The “Barbie” phenomenon: inclusion, diversity and gender roles

There is nothing left to turn the big screen pink. He July 20 we will be able to dive into the world of the famous Barbie doll with the premiere of Greta Gerwig’s film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. But the film, which intends to become one of the big cinematographic bets of the summer, encourages various debates such as the stigmatization of women or Canons of beauty.

In the feature film, inspired by Mattel’s creation, the doll is kicked out of Barbieland for not conforming to parameters of perfection who rule the place. “It will surprise us because, although in the field of children’s toys, the speeches are maximally simplified, the leap from that idealized world reality can make this doll understand its role in society”, explains Bernat Sanromà, creative director and strategic consultant.

Loved and hated in equal measure, Barbie has become an intergenerational icon who now seems to be moving away from the idyllic life he promoted at the beginning. Concerns such as the passage of time and situations such as inequality of women in the workplace, etc street harassment they are echoed in the Warner Bros. production, which assumes the continuity of a certain transgressive air with Mattel that revolutionized the toy industry.

promote independence

Until the 1950s, figures aimed at female children attempted to stimulate the maternal instinct and perpetuated the role of the housewife. The doll not only became the first in adult form, but also encouraged the little ones to become professionals of any discipline. “She represented the type of woman who was independent, who had a partner, Ken, who worked as another accessory and that inspired many girls,” says Bernat Sanromà.

The company’s evolution is a good example of how to keep a brand alive despite controversy, as the doll’s legacy is not without its highlights and shadows. The company faced a lot of criticism for the promotion unattainable standards of beauty. “The idea of ​​an independent woman – she doesn’t really have children – is perverted through a figure that is no longer common, but unreal and it’s quite sexualized», says Marta Gijón, an expert on gender and co-education.

The image of a blonde, thin and white girl has become outdated. «Upload a contributing prototype or regulatory dissatisfaction with one’s own body It helps to reproduce the oppression of certain women who suffer discrimination not only because they are women, but also because they are racial, poor or trans“, assures María Victoria Carrera-Fernández, doctor of education and behavioral science and professor at the University of Vigo. To update this image, starting in 2016, Mattel began working on versions featuring different female models, which led to the character appearing on the cover of the magazine. Time.

Watch the movie inclusively

«Betting on diversity is good for childhood and contributes to social justice, although progress is limited. Companies are very conservative in presenting models of femininity and masculinity two gender stereotypes taken apart and gives a sexist and cisheteronormative logic”, adds the doctor. Gerwig’s pink universe seems to be connected to this diverse look, as she will give life to different versions of the doll, alongside Margot Robbie, among others. Harry Neff, trans model, writer and actress; as well as Ncuti Gatwa and Simu Liu will embody a different Ken with Ryan Gosling.

“Barbie’s world is different than it was thirty years ago. They have adapted the concept to what is required today. His wishes are no longer to have a pink convertible, but to go to the space station and be an astronaut,” says Sanromà. Something that has also already happened, since Samantha Cristoforetti, the first European commander of the International Space Station (ISS), traveled with a Barbie whose design inspired by herself — which, by the way, is sold in stores for around 35 euros — for encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“Be what you want to be”

The message “Be what you want to be” has its place in the film, which features Barbie’s Nobel Prize in Physics, the second judge and the third lawyer, among others. Margot Robbie, who also takes on the role of producer, wanted to stand out in an interview for Harper’s Bazaar how his character promotes “trustcuriosity and communication during childhood, i empower children imagine yourself in aspirational roles, from princess to president.”

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— Warner Bros. Pictures (@wbpictures) April 4, 2023

However, Gijón assures that there is still much to change. “They tried to make the toy more diverse, for example, by producing it with different types of feetl, but they represent an exception within the collection. They should modify the bodies because they maintain the same stereotypes physical”. Advertising, he believes, is another key sector: “There are advertisements for dolls that encourage children to play with what they want, but it turns out that children do not appear. If you want to get a campaign that creates change, you need to change more things.

The production has raised expectations since the first pictures of the shoot were leaked, showing the world’s supply of fluorescent pink gone. Time will tell if the prime minister can reverse the clichés about the most famous doll and turn her into a feminist icon. “This movie it will be very provocative and they will tell us how they think about the values ​​that Barbie must continue to have, because the role of brands is not only to make money, they are also an asset to society», concludes Bernat Sanromà.