phenomenon really demonstrates the double standard for films made by and for women.

[@VarunK-ii8eb]

Stop victimizing it. The film insults other gender. Thats why people hate it. Picture barbie when gender are reversed. You can see offended women barking sexism.

[@xoltacueponi]

god, finally a video review and commentary/analysis that's fair. nothin but truth here. ofc it was never going to be perfect: it's a big production funded by mattel. idk what people were thinking. for what it is, it was lovely, and I hope one day someone can make the movie barbie was meant to be (that is: without corporate meddling, and with decent funding).

[@Bubbles603]

See this this is what I want and I agree some people are being unfair I think that’s exclusively why I’ve been watching women and non men review it because they’re less likely to be super judgmental

[@marlier2403]

Love your take on “both/and”. I feel the exact same way! Two things can be true at once!! It was a joyful and feminist comedy/satire AND it was a corporate ploy to make money for Mattel. 😅

[@rj-sn7rq]

Just wanted to quickly say that it really means a lot to be able to hear a female perspective on KZbin! It really is a male dominated space and wishing you luck in navigating that!!

[@Solarized666]

I personally like the fact that's it more male dominated. Not for the reasons that might raise eyebrows but just because I like to listen to mens voices more. Not because they're men but because I love low toned deep voices and the way most men talk just makes me feel calm ig. Same way I liked to listen to more male singers, because of their voices. Women are amazing singers and do commentaries and video essays just as well as men, I just like masculine voices more.

[@psychedelicyeti6053]

It really depends on the algorithm. Hopefully it opened a new portal for you 😝 If you're interested in someone else's perspective on barbie, mariah tewers also made a great video imo

[@sainttheresetaylor2054]

@@Solarized666 what an odd comment. you can like male voices more and seek out male content while hoping for a more even playing field for both genders/perspectives in a given space. like wtf does that have to do with anything? male creators will also always be plagued by an inherent male bias and lack of understanding of women, which personally frustrates me. it must be difficult being male identified as a woman.

[@Arosukir6]

While we're admiring the attention to detail im the movie, can I just say, the song choice for the Kens to sing to the Barbies was so friggin' prefect! *Spoliers below* When I saw him bust out that guitar I thought for sure Ken was gonna sing "Wonderwall." It's *the* "college guy with a guitar tries to woo the ladies" song. At first I was confused when I realized he was singing something different. But then I recognized it and realized the brilliance! "Push" by Matchbox Twenty literally showcases the way that the Ken's want Patriarchy without fully understanding what it entails! As well as the main Ken's desire for Barbie to know how he felt about the way she treated him. The song's chorus goes: "I wanna push you around. Well, I will. Well I will. I wanna push you down. Well, I will. Well I will. I wanna take you for granted. I wanna take you for granted." The Kens are literally trying to push the Barbies lower on the social hierarchy, but they clearly don't understand what that really means, since they sing the song as a love song to them. And Ken has felt that Barbie has been taking *him* for granted. It's just so excellent! The movie has many flaws and discussion points, but no one could say that there wasn't great care put into every single second of it!

[@e11aphant]

this is the most nuanced take i've seen so far and the one i think most closely matches how i felt after seeing the movie

[@taylorgayhart9497]

It’s my new favorite movie! I’ve seen it twice and both times I took so much away from it. The first time I watched I related a lot to Margot’s Barbie and her breakdown at the end, when she said “I’m just stereotypical Barbie, not good enough for anything” I cried with her!! And the second time I watched it I related more to Ken, and the way he disappeared into his relationship, because I know myself and a lot of women I know who struggle with this same thing in relationships. There was so much more to it than that too, and I just loved it so much!!

[@MichaelChong100]

I love that you bring both the good and the bad about the film into this review because it’s rare to see that in KZbin reviews of Barbie. I hope in the future people will discuss the Barbie movie like this.

[@elleliteracy]

thank you!!

[@MichaelChong100]

@@elleliteracy After finished reading the reviews and watching the film, the only thing on my mind is John Waters’ films, especially Hairspray (1988). Like John Waters films, it walks a fine line in between political correctness and incorrectness and I like it lol.

[@trinaq]

I wished that they'd done more with Sasha's arc. It starts out promising enough, but then fizzled out towards the end. She encouraged Gloria to go back and help Barbie, with no indication that anything had really changed.

[@taylorgayhart9497]

I don’t agree that nothing changed, her mother had opened up about how she had been playing with their Barbies again because of how much she missed her, and how hard her life is, then she came to Barbieland where here mom’s dreams should be coming true, but it’s been ruined like the real world. And Sasha’s speeches earlier proved she was a passionate advocate, so she would probably be really upset by the injustice herself. I think she wanted her mom to win, and knew they needed to do something.

[@definitelyhooman7939]

I think Barbie does a more nuanced job at looking how dangerous patriarchy is for men, than a subversive feminist look at how it effects women, but I still found value in that experience

[@nanalove3819]

I wish people recognize that the perfect feminist movie doesn't exist. Patriarchy and social pressure are too complex for that, and also some women will feel empowered by some thing that other women see as a symbol of sexism. But that doesn't mean that there can't be a movie with important feminist messages and Barbie is an example of that. So as you said, it is not the perfect feminist fil and that's ok.

