When I was a kid, as a trans woman in hiding, I wasn’t allowed to play with Barbies. I didn’t get my first Barbie doll until I was well into my 30’s. As such I didn’t share in the memories of childhood many movie goers got to relate to in the movie. However I did enjoy it for what it was, a powerful representation of what the world could look like if feminism could catch on.
The movie takes shots at the patriarchy and has started a national conversation about the roles women play in our society. For that it gets props. The movie has a female supreme court, a woman president and a lead character who is just living her best life without a man telling her what to do or defining her. In fact the movie makes it a point to show Ken basically exists just to pine for Barbie. This is reflected in his heartfelt, chart-topping mega hit “I’m Just Ken” which is the films breakout musical number. Speaking of musical numbers the film has plenty of those magical moments punctuated by fantastic song and dance scenes.
The movie is eye-opening for little girls all across the world. It has children asking their parents and teachers to explain just what even is the patriarchy. The film references it no less than ten times. And them there is that fabulous, game-changing speech delivered by the always fabulous American Ferrera. I fell in love with her acting way back in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, another win for feminism in it’s own right.
The movie has proven women are fed up with the way men rule the world. They want, nay, demand change right now. The fact it was the first film to cross a billion dollars with a female solo director is a big win for women the world over. This movie was more than a 2-hour toy commercial, it was a scathing indictment of the male dominance women have to navigate on a daily basis. That speech brought me to tears. As a trans woman there is extra pressure on me to “pass” and look even more like the stereotypical female than our cis sisters have to face. It’s exhausting. This movie isn’t going to bring down the patriarchy over night but it absolutely is “shots fired” and what a salvo it was! The fact the men in the film are also spreading that feminist message is pure joy to me. It’s our time to shine. Women are done hiding in the shadows defined by their male counterparts. Feminism is alive and well and with a billion dollars in the bank that makes a bold statement girls are desperate to change the world they’re growing up in.
Stephanie Bri 