D&I in Barbieland, putting ourselves in Barbie’s shoes

(The blog may reveal some spoilers )

(Source: Mattel)

Long before the premier, the film Barbie was the talk of the town and took social media by the storm with its strong marketing campaign. Its twin release with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer on July 21 gave rise to the social  “Barbenheimer”, bringing moviegoers back to the cinemas post-pandemic. Barbie scored a record breaking $356 million globally over the opening weekend making it the biggest debut ever for a film directed by a woman. Just after 3 weeks since its release, the film surpassed $1 billion globally. You may have seen Instagram posts of moviegoers dressed in pink, or may have done so yourself. Whilst this film is primarily for entertainment and may be an opportunity to relive your childhood, it also intertwines a number of messages within the narrative which is inextricably linked to aspects of D&I. This blog will review the ways in which D&I is explored in the film with a focus on gender equality. 

The film is set in Barbieland, a matriarchal society where women are independent and successful. The Barbies hold all the important positions including those of doctors, politicians and lawyers whilst their counterparts Ken are always at “beach”. One day, during a dance party, Stereotypical Barbie (“Barbie”) has an existential crisis as she is struck with thoughts of mortality. Events follow which force her to travel into the real world, with Ken who follows her, in order to resolve everything. In the real world, Ken learns of the patriarchal system where he feels respected for simply being a man. He takes this learning back to Barbieland and subverts the system there into a patriarchal one. Barbie is shocked when she returns to find Barbieland flipped on its head with the Kens in full control and women being submissive companions, and comes up with a plan to return things to how they were. 

(Source: Mattel)

One of the most praiseworthy aspects of the film with regards to D&I is the diversity among the Barbies. The doll Barbie historically faced numerous issues surrounding her unrealistic beauty standards and physical appearance. Over time, Mattel worked to resolve this and redesigned her to be a feminist figure. In 2015, Barbie introduced three new body types: curvy, tall and petite and this was extended to the Ken dolls in 2017. In 2019, Barbie extended their product range to include dolls with physical disabilities such as a doll with a wheelchair and prosthetic leg. According to the Mattel website, Barbie currently features 35 skin tones, 97 hairstyles, and 9 body types as the company aims to reflect and represent the world as it is today. Mattel has also worked to challenge the gender stereotypes surrounding their doll users. In 2015, Mattel’s Barbie collaborated with the Italian fashion brand Moschino and launched a limited-edition doll. The advertisement for the doll featured a boy alongside two girls playing with these dolls. This advertisement garnered much attention and praise from the public for confronting the stereotypical image that only girls play with dolls. Over the years, Mattel has tried to integrate D&I in their products and target audiences. Due to the nature of the narrative and setting, only the diversity of Barbies is demonstrated in the film. Each Barbie is different and unique in their own way but they nonetheless work together to operate Barbieland. 

However, this is not the case with Barbie’s counterpart Ken. Unlike the Barbies, the Kens are portrayed as being generic with stereotypical “fit” bodies and always being at “beach”. Their value and position is dependent on their appearance and their interaction with the Barbies, and those who don’t fit into the set standards, like Allan, become segregated. Although the Kens are diverse in race, their physical appearance is confined to a slim, fit, beach body. Could this portrayal have an underlying message in response to the feminine beauty ideal which has been historically prescribed by the male gaze?

There is also some awkwardness in the duality of patriarchy and matriarchy. These terms refer to a social system in which positions of power and privilege are primarily held by men and by women respectively. Factors of descent and generations are to be put aside here. The body of Barbie’s challenge in the real world and upon her return to Barbieland is anchored in reversing the patriarchal system where the Barbie houses have been subverted into masculine casas and gender roles reversed. However, this proposes a situation where matriarchy and patriarchy are the only two options and where one is always in conflict with another. It could be said that the Barbies end up in the same standards as the Kens. After the subversion of Barbieland, success for the Barbies means putting an end to the patriarchal system and taking over the absolute power which they have lost. This presents an all or nothing situation rather than negotiating a point where the Barbies and Kens share the power and privileges. The women under “Ken”land are also presented as having been brainwashed by the Kens. However, this idea of brainwashing is not present in the initial portrayal of the Kens and their position in Barbieland. Is it valid to portray matriarchy and patriarchy in such opposite lights? This may be an overanalysis of the narrative and it may simply be a way of reflecting the struggles women have faced over the years. Nonetheless, the importance of inclusion is not to be underestimated. It is the only way to quell the long-standing male influence and gender inequalities. 

Despite some of the discrepancies, it is clear that the film acts as an advocate for female empowerment and adds impetus towards gender equality. The diversity among the Barbies encourages female viewers, especially those of the younger generation, to pursue what they wish to do, even if that occupation has been traditionally held by men and is therefore underrepresented by women. Their gender is independent of their competence and should not stop them from pursuing their dreams. The Global Gender Gap Report 2022, published by the World Economic Forum, illustrates the fruition of the continued and new efforts of individuals and organisations. Although no country has yet achieved full gender equality, the number of years estimated to reach full global parity has seen an improvement to the previous year from 136 years to 132 years. The percentage of women hired into leadership roles has also seen a steady increase from 33.3% in 2016 to 36.9% in 2022. However, it must be noted that this is not equal across industries. Industries with a higher female representation have hired more women into leadership. Industries closer to gender parity in leadership roles include Non-Governmental and Membership Organisations (47%), Education (46%), and Personal Services and Wellbeing (45%). At the opposite end stand Energy (20%), Manufacturing (19%) and Infrastructure (16%). The reason behind these low statistics is not simple and just as how Rome was not built in a day, gender parity cannot be achieved overnight. Both genders must break free from stereotypical images and standards surrounding gender and gender roles, and acknowledge the necessity and advantages of working together. Continued efforts by individuals and organisations will bring in and retain new talents, enhancing the performance and environment of the organisation. Will the success of the Barbie film extend beyond the cinema and act as an impetus for gender parity in society and businesses? Only time will tell.