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.
That’s interesting. I read that the film was about radical feminism, but gender switched with Ken as the feminist to overthrow the Barbie-dominating system. Really look forward to seeing the movie.
I think that analogy doesn’t work a 100 %. But I guess you could say that the film explores something like that.
But go ahead and watch the film. I enjoyed it very much.
I thought the movie was exceedingly clever and is a shining example of how sometimes a message is more about what it doesn’t say that what it does.
That being said, the movie is definitely a rorschach test and you will see what you are primed to believe reflected in it.
My understanding is that the film undercuts most of its social commentary and ends up a wash, so watch it for the absurd interpretation of barbie life.
It’s also incredibly ham fisted and decides to tell and not show. The jokes were pretty funny though.
It’s basically about Andrew Tate