this post was submitted on 03 Aug 2023
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For some women in China, "Barbie" is more than just a movie — it's also a litmus test for their partner's views on feminism and patriarchy.

The movie has prompted intense social media discussion online, media outlets Sixth Tone and the China Project reported this week, prompting women to discuss their own dating experiences.

One user on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu — a photo-sharing site similar to Instagram that's mostly used by Gen Z women — even shared a guide on Monday for how women can test their boyfriends based on their reaction to the film.

According to the guide, if a man shows hatred for "Barbie" and slams female directors after they leave the theatre, then this man is "stingy" and a "toxic chauvinist," according to Insider's translation of the post. Conversely, if a man understands even half of the movie's themes, "then he is likely a normal guy with normal values and stable emotions," the user wrote.

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[–] Psyduck_world@lemmy.world 49 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (5 children)

I thought the movie criticizes both extreme feminism and male chauvinism, or did I watch a different Barbie movie?

[–] boredtortoise@lemm.ee 57 points 1 year ago

That's what the article is saying as well.

Any gendered chauvinism sucks and patriarchy causes suffering to anyone.

And if someone comes out of the movie angered by this knowledge, they can be a troublesome person to other people.

[–] kraftpudding@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Yeah. Barbie Was not the good guy in the Barbie movie, right? Like, even in the end they admit that they will not give the Kens true equality, just enough that they basically won't revolt again. People here calling Barbie a feminist icon, what movie were you watching?

[–] teft@startrek.website 26 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Obviously she wasn’t the good guy. She developed a nuclear bomb for heaven’s sake. To be fair I did fall asleep for a bit but I’m pretty sure I got the big plot points.

[–] Asafum@feddit.nl 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Lmfao what the actual fuck?

I didn't watch the movie, nor do I know anything about the premise, so seeing that comment and thinking about Barbie the toy is absolutely hilarious...

[–] T4V0 6 points 1 year ago

He's making a joke about Barbenheimer...

[–] T4V0 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Like, even in the end they admit that they will not give the Kens true equality, just enough that they basically won't revolt again.

That example isn't really accurate, they say the Kens eventually will be given the same representativity as the women in the real world. That line is more of a jab against gender inequality than anything.

[–] TheDankHold@kbin.social -2 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Sure but it’s still them making a conscious choice to keep oppressing a group until an unrelated reality fixes their shit. Doesn’t sound like they’re good guys at all tbh.

[–] T4V0 8 points 1 year ago

Sure but it’s still them making a conscious choice to keep oppressing a group until an unrelated reality fixes their shit.

I hope you see the irony in that phrase.

Doesn’t sound like they’re good guys at all tbh.

This isn't Star Wars my dude, not everything needs to be good vs evil. Sometimes there's even room for satire.

[–] Lanthanae@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yeah the movie doesn't paint them as good guys though? The narrator comes in and states that they aren't at that point, and stereotypical Barbie leaves because she can't see herself as taking part in such a system anymore.

[–] new_acct_who_dis@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I don't think they're supposed to be "good guys".

[–] Naia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 21 points 1 year ago

That's the point. They blatantly say "someday, the Ken's will have as much rights as women do in the real world"

The entire point is that treating people as second class like thst isn't good, regardless of which side its coming from and that we should all be equal. The only time I'd see men complaining about that is when they don't get it.

[–] friendlymessage@feddit.de 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think that was the point, it's the perfect mirror to the real world. Everyone not okay with how the Barbies treat the Kens in the end should think for a second why that is and why anyone should accept the reverse in the real world.

[–] HandwovenConsensus@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

It's also kind of a clever subtle call to action. "If you don't like this ending, you can change it by changing things in the real world."

[–] Lanthanae@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

"Stereotypical Barbie" (the Margot Robbie one) actually seems to get it by the end. In fact, her main character arc was going from being like the other barbies—watered down stereotypes of feminism—to actually a feminist who has a better grasp of why just equalizing out positions of power, while still good, does not address the root of patriarchy.

[–] ikiru@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

Okay, I'll admit I had not the slightest clue what the plot was to Barbie before opening this post but I'm getting a little curious about this movie now.

[–] boredtortoise@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

It didn't end up in a world that's ready. More like a mirror of the real world but maybe healthier?

[–] IceMan@lemmy.one 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That is indeed what is in Barbie - if you watch it and actually think about the themes. If you’re just there for the experience then the message is (quote moviegoer behind my back discussing with friends): “goddamn, this is a step in right direction, we won’t change this patriarchal world with one film however“ :P

On a basic level the message “Ken was silly, broke Barbieworld because he wanted to emulate men, they had to get Barbie and a feminist back to fix it” - and that’s what most people will get out of Barbie.

[–] whatsarefoogee@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

On a basic level the message “Ken was silly, broke Barbieworld because he wanted to emulate men, they had to get Barbie and a feminist back to fix it”

How did he break it? He basically just flipped the genders so Kens are the ruling/working class and Barbies are just subservient eye candy. Barbie just flipped it back. It's a broken and unimaginably unfair world in either case.

When Kens ask just for a bit of equality at the end, they are shut down and given some unimportant appeasement as a joke.

[–] new_acct_who_dis@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

When Kens ask just for a bit of equality at the end, they are shut down and given some unimportant appeasement as a joke.

The movie is calling this out on purpose. It's how women are currently treated in western society.

[–] T4V0 1 points 1 year ago

criticizes both extreme feminism

Tbh I didn't see any real critic to extreme feminism, I only saw them holding a mirror to society in general (with the obvious reversed gender dynamics). Is there an example?

[–] DessertStorms@kbin.social -5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Lmfao "extreme feminism"
"tHeY wAnT eXtReMe eQuAlItY!1!1" smdfh

[citation needed]

(and no, men being generalised against as shits is not an act of extremism no matter how uncomfortable it made you feel lol get back to me when the levels of harm become even close to being comparable)