Barbie embraces quirkiness, diversity, and imperfection

I have been avoiding social media for the past month or so, so that I could go into Barbie with zero expectations and fresh eyes. I didn’t even watch the trailer before going. But if I am being honest, I still went into the movie thinking that it was going to be a bit superficial and stereotypical about what many of us think of as ‘Barbie.’ What I didn’t expect was to laugh, cry, and feel so connected to the characters throughout the story.

That being said, if you haven’t seen Barbie yet, Run, Don’t Walk! And wait to read this until after you’ve watched it. SPOILERS AHEAD!

From the creative plot line to the deep messages that the movie gave, there are so many things that I loved about Barbie, but here are a few reasons why I think it is a must see:

Greta Gerwig reinforces the importance of representation

Throughout the movie it is clear that many of the characters in the real world don’t relate to Stereotypical Barbie, played by Margot Robbie. She doesn’t have relationship problems, anxiety, or cellulite. This Barbie mirrors what the original Mattel Barbie looked like – white, blonde, and a ‘perfect figure.’ That version of Barbie is gorgeous, but even I, as a white woman, feel so disconnected from her.

While this is probably the image that comes to your mind when someone says Barbie, the movie emphasizes that Stereotypical Barbie is just one version of Barbie. In fact, everyone living in Barbie Land is Barbie – no matter their skin tone, height, or abilities.

We now know that when children see themselves represented, whether it be in the classroom or on the TV screen, it has positive effects on their self-esteem, self-identity, and sense of belonging (1). Selfishly, I wish that these versions of Barbie had been the ones I grew up knowing, but I love that any little girl could watch this movie today and see themselves on the screen.

Kate McKinnon makes weird, cool

One of my favorite characters from the movie was Weird Barbie, played by Kate McKinnon. Weird Barbie has fun crazy hair, wears a colorful dress, and doesn’t seem to care about what the other Barbies think about her. She is content with who she is, despite the fact that she is labeled as the odd one. In an interview Kate McKinnon perfectly sums up Weird Barbie’s character as “the keeper of everyone’s weirdness” and says she likes to think of herself as that person in real life (2).

In my opinion, the movie does a great job of showing viewers that being yourself is cool and that those who are happy with who they are – who aren’t afraid to show their quirks and imperfections – are the ones who have it figured out.

The awkward theater kid in me resonated so much with Weird Barbie and fell in love with her character. The weirdo in me felt seen. And it seems that I wasn’t the only one who loved her. Last week, Mattel actually announced its newest Barbie modeled after McKinnon’s character (3).

A key takeaway: your life isn’t meant to be perfect

Stereotypical Barbie’s picture perfect life takes a turn when she realizes she is having intrusive thoughts about death. She can’t bear the thought of the life she has always lived slipping away, so she goes on a journey to the real world to solve her existential crisis and get her perfect life back.

This really hit home with me. In the world we live in where it feels like life revolves around social media, it can be easy to slip into the habit of comparing your life with those of your friends or even strangers. Because of this, we then try and curate our lives to be (or at least look) perfect to others, when in reality it is not. It is a constant search for this idealized lifestyle. This cycle is exhausting.

The reality is that life never happens perfectly – no matter how much we plan and hope for it to be. Barbie finds this out very quickly when she enters the real world and is immediately catcalled on the street and doesn’t come across any women in places of power at the Barbie Headquarters. She spends the majority of the movie searching and searching for her perfect life and she is brought to a breaking point when the Ken’s take over Barbie Land.

Ultimately what brings her back to her true self and gives her the energy to take back Barbie Land is the speech that Gloria (America Ferrera) gives, where she talks about all the things we are expected to be as women. The things that are supposed to define us. She reminds Barbie that she isn’t defined by any of these things and that she is beautiful, intelligent, and perfectly imperfect, just the way she is.

The movie so perfectly highlights that our imperfections and flaws are what make us human. That life will always have unexpected twists and turns and that those moments are what make life beautiful.

A star on the rise: Lauren Holt

But by far my favorite part of the movie was seeing Lauren Holt, one of my oldest family friends, pop up on the screen. I will forever remember watching her steal the stage at high school Odyssey of the Mind competitions and now she is acting alongside Ryan Gosling. Proud is an understatement. I was fangirling hard. Remember her name folks – she is going to be a star 💕

So, what is my review on Barbie?

It is 100% worth the watch. It truly gave me a new perspective on the Mattel doll that I once thought of as an unrealistic beauty standard. I walked out of the theater with the hope that the strong, independent, and diverse group of Barbies shown in the movie are the ones that future generations of young girls and boys grow up playing with and looking up to.