After weeks of wanting to see it, I was able to watch the Barbie movie with my 2 wonderful aunts and daughter. I am beyond grateful to see a movie that captured the human condition so wonderfully.
What I saw: A beautiful movie that touched on every aspect of my childhood. A gentle confrontation of how society has built norms and ways to build all parties up versus breaking them down. True relationships that show how to build healthy versus dependent relationships that are ever present in our society.
Ken was hurt by not feeling heard, respected or validated. Children, minorities, cultures, and people often find ways to gain attention that aren’t always healthy. Barbies message to Ken, and herself, was to find who they truly are and this will lead to contentment.
Barbie was a strong female lead that showed strength, resilience, sadness, vulnerability, compassion, and confidence. To find a lead, that I have no reservations about my daughter seeing, was beautiful!
America Ferraris speech resonated so much with me as I’m sure many woman can relate.
I am adding her speech that was printed on Elle’s website. “It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don’t think you’re good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong.
You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can’t ask for money because that’s crass. You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas. You’re supposed to love being a mother, but don’t talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman but also always be looking out for other people. You have to answer for men’s bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you’re accused of complaining. You’re supposed to stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you’re supposed to be a part of the sisterhood.
But always stand out and always be grateful. But never forget that the system is rigged. So find a way to acknowledge that but also always be grateful. You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line.
It’s too hard! It’s too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out in fact that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault.
I’m just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us. And if all of that is also true for a doll just representing women, then I don’t even know.”
Let’s change this narrative and support one another without judgment but with pure love and positivity.
