Why The Barbie Movie Is Humanist, Not Just Feminist.
I yelled out at the end of the Barbie film to the entire audience. YES, WE ARE HERE TO FEEL!!!!!
My mom loved my reaction. My little sister was trying to to shush me.
Perfect. Just the perfect example of the kind of behavior this film is trying to bring our attention too. It’s our human birthright to feel and my sister is shushing me. Is this as obvious to you as it is to me?
After even more reflecting on my yelling out at the end of the movie (and really indulging in laughter at the most awkward times throughout it) I knew I was reacting with sheer delight at seeing deep truths being delivered in such high pink fashion.
The true core of this film is a beautiful expression of what it means to be human, and that is to feel. We are here for the journey of exploring who we are, and feeling it all. The true wondrous, painful beauty of feeling it all. That’s the alchemy of change, of freedom, is it not?
How can we know how to be at peace with ourselves, to engage with the world, empathize with others, authentically connect with others, or provide real support, if we do not allow for full feeling of our own human selves? How can we feel safe and seen in the world if we don’t listen, feel, and then learn to express ourselves? If we don’t look inside at our own depths, how can we know what’s really going on with ourselves, let alone communicate that to someone else, or effectively stabilize in the on-going self-guided process of true inner wholeness? (Essentially freedom from the fear of being perceived as nothing.)
By feeling all the feelings fully in our human bodies, without resistance, and with great love for our humanness, we receive a generous education in ourselves. We give ourselves the genuine opportunity to feel far more whole by loosening the gripping burden of feeling like we’re “just ken” or “not worthy enough as we are Barbie.”
OK, hold up. Let’s do have this major moment for women before we go more into the meta messages of Barbie. This film is a major cultural moment and redirect for new world feminism. It gleefully, candidly, brilliantly, with a full-on nuanced dance party, unearths the underground foundation of patriarchy. It shows the power of sisterhood and the dramatically transformative impact we have when we choose to give other women support, thereby uplifting our voices, creating change, together.
America Ferrera’s character, Gloria, voiced the feminist message most directly on screen. Women are tired of spending so much time and energy trying to be liked. We have lived in the real world where playing small, fitting in, needing to be attractive, needing to be always grateful, and needing to placate fragile male egos has been the main course of survival, leaving an empty appetite for the intrinsic need to be seen, heard, and valued as we are.
My own little sister was stuck in these minimizing feelings during the movie, simply reacting to my unbounded self-expression, and she didn’t even notice! That’s why the Barbie movie had to be resoundingly louder than life, because these insidious ways of shushing ourselves as women are persistent, quiet, underground, and not typically brought to the light so clearly.
But, to me, what’s even more exciting in Barbie than bringing the patriarchy into blinding view and onto its knees, is the example that we all have the power to change, not just Barbie, and not just Ken.
This was clearly illustrated by the unsung hero, Alan, who was so aptly addressed in a viral video by Liz Plank (just go follow her on everything NOW and read her book FOR THE LOVE OF MEN).
Alan exemplifies the ideal masculine qualities men possess without the patriarchy. He’s not beholden to the idealized faux masculinity that traps men in patriarchy, which is very much Ken. Ken, both the subservient and dominating versions of himself, needed men and women to relate to him in a certain way in order to feel his worth. He’s not free, and none of us are free when we conform to this conditioned narrative of others or material status being the reflection of our worthiness.
Alan exemplifies all the conscious, loving, masculine virtues that “real” men profess to uphold. He doesn’t assault the men or women of his land, he is protecting and providing for the women, he defends his community, especially when it’s at risk, he’s an independent thinker, respects all sexes, and does’t need them in order to know who he is. The bottom line is he’s never controlled by women or needs to control them in order to be at peace himself.
The line from Helen Mirren, the Barbie narrator, sums it up beautifully, “there are not multiples of Alan”, essentially calling each of us to be our own man, our own woman, not the inauthentic, afraid, and conforming versions of ourselves we all succumb to.
Our job is not to aspire only to “original Barbie”, it’s to be our own person, like unassuming, but totally embodied Alan. Now, isn’t that deeply hopeful for humanity?
Being who you really are is enough, and that’s epic advice for all humans. Doesn’t that sentiment reach far more into the cockles of the heart of humanity than simply being an ally or a leader in a feminist context?
This film really speaks to the core of what we can be capable of when we ditch fear and the narrowing expectations from society. The hope we can hold when we actively choose to live a life we love, to discover the versions of ourselves we love, by feeling into what that means for each of us, despite the impossible standards of perfectionism we’re collectively bombarded with. This film provides a shining example of the type of support we should all be giving ourselves and each other, because it benefits us all.
That’s why this movie is so powerful. That’s the beating heart, and Greta Gerwig lovingly, authentically created a world, language, and every nuanced choice to exemplify this message.
Greta gave an during an in-depth interview in Rollingstone addressing feminism in the film, and more aptly, it’s humanistic message:
“I think of the film as humanist above anything else.""How Barbie operates in Barbieland is she’s entirely continuous with her environment. Even the houses have no walls, because you never need to hide because there’s nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed of. And suddenly finding yourself in the real world and wishing you could hide, that’s the essence of being human,” Greta said. “But when we were actually shooting on Venice Beach, with Margot and Ryan in neon rollerblading outfits, it was fascinating because it was actually happening in front of us. People would go by Ryan, high-five him, and say, “Awesome, Ryan, you look great!” And they wouldn’t actually say anything to Margot. They’d just look at her. It was just surreal.”
Greta, Margo, and the entire Barbie team, I salute you. You have created high art and endured your creation to be released into the unforgiving arena of the masses. We as society can take the typical route to love to hate, idolize to criticize this film, or instead we can take the nod from Barbie and move the story to something far more aspirational. Hey Barbie, let’s see how better things can be when we learn to feel, share those feelings, accept those feelings, gain perspective from those feelings, and then no longer put one another into a freaking box.”
This film is humanism, not just feminism. So no matter if you’re a Barbie, a Ken or even Weird Barbie who’s been played with too hard in the basement, go see the film, and feel, you beautiful human doll, you.
Love, Ash
