The Barbie movie is just an ad.

And not even gay.

I saw the new Barbie movie … and it was weird.

Not in the way that the alt right wants you to think - it’s not gay, it’s not trans, it’s not communist, it’s not even subversive. It’s just like… a long commercial?

So, right away in the beginning of the movie they frame Barbie as this revolutionary toy that completely is radical because it’s the doll for girls that isn’t a baby doll. And the implication being that training little girls to nurture and be mothers is in direct opposition to Barbie’s whole girl power thing. The original Barbie was the first “fashion doll” which was promoted to teach young girls good grooming and dressing tools so that they would be more attractive and marriageable. Not so distinct from the baby doll premise.

So Barbie was the “first” fashion doll. Now, the market is flooded with fashion dolls of all kinds that are much cooler and newer and more present in children’s popular culture. Bratz Dolls, Disney character dolls, Rainbow High Dolls, LOL OMG dolls… the list goes on. Toy unboxing YouTube (a hugely popular category) is full of people unboxing all these different kinds of fashion dolls. Mostly adult collectors (who else would have a stream of expendable income to spend on toys?). The adult collectors market for dolls is massive, and the market for Barbie is one of if not the biggest due to the longevity of Barbie’s life and how distinct Barbie’s style changes from decade to decade. Barbie was Mod in the 60’s, she was a disco super star in the 70’s, and she was a rock star in the 80’s and so on. And all her companions, homes and accessories also reflect the trends of the era. Her first house was very Mid-Century Modern, and grew more and more elaborate through the neoclassical McMansion 80’s and 90’s into the wild pool slide style represented in the movie. An unboxed Barbie number one - has gone for as much as $27,450. So all of these facts together - plummeting sales of dolls in the 2010’s and competition for children’s attention, and lucrative collectorship amongst adults - I believe gave birth to the commercial designs behind this movie approximately 10 years ago. (I fact checked this guess and it’s true pre-production began in 2013)

Although Mattel doesn’t necessarily benefit directly financially from the secondary collectors market - they do frequently make reproductions to cater to that market (sometimes making them in Silkstone, a type of plastic meant to feel like porcelain that is not meant to be played with). As expected, Mattel has an entire product line featuring dolls, houses, and adult sized clothing surrounding the release of the movie. These are all positioned to be snapped up by collectors and as if today are largely already sold out. I think the Barbie movie was designed to create a whole new generation of collectors. Younger Millennials and Gen Z were raised in a world with many dolls options (although undeniably affected by Barbie). I was a young child in the 90’s and Barbie fills a space in a hazy line up of childhood toy memories along with Sky Dancers, American Girl Dolls, Spice Girl dolls, Lord of the Rings dolls, and more. Following my youth Barbie has become less and less trendy. This movie, cast with Millennial icons Issa Rae, America Ferrara, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon, and Michael Sera (and you can purchase dolls of them all) is designed for adult appeal. All children’s movies have this strangely prescribed obligation to appeal to both the children and their parents watching - but this dynamic is flipped in the Barbie movie - this is an adult movie made about toys that can incidentally appeal to children. Again - who buys the toys whether for the children or themselves anyway? Throughout the film the different styles of Barbie and Barbie clothes were highlighted by name - even in freeze framed with text labeling it like a true ad. At certain points America Ferrara’s character (our adult character who loves Barbies) would exclaim that certain characters, clothing, and houses were collectibles. Even gathering up clothing and accessories in her arms during her time in Barbie world.

To stay “up-to-date”, Mattel has put out several iterations of more representationally diverse Barbies, both diverging from the “stereotypical Barbie” archetype in race, ability, and body type. Barbies can be anyone! Anyone can be Barbie! But when you hear the word Barbie - what do you think of? Is it someone who looks like Margot Robbie? Of course, also recognized as true within the text of the film. In the advertising of the film a lot is made of having a fat Barbie, a trans Barbie, a Black Barbie, a Barbie who uses a wheelchair. Hari Nef, a trans actress is featured in a poster with her smiling face on it, proclaiming her as Doctor Barbie. These characters are largely utilized as props in the film, just as they would be in Mattel’s toy line. Of non-white and non-cis Barbies, Issa Rae as President Barbie by my guess has the most lines, followed by Hari Nef, tied by a few others. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are the main characters and the movie centers around them and their experiences. The only other Barbie who has as many lines as them is another white Barbie “Weird Barbie” played by Kate McKinnon. She is meant to represent that Barbie that everyone had whose hair is all fucked up, is missing her shoes, and has received a marker make over. In the movie however, she doesn’t look truly weird, just kind of fabulously kooky, with an undercut, a fashionable dress, and knee high boots. Mattel is releasing a “Weird Barbie” they are now putting out a doll that is meant to look like it has already been played with “too hard” as she is characterized in the movie. The truly weird Barbies were bald with devil horns, she would have facial hair and a missing leg, she may have been just a head or had no head at all. Much is made of the idea that a girl could be anything based on all of Barbie’s hundreds of varied careers, but I don’t know a child who played Barbie “to character”. She would get into fights with Ken, she would scissor with the other Barbies, she would walk around topless, her makeup would get scrubbed off and she would be wearing a napkin and tape dress. She would have a sticky leg and a cut off breast, would get thrust into underwear and thrown down the stairs. The real Weird Barbie was so much weirder and transexual and gay to have ever been portrayed in a Mattel-sanctioned film.

Spoilers start below - and like it’s fine just read it.

In an interview I watched with Margot Robbie, she said she was surprised that “they” allowed the film to be made. The unnamed they being Mattel. The implication is that it is because it is SO subversive and comments on the corporation in ways that are not all-together favorable. There is a point where Barbie is pushed into a black SUV and then consequently chased by the executives of Mattel - it seemed for a small moment that Mattel was positioned to be the villain of the piece. But as the moving mass of goofy suited clowns led by Will Ferrel in a pink tie - they were portrayed more as silly - not like a mega-corp bent on profit at all costs. They were completely neutered of any real critique. Mattel knows they have to poke fun of themselves. Barbie’s request to “Speak to the woman in charge” is swiftly rebuffed as she doesn’t exist in the room full of suited men around a heart table. This was an exaggeration (there are 5 women on Mattel’s board and more in positions of leadership throughout the company) - I think it’s meant to drive people to look up the gendered break down of the real company and say “Oh! There are women there, it’s not based on reality.” They never actually do anything to Barbie and are cleared of any misdeed when ultimately the real villain is revealed to be “patriarchy” which is introduced into Barbie Land by Ken.

Life in plastic - it’s fantastic to read the other half of this of this essay.

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