I just saw the Barbie movie, because a good friend asked me to join her. I had no plans to go to this film, but I got into the spirit to have fun with a friend. We wore pink and ate candy! We laughed and enjoyed ourselves. We both played with Barbies when we were kids and have fond memories, although we don’t recall all the different Barbies they referenced. Probably because neither of us had many Barbies. My most memorable Barbie was the one with arms that moved up to head with the push of a button- Magic Moves Barbie. It was a gift from my grandpa when he let me pick any toy I wanted from the toy store- truly memorable.
I most enjoyed putting on the various outfits and shoes on Barbie and I believe it helped develop some creativity and fashion sense, or perhaps just an ingrained love for the 80s. When I learned what the proportions on Barbie translated to real human measurements was it was disturbing. I could see the insidious unrealistic expectations placed on girls/women for an ‘ideal’ body.
I played the Dua Lipa track Dance the Night from the film as soon as I heard it and I just loved watching the dance scene (and others). The music in the film is so well done and the acting with the dolls come to life concept is great. I wasn’t too keen to see the movie and came out pleasantly surprised to see intelligent humour, gender and social commentary, along with a beautiful real life Barbie Land. It’s like a high class music video! Not to mention the Beach with a professional like Ken!