[@IlkaWaffy]

the thing i liked about the monologue being so simple, so approachable, isn't the monologue itself, really. it wasn't groundbreaking and it didn't need to be in my opinion. I was just looking at Barbie. I watched her come to this realisation and i deeply related to her. I remembered all the times that slowly opened my eyes about what life is like as a woman under patriarchy and i felt that pain - that same pain Barbie seemed to be feeling in that very moment. and that's what feels so powerful about it for me

[@Kaiheart]

I saw Barbie with my mom, and both of us were laughing and tearing up at certain points. Depression Barbie is just me, that part is gonna be in my brain from now on, however - the existential crisis is what hit me hardest. I'm 32, afab but nonbinary, and ive been having... SO MANY thoughts about my mortality. The lay wide awake and thinking "oh, I'm going to not exist one day" and not sleeping. But what was said at the end by Rhea Perlman struck a cord deep inside. I've almost died once already due to illness when i was 19, but I fought and survived... but I was changed and have several physical scars. I've lived with anxiety and depression and chronic pain for over a decade. And even though it's something so obvious, it's nice to be reminded that your life doesnt have to be extraordinary to be worth living, no one is born with a mapped out life or purpose, and it's okay to take time to figure yourself out. It's perfectly normal and okay to feel lost, even if you supposedly have your life 'together' in the eyes of others. That's why I liked Gloria as Barbie's human, cause from an outside perspective Gloria 'has her life together' - but she's just trying her best to keep her head above water. I could keep going, I saw several flaws in it too - hate the subplot about the board of directors - but I loved so much more. I wish it had existed when i was a teenager, the baby gay that didnt fully understand themself would have felt seen.

[@nxxva.222]

hey there! i study psychology, and basically broke the movie down the same way you did, except in a psychological perspective. you deserve a sub from me. will always support you! love this video by the way. i'll share it with friends

[@celelelu7801]

I think that while the ideas in Barbie are watered down versions of modern feminist ideologies, it is a rather bare boned and good place to start. At the end of the day, the film was enjoyable and palatable - and in the same way we speak on representation (its importance for normalization, that is) - Barbie is just that. Via its actors, directors and producers, it is the long haul way of seeing our stories represented in box offices.

[@dragon9261]

I really loved your take, I've been struggling to understand why I didn't "LOVE LOVE" the movie like I thought I would and this helped with it! I liked the movie, but it didn't hit the things I wanted it to so it wasn't "LOVE LOVE" like how I felt about Nimona, and thats okay! It's okay if I didn't love love it even if that makes me a little sad but thats okay too! I only just connected that in my head because of this video so thankyou thankyou thankyou!!!

[@hayleysmith228]

I think most of the critiques for the barbie movie just come down to the fact that no media can be entirely unproblematic. Like Keep it’s flaws in mind but don’t let it detract from all the good it has achieved. There’s only so much one movie or one person can say.

[@jeanetteblankenship6107]

Two things that I think made feminism palatable for the average woman, Wonder Woman and Barbie. It may be “girl boss” feminism but there was a time not that long ago that things like having a career weren’t an option. I quite enjoy how the generations behind me are striving to fix even more things, I just think that the generations that preceded them deserve MORE credit, they moved the needle. Things like the Barbie movie are a way to thank those women, a bit old fashioned but still needed. There’s some girl or woman in a country where she can’t drive who needs the message of The Barbie Movie. Let her have that.

[@brissalcido8534]

I loved your take on this movie!!! I follow some female movie commentators (?, I’m not sure how to call it) and I was very disappointed to see the over-criticism of this movie, so angry that it isn’t “feminist enough”, so I’m very glad that you didn’t jump into any side, either loving it blindly, nor hating it, but a very just and unbiased critic of the film. It’s so true that they have dissected so much every single point of this movie, every flaw, every missing point, and you are right, that doesn’t happen with male directors, as you said, people just let them create. Either way, I love Greta Gerwig and I am so excited to see what she creates next.

[@theultimatetealover1372]

I honestly couldn't understand the criticisms against the Barbie movie before I watched this, so I just wanted to thank you for kind of explaining it and bringing light to criticisms that others may not talk about. It was interesting to hear both sides of the debate from a person who agreed with certain aspects of both, and it's definitely broadened my perspective on certain things, so thank you for putting it into an interesting and digestible way. I'm definitely subscribing and watching more of your content!! :] (already got my eye on your Jennifer's Body video >:])

[@sofiarestaino6537]

I really liked Barbie. It was one of the best movies Greta did, in my opinion. I understand the criticism but we have to understand we can't ask a female director to do a radical critic of Mattel & Barbie in a movie that is made from Mattel's money. That should be academics and woman in science's job. At the end of the day, it's just a movie and Greta did her best to make a good positive message for women and girls.

[@elsparthio]

Great video! I feel like the only real critique I had of the film was the ‘note to filmmakers’ gag. Barbie was at her lowest ebb, emotionally rung out, and expressing what felt like true, earned feelings that no, she wasn’t extraordinary and this made her feel ugly. I think someone like Margot Robbie was the perfect casting for that speech because what follows makes so much more sense - my god, even MARGOT ROBBIE feels like she isn’t beautiful in this system??? Shit’s broken yo, good thing America Ferrera can explain why because this doesn’t make sense. Instead, the moment was kneecapped by what felt like a nervous rewrite to avoid being even slightly controversial. Not a film killer by any means, but it did rankle.

[@ireniic]

totally! it took a very sincere moment where barbie is sharing something very vulnerable and turns it into a laugh when we could've just left it as is and recognized the moment for what it was. that even for a woman who embodies everything a woman wants to be and have , even she can be filled with self doubt and feel like she is not beautiful enough

[@clawruh28]

i agree! there was all this narration at the start, then nothing like 30 minutes then during a huge scene it’s randomly thrown in!!! and then doesn’t happen again until the end. gloria’s line “what? you’re so pretty” in response to barbie like did the trick! the filmmakers note gag was like the board of directors, a forced joke for public image.

