Is the ‘Barbie’ Movie Anti-Feminist?

Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

by INEZ MAUBANE JONES

No one was wearing pink. In fact, two men walked out of the movie theater — their wives closely following. Could it have been the over-eager portrayal of Ken, the humorous caricatures, or the matriarchy? Maybe it was the line, “Women hate women; men hate women,” the statement Barbie was told in the ‘real world.’ Clearly something upset these men who live in a small maritime town with a population of 10,000.

Greta Gerwig’s inspired idea to bring the famous Mattel doll to life through a fictional world exploring Barbieland, how a Barbie-led society works, and the challenges faced by women in the real, human world has taken the world by storm. To date, the movie has grossed an astounding $1.3 billion worldwide, making it the largest box office debut of 2023. Barbie is now the biggest ever female solo directed film, overtaking 2017’s Wonder Woman, making Greta Gerwig the first woman to independently steer a billion dollar movie.

With a 90% Rotten Tomatoes rating, movie-goers decked out in pink, and women crying in theaters — a cultural phenomenon has been created. But not everyone has been inspired by the film. Some right-wingers and others like comedian Bill Maher, have criticized how men have been portrayed in the movie, posting that it was “preachy” and “man-hating.”

He’s not alone.

“The men in the movie were portrayed as pretty silly and stupid,” said Angelica Cottier, a 14-year-old student who’s a writer, dancer, artist, and admitted Barbie owner.

Even though it was hilarious and “a good cringe to laugh at,” to her it felt like it was trying to portray men in general as stupid and silly, which left her “a little icky because it was never resolved.” Although empowering and uplifting to women, she said it brought men down in the process.

Anti-feminist. That’s what Cottier called it.

“Feminism is equality [of rights, power, opportunities] between all genders. Instead of being misogynistic, it was misandrist… claiming to be feminism when it truly isn’t. It’s sexist, which is what feminism is meant to fight against.”

Misogyny is the dislike, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women. A misandrist is defined as a person who dislikes, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against men.

In his blog entitled, “Why Some People Have Issues With Men: Misandry,” posted on Psychology Today, 13 years before the debut of Barbie, Dr Anthony Synnott said, “We are all constantly being bombarded with messages that men are stupid and it would be surprising if we were not internalizing them.” He said sitcoms may be comedies but watching them is like going to school: “We learn the values and attitudes being taught.”

As a professor of sociology at Concordia University in Montreal he cites many examples for his argument and concludes that “Misandry is everywhere, culturally acceptable, even normative, largely invisible, taught directly and indirectly by men and women, blind to reality, very damaging and dangerous to men and women in different ways and de-humanizing.”

Many disagree that Barbie had an anti-feminist or a veiled misandric agenda.

“I felt seen,” said Raquel Jones, a 42-year-old filmmaker, writer, and actor whose most recent work features a strong woman lead. “I felt understood and gutted and empowered in watching the unfolding of this film and the women’s journeys in it.”

Jones found the exploration of what it means to be a woman and how difficult and contradictory it can be powerful and important. She contrasted this with what Barbieland was intended to be for women versus what it became in a patriarchal society.

“This was a movie by women for women and I really felt that.”

Jones found the portrayal of men an important reversal that really drew into the light the way women have been “relegated to the sidelines not only in films (SO MANY FILMS) but in life over and over to the point where it is no longer shocking.”

For Jones, seeing men in this role, with their only purpose being to serve women, with their lack of real personality or power was the first time audiences have experienced this dynamic reversed. And it really hit the message home.

“I thought it was incredibly well done. She threaded the needle beautifully and drew an important parallel that drove the point home without being heavy handed.”

Although Jones admits that the film did not show equality between men and women in Barbieland, she felt it was important because Barbieland is a mirror of the real world. She recalls the narrator saying “when women are afforded equality in the real world, Kens will be afforded equality in Barbieland.” We are not equal in the real world.

Cottier disagrees with this conclusion.

Pointing to the argument that “Barbieland cannot become a land of equal rights between all people because our society hasn’t taken that step yet” she offers a counterpoint.

She suggests a situation where two siblings are fighting and the younger sibling (Barbieland) plays with the older sibling’s (our society) toys. They argue then get the parent(s) involved and the parent(s) make them compromise and have them both apologize to each other. Without this, an endless cycle of hate continues if nobody’s willing to be the “bigger” person.

“What really matters isn’t who was guilty because in the end a solution which was most beneficial for the future was reached. That solution being the intention of feminism. Equality.”

She adds, “Barbieland is just a made up place, so what’s the harm of letting it be a bit of a utopia!”

Wherever you stand on the issue, there’s no doubt that this movie is now part of pop culture discussions on male and female relations such as the popular book, “Men Are from Mars, Women are from Venus,” by John Gray.

“If the Kens being unequal upsets people… that is something we as a society need to really chew on and think about. Right?” said Jones.

And that might just be “Kenough.”