Barbie Blasts into the Real World: How She Changed Culture
From the release of the first doll in 1959, to the recent movie release in July, it’s no secret that Barbie has shaken the world. Most girls remember playing with Barbie dolls during their childhood, but the movie has made one of the biggest impacts that our culture has ever seen.
Barbie, which was highly anticipated, was a major topic of discussion on every social media app. In addition, the term “Barbenheimer” was born when users discovered that two polar opposite films—Oppenhemier and Barbie—would premiere on the exact same day, July 21. This internet phenomenon took pop culture by storm, as more than 200,000 people bought tickets to both showings, according to the New York Times.
Even so, Barbie has Oppenheimer beat, with over $1.2 billion earned at the worldwide box office. This revenue skyrocketed movie theaters’ pandemic recovery progress—the premiere was the fourth-largest box office weekend of all time in the United States.
However, the “Barbie World” is not limited to just box offices and movie screens. Mothers, daughters, and friend groups everywhere have made a point to glam up in strictly pink, sporting anything from neon pant-suits to glittery maxi skirts. Barbie is not just a movie, but a fashion moment.
Theater lobbies, movie goers, and the movie itself—all pink. In fact, the film’s setmakers purchased so much fluorescent pink paint that they contributed to the worldwide pink paint shortage. Due to Barbie, other film producers and companies cannot obtain the massive amounts of paint they need for their works, and the bleach-blonde plastic dolls are to blame.
Although the movie’s revenue and pink-ness made an enormous influence on culture at large, the plot had the biggest impact. The feminist commentary interwoven into the storyline was exactly what we didn’t expect. Audiences expected Barbie to be about why “life in plastic is fantastic,” but the movie touched on the patriarchy, stereotypes, gender roles, and how imperfection is the true perfection.
Additionally, Barbie featured music from popular artists Lizzo, Dua Lipa, Tame Impala, Ice Spice, and Nicki Minaj, but the song that nobody expected was “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish. Viewers worldwide cried off their pink mascara during one of the ending scenes, featuring Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ruth (Rhea Perlman) holding hands and “feeling” what it’s like to be human. This poignant scene was backed by Eilish’s vocals and soft piano, tying the heartwarming narrative of girlhood together into a glittering pink bow.
Not everyone had a smile on their faces as they exited the theater: some cried happy tears, and others were frustrated at the unexpected “politics” of the movie. However, Barbie’s impact is undeniable. No matter if you loved the dolls, or defaced them all into “weird” Barbies, the Barbie movie speaks to childhood, and the cherished familial memories that come with it.
