One of this summer’s movie highlights, besides “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” and “Oppenheimer,” was definitely “Barbie.” Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, this movie shook through the internet like a pink-themed, sparkly tsunami. New TikTok trends – such as “Hey Barbie!” and attending the movie in cinemas wearing all pink – sprang up left and right, almost creating a new culture centered around this movie, Barbiecore.
In “What Is Barbiecore? Experts Explain The 'Barbie' Movie-Inspired Fashion Trend And How To Get The Look,” an article published by Women’s Health, Barbiecore is defined as an “aesthetic [that] embraces over-the-top looks, typically monochromatic, with loads of pink hues, and funky silhouettes, like mini dresses paired with larger-than-life platform shoes.” This culture embraces pink and hyper-femininity, trying to re-tie these elements with women and femininity.
The movie, released on July 21, 2023, was centered around the famous Barbie doll and her journey of self-discovery. Without revealing too much, IMDb describes the plot as “Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.” The movie sets out to redefine societal views and give women back their love for their own femininity, reaffirming the beauty of being a woman.
I was curious about Andrews University’s student population’s reception of the movie, so I conducted a small experiment. According to my Instagram poll-based research based on 52 students, around 60% of Andrews students have watched the movie. 70% of those students would rate the movie between 8 and 10, and 25% would rate it somewhere between 5 and 7. Lastly, 83% of them would recommend this movie. From Andrews’ body’s own reception of the movie and that of the general public, it is evident that the movie was generally well-received and appreciated.
All of the students interviewed enjoyed the movie but for different reasons. Melissa Moore (junior, nutrition) expressed her great admiration for the movie’s criticism of society, saying, “The film was striking because it balanced that with a nuanced discussion about equality, societal expectations, and perfectionism. One scene I found especially touching was the monologue Gloria (America Ferrera) presented about the expectations women face. I had tears in my eyes because personally, I relate to what she said on a deep level.” Nathaniel Reid (sophomore, communications) greatly enjoyed the movie because of its new and fresh dynamic, saying, “I really enjoyed the Barbie movie just because of how unapologetically it broke from cinema norms. When I went to see it with my niece, every two seconds we would turn to each other and say “What are we watching?!” not because it was bad or ‘too much,’ but because it was different, unpredictable, and simply funny!” Chris Ngugi (junior, psychology and Spanish) had a very interesting experience concerning the Barbie movie based on interactions within the community, which heightened his enjoyment. He said, “I happened to be in a theater with a very active audience, so one of my favorite parts of the movie was just reacting along with everyone else.” Solana Campbell (senior, business management), on the other hand, expressed her admiration for the costuming, saying, “The work that went into basically building a Barbie dream house and the thought process behind the costumes? Absolutely chef’s kiss. I really love watching a movie where you can tell every decision was really well thought out to correspond to a particular theme and help the storyline move forward.”
When asked what the movie could’ve done better, responses varied from the way the message was conveyed to the message itself. Matakala Muhwanga (senior, social work) confided, “I think a lot of the messages the movie was supposed to [convey] were a little bit too rushed. I think they could have explored more feminist topics and gone in a little bit deeper.” Nathaniel added, “It sometimes felt as though the film would focus on comedy for large portions of time, only to weave in brief dialogues that would remind the watcher of the movie’s message. It felt like the film would switch between solely being a comedy to solely building on the movie’s message, with this problem being especially noticeable towards the end of the film.” Melissa expressed concern as to the rise in consumerism that the movie-inspired trends brought on, saying, “If people don't buy everything or decide they don't want everything to be pink anymore, they may simply throw things away, unnecessarily creating more pollution, but that is not something the Barbie movie alone is guilty of. That's a larger societal problem we have today and a discussion for another time.”
The overall response and appreciation concerning the movie’s message was positive; Christen Li’s (junior, global studies) takeaway from the movie is one of self-acceptance, saying, “I loved the scene where Barbie tells the older lady how beautiful she is. I think that's honestly the most important message I got from the movie: That every person, and specifically every woman, is unique and valuable and beautiful. A woman's very existence on this earth is beautiful because she is a human being... (or a barbie-being).” Lexie Dunham (junior, psychology) similarly praised the movie and its message, saying, “The way that it was a movie about every woman being supported and hyped up was very important to me. It was such a beautiful way to encapsulate womanhood, the effects for both men and women of the patriarchy, and how we can support women more. It’s so beautiful to see a movie like this that is both so nostalgic but also a woman-led movie that was directed by a woman!”
It cannot be denied that this movie has an ongoing impact on our society and culture today. While fashion and TikTok trends will probably die out someday, changed mentality and perception have more lasting effects. “Barbie” has raised some great questions which our society should ponder, and whether or not we allow this movie to influence our perception of society and, even more importantly, to change it, is up to us.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.