The daughters at the school who were mean to her are based on a rival toy series called "Bratz" dolls. The daughter is even named after one of the main Bratz dolls.
i loved your discussion at the end when you talked about letting your daughter do what she likes and not just expecting her to like piano and dancing because she's a girl. my favourite scene in this film is when barbie tells the old lady at the bus stop she is beautiful. women are always told they are only beautiful when they are young but as barbie is unaware of society, she sees without bias. as a woman, this movie touched me even though i never played with barbies. i of course also love the scene towards the end where ruth talks to barbie about being human and a woman. lots of love from ireland! great reaction
Greta did a genius move in making Barbie the upside down world of the real world. It is the opposite. Kens were insecure. They had no power, housing, or status in government. Barbies had affirmation, housing, cars, and power in government. While Barbie and Ken took different journeys, they landed on the same spot of self-realization. Ken learned that self-love comes before loving another. While he learned the wrong lessons, he eventually learned that one needs to be authentic to themselves in order to find their life path. Barbie learned strength through adversity. She learned that life was messy and unpredictable. Life is precious. The movie also taught us that traditional gender roles imposed on boys and girls can stifle development. Sometimes, it can also be detrimental. While the sexes are not equal, it is better to bring their individual strengths to use in a union. Let I dividuals develop their passions. Also, I don't believe that Barbie puts unrealistic beauty standards on women. Kids know that a doll is a doll. They have real people in their lives to model from.
Thank you for sharing such insightful thoughts! I (Joey) personally believe that gender is just a natural attribute, much like height. Each attribute comes with its own strengths and weaknesses. Tall individuals may excel in basketball, while shorter folks might dominate in table tennis. This is the reality, and there's no need to forcefully erase these differences. Everyone should learn to acknowledge and accept themselves. I also agree with your, that the influence of Barbie dolls on people has been exaggerated. It's our society, our families, and our elders who have the most significant impact on a child's healthy growth and development. It's a pity we rarely see such sharp topics at the core of movies across the ocean.
@@HEX_it_UP It's def exagerated but I think theres some truth to it. Here in America Women were not allowed to own property until 1974. Barbies Dreamhouse went on sale in the early 60's 12 years before the girls mothers could own a home of their own. Things like that definitely impacted our culture and led the way in strengthening acceptance of the things Barbie promoted like womens independence. The Kens never got their own houses in Barbieland because there was no need for a political push in our culture to let them own property like w women at the time.
Mike's here, Thank you for your message, which btw surprised me very much. Being an lawyer in China, I noticed that the Act you mentioned is due to Limited Contractual Rights. Following your keyword "1974", I noticed there is an Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) in USA. This is indeed an advance. I think if we separate Contract Law Branch and Inheritance Law Branch, it's obvious that a wife can obtain property through inheritance method, and I'm sure there are husbands marry into & live with the bride's family (change his last name into wife's). Back in China, after 1949 woman holds the same property right within urbanarea, and in ruralarea woman are preached as good farmer as males to prepare for ordinance update at grassroot level. We may blame the the political atmosphere differences between our two countries, since I didn't know reallife struggles Barbie movies implied.
Kens were like women were treated in the 50s and 60s. I am 77 and the younger folks do not understand how it was. Girls were taught to let the boys win or you will never get a husband. We had to play with baby dolls because women were only supposed to be mothers. I couldn't take drafting in high school because I was not a boy. As a senior in high school I had a boyfriend who was ahead of his time. He hated to lose, but he hated it more, If he thought I was not trying or letting him win.
really, really fascinating to follow your reactions. thank you! absolutely nail on the head - we all are formed by our environment, and stereotypes are bad for everyone. however, while many themes of this movie are universal, is very much a commentary on american society. when barbie became a toy, american women - unlike men - could not have a bank account, or own a house, or have a career. they were expected to become mothers, and basically exist as an extension of their husbands (feminism was simply a reaction to that reality). also, it is very much a film made by women without trying to conform to the taste and understanding of male audiences. i grew up during communism, where men and women were pretty much equal under law, but where sexism and sexual harassment was not recognized to be a thing, let alone a problem. i remember very clearly becoming aware of the fact that being a boy was much more advantageous than being a girl, and wanting to be one just to be respected for my opinions, and not having to conform with people's expectations of what my interests should be and how i should look (because i still wanted to be liked and loved and not be an outsider). once you understand barbie land as the world build by a little girl, you can begin to fathom the shock and awe the poor barbie experiences in the real world. in barbieland, presence of the kens has nothing to do with genitals and sex, women hold whatever job they like, and do not need men around to have fun. it's complicated, but not very. yeah, men haven't had it easy either, but there are still way too many cultures around the world where siring a male heir is an accomplishment, and having a daughter is an excuse to get another wife.
Thanks for your reply! Totally agree with you. There's still far too much obvious gender inequality in the world, sometimes so obvious that lots of people just accept it as normal. It's even more extreme in economically underdeveloped areas with cheap labor resources. The road to gender equality is indeed a long one.
This was a good reaction video. There are so many messages in the movie that can be discussed. I enjoyed how you were unbiased in your opinions on the characters.
Great reaction... fun to watch. “Ruth” is the representation of Ruth Handler. She and her husband co-founded Mattel and Ruth created Barbie in 1959. Barbara and Kenneth were the names of their real life children.
great reaction. great movie. great understanding of all the things and issues examined in this film. plus, it is also just so much fun, and genuinely funny. it was so smart to couch this spiritual journey, and all these questions around identity in this kooky but smart pink world that was/is so much fun and so funny. greta gerwig and Margot Robbie really have to be commended for pulling this off. they manage to thread all these things together and tell this story-that has all these stories. amazing! you guys are very smart and very fun at the same time. bravo. thanks for posting. I liked and subscribed. ps. I love what you are saying about parenting and the differences between boys and girls. hilarious. and scarily true I think. and pss. It is fascinating listening to your post-film discussion for many reasons. you raise so many great points. I am a 56 year old gay American man. it is refreshing hearing your points of view on these issues as men from your culture. the American male has different triggers, and different issues that they deal with. it is interesting to witness this. we all have different issues that trip us up, and different issues that make us great. we all need each other ultimately. we each have something to offer. everyone should have the chance to live this. I really appreciate all you have to say. thanks for posting. very cool! and not too much talking at all. I was thrilled to hear all you had to say!
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. It's always eye-opening to realize that people halfway across the globe are dealing with their own set of challenges. It kinda helps put things into perspective, like gives us a chance to look at our own country and culture from a different angle. It's a bummer that traditional gender norms still hold so much sway in China, but I'm hopeful that as time goes on and with improvements in the economy and education, more people will come around to the idea of gender equality. Best wishes!