[@clarasundqvist6013]

Listen. I'm a bisexual woman who's been happily single her entire adult life, and the only man I rely on is my father because he owns more tools than I do. But I would happily let Simu Liu's Ken mansplain anything he wanted to me

[@chiaralinnea4335]

thank you for that "angus, thongs and perfect kisses" throwback in reference to barbie's "noonganoongas" lol. Also, I've been on my toes waiting for your thoughts on the barbie movie! Very excited for this one xx

[@elleliteracy]

angus, things is my comfort film!! actually going to rewatch tonight 👀

[@cat.733]

I thought the movie was fun, enjoyable and different. I found the monologue a bit long and disconnected from some of the character struggles we were actually witnessing but I’m glad it struck a cord with others. Barbie (and Ken) don’t need to be perfect, don’t need to have the answers on how to solve all their problems and don’t need to be extraordinary to be enough and to have value - and I think the same is true for this film!!

[@octopussquid6309]

I don't think that Oppenheimer isn't being critiqued as much as Barbie because it was directed by a man, but because more people are closely related to and care more about gender politics as a subject matter than the ethics of nuclear weapons. If Gerwig was a man, I don't think the conversation would be vastly different.

[@literaIIyshy]

even while being critical of the film the only scene that i genuinely didn't like was when "weird" barbie made the sexual comment about ken when stereotypical barbie first when to ask for help, it made me go 'ew' out loud

[@literaIIyshy]

but wait... now that i think more about it maybe they added that crass joke to show the influence the real world has had on her (? because y'know i remember from my own childhood playing rough with Barbies also includes making them do splits for y'know... bonding reasons 😭

[@elleliteracy]

so interesting that you came back and added that!! it’s been fun thinking about how our childhood actions informed the dialogue in even one-liners like that

[@ghostsoffishandcrows7341]

That was definitely a little weird, especially since she's so lesbian coded but i can stan a bi-con, but i think it also works in that it kinda mirrors how women are often the subject of random, disturbing, sexual remarks and it's just glossed over like it's nothing. Like rewatching old Mythbusters with my family there are so many moments where they introduce a woman with random objectifying remarks for literally no reason, like she's just there to hold a dog why do you need to specify that she's attractive???

[@clawruh28]

ironic that people blame women (greta gerwig, margot robbie, and/or barbie) for making the barbie movie not good enough because it needed to be more feministic and the perfect portrayal of women!! WHEN LITERALLY MEN (mattel, a billion dollar company who’s CEO is a MAN) HELD WOMEN (Greta Gerwig) BACK from making a BARBIE movie MORE FEMINISTIC. like omg when will it finally click for people that maybe the reason you’re upset at women isn’t their fault but actual the men and the systems men created to hold women back. UGH

[@Drewski217]

Really enjoyed this review. As a man I try to keep myself out of a lot of feminist debate but as a lifelong Barbie collector I do see and can understand a lot of the critiques and ultimately land on the same both/and section. Barbie is not a perfect feminist film and DOES have its own interests in branding at the heart but ALSO by keeping things a bit surface in exploring theme it allows these conversations of complexity to be started and furthered by its audiences both the adults who are Gloria's age AND the kids who are Sasha's. Keeping it introductory in that way doesn't push as far as it can but I do think it will ultimately be helpful and does present Barbie as an equally flawed and aspiration symbol of humanity. She isn't perfect because there's no way to be everything at once but by presenting possibilities she can potentially help the children who play with her to aspire to make things better and push forward to making things in the real life better. By creating and nurturing ideas & possibilities it allows them to grow and keep getting better with time and that, if nothing else, is ultimately a good thing I think. Barbieland gets to be divorced of the politics of race and ableism to present a truly ideal world where those things are not factors that exist to divide and that is both a copout but also an ideal. Making every girl barbie and every boy ken while all being different allows the message of differences being seen but not a problem also to live. We could have gotten so many different spins on Barbie but I think this one did pretty good and did it's best to both acknowledge its issues without dumping on the audience that its built that loves it and that more than anything is just the right place for it IMO.

[@Spamhard]

I definitely agree this whole movie has the same sorta vibes behind it as mamma mia did at the time of it's release. Really glad to see a more feminine movie once again succeed (even if it is causing a whole slew of tantruming guys too). For me barbie was more about the good fun vibes and visual spectacle. I could watch the movie a thousand times over (just like mamma mia) just for the ability to look pretty and make me smile. As a feminist story? it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't anything outstanding. But I think thats okay for a movie like this. Expecting some truly ground breaking take I think is just a little much for this kind of movie, and I was honestly surprised we even got as much as we did. Yes, parts were a little patronsiing, but I honestly think for younger kids, and even adults who don't keep up with politicis and feminist movements, I think the basicness was fine. Considering how much of the plot I've had to explain to people on the internet, it clearly wasn't basic or obvious enough for some people, lol. I went with my mum, and she LOVED it and wanted to see it again (wchih is very rare), and to me, just being able to watch a feel good, fun femme film with my mum was all I can really ask for.

[@mhawang8204]

Totally loved your stand in both/and. Perfectly sums up and kind of resolves two sides of the discourse imo. At the end of the day, I’m glad Gerwig got to make this movie and it’s doing so well. Hope we see more female filmmakers break through like this.

