[Spoilers, I guess?]
Barbie Fans – let's size up the plastic mold at play here.
I'm greatly disappointed in all of you that have gone to see the new 'Barbie' movie because not one of you has mentioned 'Life Size.'
Tyra Banks played the iconic role of Eve, a stand-in for Barbie before 'Barbie' shattered our wardrobe expectations for this year. And I'm just gonna say it: 'Life Size' walked so 'Barbie' could run—and in plastic high heels, no less.
At its core, these are the same movie premise, and it's fascinating to see how the two films differ, but there's a lot to unpack in terms of what each film gave us. For one, I love that 'Life Size' gave us a black Barbie at the forefront even though we didn't have a multiple doll lineup. But I also appreciate that 'Barbie' didn't just give us re-skinned versions of the stereotypical Barbie to meet the diversity market.
And the wardrobes for both films? chefs kiss* They understood the assignment. Though I'm a little confused at the marketing for 'Barbie' encouraging fans to step into the Barbie box because isn't that what the film is telling you not to do? Isn't that why Barbie ran from the executives? It's giving "have your cake and eat it too."
Even though the trailers for 'Barbie' didn't say much about the meeting-a-real-girl-in-the-real-world-element, I kinda knew that was the angle they were going for. It seemed like the natural choice. And yes, Ken was meant to be the focus in the trailers and he stole the show—albeit literally—but I still anticipated the impact that a girl/woman from the real world would have on 'Barbie's eye-opening journey because this movie is about a doll battling the patriarchy, after all. But I seriously did not know how similar the plots would be.
Fashion doll comes to life and,
perplexed by the real world, she sticks out like a sore thumb.
However, while the doll-person is out of her depth, she comes across as free-spirited and likable, so everyone tries to help her out except for-
A tweenage angsty tomboy 'not like other girls' main character, who
-after spending life-changing musical montages together, learns she doesn't have to sacrifice her joy or femininity just because she doesn't "fit the mold," as it were.
Before I saw the Barbie movie, I was jokingly comparing it to 'Life Size' just conceptually. But uh... that's the same plot, my dude. The actions of the stories differ, but the plot line is pretty similar. If anything, 'Life Size' wasn't as heavy-handed about pointing fingers at the patriarchy, but we know who the real villain was.
And I want to make sure I clarify that I am not dissing either movie here. I loved Margot Robbie's rendition of Barbie and Tyra Banks' portrayal of Eve. These films can certainly stand on their own, but man do I need a double feature of these two to compare properly.
I still feel the nostalgic warmth radiating from my core when I think of Tyra Banks and Lindsey Lohan's on-screen relationship. Was it the same dynamic with Barbie? No. In fact, it seemed like the Barbie screenwriters knew exactly what was expected and decided to shut that down immediately by having the tweenage angst absolutely shatter Barbie's worldview as if to say "we have way too much ground to cover to waste time on shielding your innocence, here." And if I'm being honest, I was ready to throw hands when I saw how utterly wrecked Barbie was after the experience. I knew puberty was terrifying but goddamn, I felt that savagery from the very back of the theater.
Lindsey and Tyra's characters weren't straight-up besties either, but it felt like Lindsey's character Casey had a right to be closed off. She lost her mom and didn't have another guiding female figure in her life that understood how to make her true self shine without having to conform to something she wasn't. Breaking down that wall isn't easy. But what the hell did America Ferrara's daughter played by Ariana Greenblatt have to be so bitchy about? Angst is one thing but my god, get that child some therapy.
We do still get the real girl and doll bestie dynamic with America Ferrara's character Gloria, but she's a working mom who deals with self-doubt and existential dread and having to scream in order for anyone to hear her. And I'm sorry, but that's relatable as fuck. It's no longer enough to expect women to build each other up and expect the world to make room for both of them. Her daughter gets that, but her mom isn't ready to admit societal defeat just yet because, at her core, she's still pushing for those driving values that the Barbie era of feminism instilled in her. And that's inspiring, honestly.
We get to see two kinds of feminism at play here between mother Gloria (Ferrara) and daughter Sasha (Greenblatt): the "I'm every woman and I can be what I want to be despite what society thinks of me, and if I want to pink and powerful, I can be pink and powerful" flavor of feminism versus "you're bringing the movement down by not rejecting this stereotypical non-confrontational female archetype that is pleasing to the eye" anarchist-style feminism. And I don't think there's an inherent problem with representing these different world-views.
