“Stereotypical” Barbie lives with all the other Barbies in Barbieland where they have high-profile jobs… lawyer, doctor, president… while the Kens just play on the beach. Life is a big party. But Barbie starts having worries about mortality, her feet become flat, and she has cellulite. Weird Barbie tells Barbie that she has to go and find the girl playing with her in the real world. She goes with Ken and finds the depressed adult, in fact, that created the disruption in Barbieland. In the meanwhile, Ken has discovered patriarchy and brought it back to Barbieland. Barbie, with a few other Barbies, has to reprogram the Barbies that now worship the Kens, like in the real world, and restore the matriarchy in Barbieland. What to say ? It’s a beautiful film that plays with stereotypes, with a touch of feminism and humorous derision, but that can’t hide the huge commercial vibe behind its creation.
“You are so beautiful and so smart, and it kills me that you don’t think you’re good enough. We have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong. We have to be thin but not too thin, and we can never say we want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy. But also you have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can’t ask for money because that’s crass. You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas. You’re supposed to love being a mother, but you don’t talk about your kids all the time. You have to be a career woman but also look out for other people. You have to answer for men’s bad behaviour, which is insane, but if you point that out, you’re accused of complaining. Because you’re supposed to stay pretty for men but not so pretty, you tempt them too much, or you threaten other women. Because you’re supposed to be part of the sisterhood, but always stand out. And always be grateful but never forget that the system is rigged, so find a way to acknowledge that but also always be grateful. You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line. It’s too hard, it’s too contradictory, and nobody gives you a medal and says thank you. And it turns out, in fact, that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault. I’m just so tired of watching myself and every single woman tie herself into knots so that people like us. If all of that is also true of a doll just representing a woman, then I don’t even know.”