[@saturated3821]

After all the talk of Barbie I went into see it super late, only a few weeks ago, expecting to at the very least like it but honestly, I was just so bored. It felt like being bombarded with current talking points without actually saying anything substantial about any of them, and I felt like there was no real story, just a loose structure that made it possible to either hurl in your face or * wink wink * at the audience as many social justice issues as could be fitted into the movie. Didn't help that I couldn't identify with ~the speech~ much, but I'm not American so idk how much that plays a part. There were about two moments in the movie that pulled my interest (she looks around in the real world, clearly being charmed by it, and right after talking with the woman on the bus stop) and that I still remember in detail and it almost made me more mad that they never really led to anywhere much. I've been bored by movies before, but never so much by a movie I expected and wanted to like, and I think that's why I've been feeling so angry at the hype after seeing the movie. It's especially perplexing to me that I LOVE Mamma Mia, but was genuinely bored by Barbie and you putting them together makes no sense to me 😅

[@saturated3821]

27:10 Okay, I figured out part of why Gloria's monologue felt underwhelming to me. I couldn't identify with much of it. And though I'm aware there are women who can, I also don't think I'm alone as a woman feeling that way. But it's delivered as if it represents every woman out there. While you can argue it's to simplify, it feels more reductive to me. Like I'm reduced to just my gender, and my culture or identity or personality don't matter, if you're a woman, this is how you're supposed to feel about things and what you must have experienced. Whereas with Jo's and Amy's monologues in Little Women, I don't have to personally identify with everything they're saying because I can empathize with the specific characters and understand that they are speaking for themselves, so instead of making me "eye-roll-y", those monologues move me.

[@rahbeeuh]

I, too saw Barbie as a coming-of-age film. It actually played a part in my creation of a film list of coming-of-age films featuring Black girls (obvious reasons) and I was surprised that there were more than I thought there were. I found it interesting that America Ferrera started her career in a coming-of-age film (Real Women Have Curves) and here she is playing in another one. I really enjoyed your nuance approach to Barbie. Some reviews leaned on one side or another without meeting somewhere in the middle. It was refreshing to see a different take.

[@strawberik]

My biggest gripe with the Barbie movie is the way they treated Barbie's arch. I just felt like she took a backseat for America Ferrera's speech and that it was too disconected from the internal struggle Barbie was going through. Some of the best scenes in the movie that felt like the emotional core were when Barbie had moments with women, such as ruth and in the park. But instead of having the climax of the movie go to Barbie, the titular character, (maybe even with Gloria??) it went to just Gloria. It honestly pulled me out of it and I was emotionally connecting with the film up until this moment. and then don't get me started on how the Barbies stopped the Kens//. I just wanted Barbie to have a solid story, start to finish, and I feel like she got robbed. Ken had a better arch :( thus it is a failure as a femenist movie for me. The lecture gets in the way of the real message. Otherwise I actually really enjoyed the movie and would 100% watch it again. Super fun as a Barbie fan. :D

[@eagle_spangled_tricolor2073]

I do agree that the movie hits you across the head with the message, but it's still a fun movie that's not meant to be taken that seriously.

[@ireniic]

such a great point! barbie was the main character but it felt like at times her story wasn't fully fleshed out bc we had the ken dance number and the mother daughter story. I think there was a lot the movie was trying to focus on so character wise and plot wise everything felt rushed and undeserving. I know at the end when barbie wanted to become human I was a little confused with that conclusion bc there hadn't been enough to show us that that was something she was wanting or considering. I felt like the only moment shown to us as to why she thought it would be great to be human was the scene of her and the older lady on the bench. I think there could've been a more interesting story if we weren't forced to jump between so many other characters.

[@ma.2089]

I think since Barbie and Ken both had their moments of weakness, it was ok to show ppl that Barbie herself had a weakness that she needed help with. And that having those weaknesses are okay. It’s mostly frustrating that women can’t show any weaknesses or any wrongdoing cuz it harms their reputation, etc. more than it does men at times. Ppl saw Ken in the movie and loved him but girls just don’t get the same kind of love. Gloria helped with Barbie, and Barbie helped with Gloria. I agree the climax where they fix the problems were kind of silly, but the way Ken took over was super silly too. I think her faltering and speech did sell the “we get up and keep fighting” theme they were going for. I’m curious, what emotional arc did you think they failed at? Just curious

[@psychedelicyeti6053]

Seeing that Gloria and Barbie were linked together and Gloria's thoughts were impacting Barbie, it made sense to me that Barbie didn't know how to navigate this. Especially if you view the movie how the creator of this video said, a child or teenager learning about the adult world and how to navigate it. It make sense that Gloria took over in this section, tho I also wasn't a huge fan of the speech. Based on the comments, the speech served as a 101 to those who aren't familiar with feminist theory. Definitely a hit or miss section, it seems.

[@929er13]

not only Gloria tho, like at least she's a woman. there was so much of a spotlight and pity party going for ken. it got annoying and felt like they were just giving a spotlight to ken more than they were barbie. bro even got a musical and they've been marketing the hell out of him everywhere and barbie has taken a backseat.

[@alidegroot4507]

I think this movie would have satisfied people better if it was made 10+ years ago. Or even 20 years ago, around the time of Legally Blonde. I think it was a great movie, but I wanted more.

[@Kaiheart]

This is hilarious that you uploaded this now - cause I JUST went and saw Barbie for the first time last night. Perfect timing. lol

[@vivanesca]

[@cornettotrilogyenjoyer]

this is the best essay i've come across for barbie and really appreciate your insights

[@dazey8706]

this is the BEST barbie video ive seen yet, no one hits truly All the problematic and unfeminist aspects of barbie, while still hailing and celebrating all the cool and intriguing aspects of this entire conversation

[@shinjimeow]