However...
It's one thing to see the patriarchal capitalist nightmare that we all live in, but it's another thing to tear down women who have done nothing to you in the name of feminism because girl, that's not inclusive feminism. And that was kind of the message behind what 'Barbie' was trying to say: Barbie is not to blame for the confining expectations and obstacles that women face. Barbie is literally trying to do her best out here with the plastic tools she's been given.
The Barbie brand has certainly made some missteps, but Barbie is a product of its era trying to adapt to a world where, well, America Ferrara's character in the film says it better, but the point is that Barbie didn't create the world that she's got to live in, and Barbie has helped to liberate some women, just not every woman.
As for 'Life Size,' it wasn't designed to break the box office or shatter the glass ceiling or bill itself as the summer's blockbuster "it couple" (seriously, Barbenheimer was straight-up marketing genius). 'Life Size' was a Disney/ABC Family movie. It already had its target audience captive with the goal of making a feel-good film that also shines a light on the power dynamics at play. This story was suited for the era that it was released and did well to represent the trademark doll we all know and love without infringing on any copyrights.
Today's modern Barbie has a lot more to deal with in terms of today's growing list of modern problems that women face. I know the list of issues hasn't changed all that much in recent years, but the issues are becoming harder to swallow when things like inalienable rights to bodily autonomy and protecting the health and safety of women everywhere kinda get... is aborted the right word to use?
And I know it's ironic, but the 'Barbie' movie became too real for me at some point. My Barbie Girl is experiencing crippling depression? Bruh I came to the movies for some escapism, not more realism. The realism movie is supposed to be Oppenheimer's job! I get it, today's modern woman doesn't just have outside forces closing in around her. Sometimes your biggest feminist obstacle is your own brain telling yourself that you suck at being a woman and that your insecurities are meant to be held as self-evident truths, regardless of how many people tell you that your life is fantastic and you should feel the same.
I have never in my life felt like the stereotypical Barbie, but ooo, girl— did I relate to Existential Dread Barbie and of course, my surprising favorite Weird Barbie (played by Kate McKinnon). I was never intentionally rough with my dolls because I felt way too connected to them (the Toy Story franchise did a number on my psyche) but I understood how the film's explanation of girls playing too rough with their dolls was their way to letting out their emotions which, for many of us, was probably the only place we would express ourselves. And maybe if we're being honest, we took out our frustrations on the dolls that we related to the most.
I love 'Life Size' because it made me feel loved. It made me feel like I could be accepted for being myself while also finding my own way to womanhood. I remember in middle school, I had a school employee remark that I was dressed too boyishly and that I needed to girl it up sooner or later, and if I'm remembering correctly, there was probably some mention of needing to look a certain way to get a boyfriend or something. Internalized misogynies aside, I couldn't give a flying fuck about getting a boyfriend. Bitch I was depressed. I had enough trouble getting myself to love myself before I could bring anyone else into this bin of crazy.
And you know, I did grow into my body and my appearance in a way that allowed me to wear skirts and dresses in the same week that I wore baggy men's jeans and sneakers, and find a way to blend the looks into a style that uniquely suited me. And I did that by myself, for myself. Barbie's world got too chaotic when romance was forced and if that ain't strike a chord with me...
[Also side note: the moral of 'Barbie' was careful who you friend-zone. That's it, and I will not be taking comments on the subject.]
'Barbie' and 'Life Size' both deserve their flowers, but I think we need to recognize that what 'Life Size' did for us was the same as how Barbie's role was portrayed in the film—you served us well during this time, but maybe we've outgrown the degree of help that your role played in the past.
I think it's important to acknowledge this as we talk about the 'Barbie' movie as the alleged man-hating masterpiece it's being painted as instead of the romantically empowering love story of a childhood feminist icon that it is. Because Barbie would definitely be an inclusive feminist. Maybe not in the beginning because she hadn't become aware of the different worlds outside of her own, but once she did, she'd be just as willing to give up her platform so others like Eve could shine.
Also, by the way, I totally forgot that 'Life Size' was about voodoo witchcraft‽ What the—
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