I felt pretty similarly to your final perspective after seeing this movie. We did a Barbenheimer viewing, and I felt both films did things right but were also really deserving of critique. For Barbie in particular, I also found many jokes fell flat, and that I wanted more cohesion in messaging in places. Like the ending 1/5th of the film had a lot of ideas at odds with itself imo. Especially the way that the Ken patriarchy thing wrapped up... I like what you said about the male representation being akin to how women are shallowly portrayed in a lot of film history. That works fine and I think it's a cute, tongue-in-cheek move from Gerwig. So we wonder where the Kens live and notice their lack of representation in government in Barbieland, but accept it as a non-issue because of the framing where Barbie is a person but Ken is an accessory. But then by the point patriarchy takes over, you're asked to take the Kens' place in society seriously. Ken has had nowhere to express his aesthetic, emotional, and aspirational needs in this society they're purportedly sharing. So Barbies are oppressors, then? The climax of the film is focused on taking power over their world back from the Kens. A big structural issue with the hierarchical nature of Barbieland is exposed, but then resolved on a personal level with Ryan's Ken - he needs to focus on himself and actualizing his own identity instead of wrapping his identity up in his romantic interest in Barbie. But like, I feel that's what he was attempting to do with his whole rebellion schtick? And the problem was just that he applied it on an institutional level instead of really internalizing it? So the larger society-wide conflict is dealt with on an individual basis - they say the personal is political, but this feels like an inversion of how that typically is applied. The framing makes it seem like everything is resolved. Ryan's Ken is Kenough, Margot's Barbie has her own thing going on (is achieving some self actualization of her own), and the Kens are no longer taking over the government. Except the film just shoved all these valid issues with the Kens' position and treatment and then throws out a joke that they might get a single seat on the supreme court, or something along those lines. I find it unsatisfying and a weird choice. In my own life, I think it's important to recognize feminism as a means to empower all peoples rather than as a backlash against patriarchy. I don't think this aspect of feminism as a force of good for men and women alike would have caused issues with Mattel's commercial interests. So I feel Gerwig maybe didn't go as far as she honestly could have in this respect. It was kind of a weird viewing experience. The costuming and set and soundtrack are all so divine, but I think the story lacks internal cohesion and fails to be consistent in its' messaging. Oppenheimer, too, lacked cohesion in messaging. I'm just glad we watched Barbie second, because that film at least was a fun romp. I'd certainly watch it again, even though I can't ignore the problems it presents.

[@JM-hd3lr]

i agree with your final take! at the end of the day, i had fun going to the theater and i wasn’t expecting more from barbie

[@biduIgi]

great vid!!! i think your take on this was a lot better than moderngurlz's one, i was pretty dissapointed to see her literally prove the movie's point. this movie isnt the perfect "feminist" movie and it doesn't have to be, it can just exist on its own.

[@HAKUNAmaKINGkong]

thank you for taking the time to make such well informed content

[@marissapromesse52]

ngl the barbie movie was the best movie ive seen this year even though the gasslight gatekeep girlboss stuff was waayy too on the nose

[@taylorgayhart9497]

It was also the FIRST EVER mainstream movie to tackle these things head on, not everyone is super educated on feminist ideas, and needed help to get there. I was really happy to hear them using the terms “patriarchy” and “feminism” because usually corporate projects like this will only elude to these topics.

[@pathetic2399]

@@taylorgayhart9497 Was it though? I highly doubt it.

[@gaffer2602]

I did not expect to find an Irish movie video essay channel. I have been pleasantly surprised.

[@elizabethrhodes7511]

Thank you for this take!! I never comment on YT videos but I felt compelled to tell you that you did a great job with this. I particularly appreciate how you noted the film is about growing up. I've felt frustrated at how many people have ignored that theme (especially considering, as you said, how prevalent it is in Gerwig's body of work). The story is much less convoluted if read with this framing!! So I'm surprised so many people have been determined to take a Barbieland is a feminist utopia or a neat inverse of real world gender dynamics interpretation instead of seeing it as a child's ego-centric understanding of the world. There's plenty of thoughtful and important feminist critiques of this film (many of which you covered), but too many folks have been very overly black and white in their thinking and it has been a bummer to see. I really appreciate and agree with your both/and thinking on this! Thank you for sharing.

[@aspenfiress]

I love this video, most videos say it's either a feminist masterpiece, or it's a terrible 'woke film'. it's refreshing to see this perspective where it's good we are taking a step towards showing people the recent rise in mysogyny, but it is just not enough to actually fully criticise our patriarchal society or the massive rise in passive mysogny.

[@junnybear957]

yet another excellent video!!! this is my favourite review I've seen

[@kindofcl]

I really appreciate the nuance in your video. I loved the Barbie movie and thought it was really fun and had a lot of emotionally resonant moments AND it's deeply flawed, with that inherent tension between storytelling and corporate interests and its lack of intersectionality making the diversity it had feel very tokenized

[@syd1982]

Finally watched the movie so i could come back to this vid ! Ur comment @16:25 is so tru but i was confuzzled when later during the deprogramming scene they asked the barbie who was dressed like a maid if she "wanted to get out of that skirt & wear some pants !" It was such an odd shift to act like u cant wear a skirt & be a doctor, like it undercut a lot of the earlier messaging. Also i felt like the deprogramming scene didnt make sense cuz if barbies never experienced patriarchy & were enjoying it once the kens introduced it. How would them learning about the microaggressions of misogyny snap them out of something they willfully enjoyed ? The patriarchy had only been in barbieland for a week max & since the barbies never experienced it they never wouldve really been bothered by the things america ferrera was saying. Only barbie who went in the real world wouldve understood the nuances. While the things they said were sometimes funny to me as a woman viewer, i dont think the barbies had experienced patriarchy nor misogyny long enough to pick up on the subtle irritations that the scene highlighted. Most of the "facepalm"-y ness of the ken takeover was that as a viewer u were watching the barbies excited for a new dynamic, only to know "its not gonna be that fun for long". & therein lies the problem. I think the film fell short in the obvious white feminism ways but also in the way it tried to appeal too hard to the experiences that women irl would have cuz, contextually the barbies wouldnt relate to it, as they were essentially living in a utopia prior & had no reason to be on guard at the attempt at a patriarchal overtaking. Of course my real microscopic critiques of the film went more along with the narrative cuz greta gerwig as a director never rly appealed to me or my experiences as a young Black woman, so i didnt expert her understanding of feminism nor the movies protrayal of feminism to be truly revolutionary. & i say that as neutrally as possible cuz im sure her works mean a lot to other ppl regardless of race & thats important too. Just my perspective on the political commentary aspect. I still rly had fun with the movie when i watched. Edit: woah didnt kno it was that long yeesh loved this vid tho & ur analysis of both sides.

[@sassysimonetheprincess1996]

I personally enjoyed it and so did my mom. I loved the experience of dressing up in pink and going to the theater. And even if it's flawed in it's message and comes from corporate moolah, it's better to see this than a product that was once created by a woman be sabatoged (by two men, to be exact) and turned into a sleazefest shock value show with cringe dialogue, bad messaging, and the only good thing about it is..... It ended at 5 episodes (cough cough HBO's The Idol cough cough) Please note: I didn’t watch that show. I just got my thoughts from watching videos of it.

[@360shadowmoon]

I enjoyed the movie overall but wish it had a more coherent plot. It felt like there were 2.5 different plots occurring at once and neither led anywhere. I did like the silly, campy tone of the movie and loved the set and costume designs. One thing I would have liked to see more of is Barbie exploring the real world and the connection between Real World and Barbie World. Like, it would have been funny to see her find the doll counterparts of her friends in Barbie World while exploring the real world.

[@isaacrichter3269]

I'm a guy in my 30's who thinks Lady Bird is one of the best coming-of-age stories of the last 10 years and also really enjoys Little Women (it gets a bit heavy-handed at times, but there's a lived-in quality to it that I adore), so as a Greta Gerwig fan, I was going into Barbie expecting to absolutely love it, and... while I did love the style, the film as a whole underwhelmed me, and I know exactly what I would have done with the film to make it better. Get rid of the CEO of Mattel and that entire subplot (which I felt was a waste and made the Real World feel even more cartoony than Barbie-Land), spend less time with the Kens taking over (which works for a climax, but it takes over too much of the movie), and keep Barbie in the Real World, so she can interact with Gloria and Sasha, which would allow us to explore their conflicts, them as people and their relationship to Barbie even further. My issue with Gloria's monologue was that I didn't feel that the character earned that monologue, because we hadn't spent enough time getting to know her. If we had seen more of her struggles in her life, that monologue would have felt earned.

[@AkiVainio]

I didn't love it or hate it, but I liked it. Am I still allowed to watch the video? I remember this discussion from Little Women: Somehow feminist or feminine movies are expected to solve all the problems in the world, whereas movies by men or about men don't have any such baggage.

[@sapphic.flower]

Interestingly, my friend found Don’t Worry, Darling to have tackled the same message of Barbie better (not that I’m one to compete the feminist works of two female-directed films. It’s great that both exist but it’s a shame the former didn’t stand a chance of fair critique due to all the speculated drama). As grateful as I am for a movie like Barbie, I did have a lot of problems with it, although it’s heart is semi in the right place (if it wasn’t also a Mattel project). Even if I found the movie to be hollow and confused in its messaging, it makes it even crazier to me that it still offended conservative men. Like what couldn’t offend them at this point?? Also, please riff into Oppenheimer because the men deserve it lol 😋

[@_Sakidora_]

Not all conservative men. Carl Benjamin and Michael Knowles both liked it. It's a question of whether the film is intentionally or unintentionally anti-feminist, as it does show feminism in a really bad light. Knowles thinks it is deliberately satirical and critical of feminism whereas Ben Shapiro thinks the feminism, no matter how awful and crazy, is sincerely propagandised by Greta Earwig and taken seriously. I can't make my mind up. Given the real world in Barbie doesn't resemble ours at all and is as much of a fantasy world as Barbieland it points to deliberate satire, if it wasn't for that whiney speech about how hard it is to be a woman.

[@ma.2089]

@@_Sakidora_ well I’m sure you’d say that seeing as you’re obviously conservative as well and didn’t get the point either. Especially since you’re trying to make Ben Shappy appear somewhat sane and sympathetic in his opinion lol. Not sure what it portrayed in a bad light, I’d ask you to enlighten me but we both know you won’t. The “real world” is still meant to be satirical, since we can see them being more overtly sexist rather than subtlety sexist, but still does resemble the real world enough to fit the bill just fine. As for the speech, I’m not surprised. I think I’d be annoyed by a speech from a man since I’m getting tired of men complaining about their lives and how women have done them wrong (punching down) so I guess I could get the tired of the opposite (punching up) if I was in the position.

[@_Sakidora_]

@@ma.2089 I wouldn’t consider myself especially conservative, just sane. The bad light the film throws on feminism is the oppressive matriarchy in Barbieland which appears to be a parody of feminism in the way the ‘Real World’ is a parody of the manosphere not the actual world which we live in, as well as a comical representation of what feminists think the world is actually like. I’m sure you are tired of hearing about men’s problems and men daring to say them out loud. As a feminist you want women to be oppressed and men the oppressors in this ridiculously crude and simplistic idea of the world. The only way men are allowed to have problems is if it is the fault of the big, bad Patriarchy which doesn’t let men cry like women or some crap like that.

[@TheLostWorldFanChann]

0:19 *"Ruth Handler invented THE BARBIE"* Umm, . . Ruth Handler invented nothing LOL. Ruth bought a *Bild Lilli doll* while on vacation in Germany, came back to the US renamed the Lilli doll after her daughter "Barbie" and started selling it at Mattel without the German creators permission. Mattel had more money than the German toy company so Mattel crushed them in court, and stole the whole concept of an adult fashion doll away from her original creators.

[@jp-wc4ce]

overall I enjoyed the film, but my big problem is with Sasha. She's very clearly a parody of internet activism and while, yes, a lot of it is extremely bad and unhelpful, it comes from a place of genuine suffering. A lot of young people realise one day that the world we're in is deeply, structurally unfair, and it kills people. They often lash out at the wrong things, like femininity, but I think a lot of their feelings are justified. I wish Sasha could have had an arc that actually explored this, and culminated in her learning that ultra feminine women aren't her enemy. But she doesn't really get an arc at all :/

[@laurapalmerwalkswithme]

I'm loving your essays and your style, girl🌟 Your setting needs a few neon lights 💅 Thank you for giving us your take on the film, I agree very much

[@iheartblock3792]

TBH, the more I think back on the movie, the more flawed I find it. I still really like it, but there’s a few ways in which it just completely failed to really fulfill the potential it had.

[@charlottesherlock]

agree with absolutely everything you're saying!!! I both really enjoyed it yet also found myself wanting more out of it -- but that's okay, we can still love it. I have a feeling this movie will age into a nostalgia classic, and whilst I did like Oppenheimer, I don't think it'll age into history as such

[@CofiBeenz]

Like the way people hyped it as a certain film made me annoyed because the Movie itself is honestly a bit of a fun movie. There’s nothing wrong with liking it, but I think MATTEL themselves said the movie wasn’t supposed to necessarily be a feminist movie. I don’t hate the movie, people can love it, it was just the way people kept hyping it as a massive breaking movie about feminism when it really wasn’t.

[@justasockonhere]

I've read a lot of comments calling America's monologue "stupid" and "obvious" and stuff. But the Barbie movie isn't meant to be a deep-dive analytical lecture about the history of feminism and how it impacts society and all genders, ethnicities, and races, it's supposed to be a film that scratches the surface and that's okay. It's okay to just have a deeply impactful movie without it feeling like it should be shown in Harvard University rather than a movie theater.

[@t.l.4652]

I felt similarly about the movie. Personally I would've liked the story to stay on the primary conflict instead of turning Ken's storyline into a conflict. I think it would've been cool to have the girl who was playing with barbie becoming a preteen and realizing the world wasn't like barbieland and coming face to face with what women experience in the world thus leading her to having these dark thoughts that affected her barbie. The story then could've explored the reality of a harsh patriarchy but also how to find comfort and strength among female community in a real world setting. She could teach the little girl that she doesn't need to reject femininity or her inner child in order to survive in a male based society. Barbie could learn the reality of the world and the little girl could learn the positives of being a woman. I was disappointed the movie spent so much time on Ken even though he was fun to watch.

[@DogsandPennies]

So much of what you said resonated with me! Excellent video!

[@smarterperson16]

regardless of how you felt about the movie, the fact that there's some ppl who often go like "but the movie is about OPPENHEIMER" when ppl point out it could have done more irt hiroshima/nagasaki and los alamos (a movie that's 3 hours mind you) but have zero problem holding this movie which is about a TOY to MUCH much higher standards is ridiculous to me. btwn the movie that's legit based off a real person that actually existed, it's the movie about a doll that caused this much discourse.

[@leandergloryheart7089]

Love your video! Personally I think the movie didn't go far enough in the sense that Ken was the main attraction. He is the 'villain' yet it still gets so much screen time, is allowed to be funny and fun, whereas Barbie has to be serious and pick up the pieces. It is maybe the point, but more of a mirror than a tonal shift and maybe allowing Barbie to actually let go a bit at the end could have been a step in the right direction because anyone who isn't a cishet man doesn't have as much luxury to do that. Men watching this (who are allies) have the luxury of enjoying Ken as Ken, women have to watch the patriarch get more attention have a little romp lols

[@Garcelle1987]

It is incredibly telling that much of the social media and general media commentary literally from the weekend the movie came out was about how Ryan’s performance’Stole’ the movie. Never mind that Margot’s Barbie also had her funny moments. And as her character was the heart of the movie she did all of the heavy lifting in regards to character development and the emotional depth that brought Like I thought her scenes with Ruth Handler were just so poignant and beautifully acted. But sadly all of this has been largely ignored in favor of her male co star Le sigh

[@whydanshi]

Your point at 22:00 about representing men in a one dimensional light but in our patriarchal society holding less impact as doing the same for women is just genius. Brilliant observation and analysis, thank you!

[@AScreenwritersJourney]

GREAT video! And your observations about Oppenheimer were spot on.

[@andreap9319]

GREAT VIDEO!

[@gisela_oliveira]

Adults, both men and women, have been putting the blame on Barbie for the problems society has caused ever since she was created. Now, they are putting the blame on the movie for not fixing all the problems in 2h.

[@angelfrmabov32697]

i loved this! you nailed all my thoughts on the head. I have been feeling disheartened by barbie and all the critiques i've been hearing (valid though they may be) because i loved it and had a good time even if some things fell flat. i've decided to feel both/and about it now, too :)

[@etherealtb6021]

Nice, well balanced commentary! P.S. We had that princess phone in baby blue! It came with the house! 🤣 I wish I'd kept it, as they work without electricity! 🤷‍♀️

[@jordanrintoul-thomas722]

Greta did the best she could with The Barbie Movie. Apparently, Mattel wanted to turn it into one big commercial.

[@CanaAlyce]

Going to play a little bit of devils advocate here. Lena Dunham’s upcoming Polly pocket! I think if anything’s going to have corporate feminism and all marketing and possibly a giant toy commercial. It’s going to be Lena Dunham. I get the criticism around Barbie, I think with what they got away with even if it wasn’t as radical as we wanted I think in a year we will look back on the Barbie movie as a feminist classic because it will pave the way for future feminist films. I also think out of all of Mattel’s new line up of movies Barbie will be the only one with lasting power and will not just be fun add for toys. That is something I want to see a video essay on is people talking about Lena Dunham and her continued racism, as well of her understanding of feminism is so freaking backwards.

[@SabrlIna]

I haven’t though about that person in so long… I can only think about what they did to their sister… so messed up

[@CanaAlyce]

@@SabrlIna yeah honesty it’s crazy that she still gets work.

[@elleliteracy]

God help us all when that film gets released

[@CanaAlyce]

@@elleliteracy the only good thing to come out of girls was Adam driver. But over all that show is a mess.

[@finland4ever55]

Pretty sure Lena is a p*do and everyone's defending this new movie. Ignoring how the fuck will they do a polly pocket movie but the fact it's about children......

[@olivialeathley605]

so glad I got recommended your content! First video I've watched and already subscribing :)

[@7BearSarah]

When you talked about Florence Pugh, you showed a pic from Scott Pilgram and that’s not Flo lol. That’s a pic of Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

[@sapphic.flower]

Replying just in case this is a serious comment. 😅 but the Scott Pilgrim picture is meant to be an example of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl character, not actually Florence Pugh, who’s picture showed up just before it.

[@7BearSarah]

@@sapphic.flower yeah I realized that after I commented it. I was like “oh I think this pic was purposeful” lol. Egg on my face. Sometimes satire goes over my head

[@sapphic.flower]

@@7BearSarah all good lol, happens to the best of us

[@anabranea7042]

Congrats for the analysis! I felt just the same about the film: somehow I enjoyed it but the message was delivered too in your face (for my personal taste). On the other hand, it’s a great way any spectator can find out about patriarchy. Not sure if is was ever explained so clear! And since Hollywood films reach a lot more people than other productions, I think that’s a pretty amazing thing! Anyway, just watched the documentary Brainwashed by Nina Menkes, I think it’s an eye opening film and would love to hear you opinion on it. Especially with your film studies background. Cheers!

[@zaina2538]

just discovered u & this is a great video!!! i love your makeup & also your accent

[@johannafeuerborn5331]

The only thing I have to say is that it is NOT true that girls only had baby dolls to play with before Barbie. There were dolls marketed as adults or teenagers to young girls to play dress up. It’s that Barbie had a huge marketing strategy that really pushed the selling of there dolls on TV rather than newspapers or magazines.

[@MaximumOccupancy120]

We just gonna ignore what the box office would have been if trailers accurately represented the movie people were going out to see… okay 🌚🌝 wonder if we will ever hear bragging about hard and digital copy sales… or what having to hide the movies message says about the message… hmmm 🤔 really makes you think 23:45

[@ellie4328]

Love your makeup and your set up looks great xx

[@elevenseven-yq4vu]

This is the fourth of your videos which I have been watching, and you leave me no other choice than to subscribe to your videos. Keep the art, literature, film recommendations coming, keep sharing your knowledge on story-telling traditions, and your insightful analyses and interesting interpretations. Your presentation is highly entertaining, and the only thing I struggle with is to get with the speed of your speech. Lots to unravel linguistically and mentally. But I love a cognitive challenge. Straight from the heart, presented in style, something brainy to sink my teeth into (cannibalism reference!), means I love watching and listening to you. Chef's kiss! 💖💅🧠🦷👀👂👌

[@LindsayTVFilm]

12:45 that one Jones Brother solo in Camp Rock 2

[@MsCarmenFree]

First time listener. I really, really enjoyed the depth of your review. Thanks very much. I got a lot out of this.

[@teamarie123]

Not me editing photos in photoshop while you were setting up for the ad

[@elleliteracy]

real recognises real

[@AugustRx]

isn't that the sex worker doll the creator of barbie stole the idea from @0:25

[@iateyursandwiches]

She wasn't actually a sex worker, but yes.

[@maddiecourtierlewis568]

I wasnt a big fan on how the daughter only really accepted her mother when she was being all girlboss yanno?? i completely agree with what you said about glorias monologue- it felt cheap, obvious. I dont know it just missed the spot for me. Honestly, I am surprised how much anti-Mattel material was in there (or thats how I read it anyways), i left not liking Mattel but instead the cast and Greta.

[@josiefischer9359]

Great video as always!

[@_anon_does_art_]

Reading the "Barbie isn't a perfect feminist film" part, I knew I would agree with the video. Reading the "and that's okay" sealed the deal. Sometimes a little imperfect feminism is the gateway to slightly less imperfect feminism, and I am loving the analysis so far

[@merilinmachado]

I think your review was the best one I watched on youtube 👏

[@egg_bun_]

Omg I love this review so much, thank you. Finally. Other reviews are just not it. About half of them I've seen are fine, the other half, disappointing, but this one is ACCURATE AND GOOD. Thank you for loving this movie with me, aaaaaa💓💕💓❤💓❤

[@psychedelicyeti6053]

The only push back I've heard for Oppenheimer was Twitter Japan, where some were offended by a Barbiheimer meme and a Barbie marketing account responding with, "it's a summer to remember". When interviewing people on the streets, most didnt know about the controversy. When asked if they recognized Oppenheimer by picture or name, most didn't know who he was until they were told he created the atomic bomb. One even said, "they should make a movie about him" 😅. Obviously, before they were asked if they were going to see the film lol So yeah, Barbie is getting more flack than the father of the atomic bomb. One Japanese tweet even said, "we dont need Western progressive propaganda" when boycotting barbie-oppenheimer 😳 so weird

[@malinianbuchelvan4610]

best analysis I've come across

[@bubblea750]

the "stream blood sweat and tears on spotify" made me subscribe.... hi army!!