The Feminist Rant You DIDN'T hear in the Barbie Movie

SPOILERS AHEAD because I couldn't resist chiming in on Barbie, plus more book news and a GREAT freebie

I’m going to start with the end — specifically, the Barbie movie’s ending, which I loved. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, this post is FULL of spoilers. Personally, I didn’t go for the plot. Even if I were immune to the hype, I’m a huge fan of Margot Robbie. An actor who can veer with ease between Harley Quinn, Tonya Harding, and Barbie is a legend. And I liked my Barbies well enough as a kid. Why not?

So the ending of this film, where Barbie goes to a gynecologist? Genius. Best ending ever. It wasn’t the happily ever after of a man or a job, but the ultimate in self-love.

And yay to the girl power of it all. Big ups for America Ferrera’s speech. And, ha, it’s funny to think of all the Barbies living in a faraway land, thinking they’ve solved all women’s problems. But the easy brainwashing? I mean, I guess they had to move the plot forward somehow, so, okay.

My dismay began with that other thread, the whole Rhea Perlman as Ruth Handler part that people everywhere are hailing. Did I miss something? Ruth Handler is living her best eternity in a kitchen?

And this line?

“Mothers stand still so their daughters can look back and see how far they’ve come.”

So, motherhood is the terminus that leads to eternal kitchenhood. Kill me now.

Then there was the cameo with Ann Roth. I’m struggling with how I feel about that. First, she’s an Oscar-winning costumer that people are basically referring to as “that elderly lady” who Barbie says is beautiful and isn’t that so cool and how Greta Gerwig wouldn’t let them cut that scene from the film because without it she didn’t know what the film was about. Well yes, it is cool. But “beautiful”? How about impressive? Interesting? Isn’t beautiful the thing we’re trying to escape?

I read somewhere that Barbie’s ensuing tears were an acknowledgment of the inevitability of death. That would feel more convincing if they’d returned to the cellulite of it all. Instead, the unwelcome appearance of dimpled flesh is left dangling as the worst fate imaginable.

To argue my own point, I wouldn’t disagree with George Orwell’s famous quote either:

Nature gives you the face you have at twenty. Life shapes the face you have at thirty. But at fifty you get the face you deserve.

At 90, Roth embodies this saying (read more about Roth’s life here). Seeing saggy flesh and not being put off just might be that growth. But this feels more like I’m trying to make the moment say what I want it to say rather than deriving meaning from what’s onscreen. Our culture is nothing if not obsessed with erasing signs of aging. And if we are to venerate aging and recognize impermanence, why must mothers “stop”???

More than some of this reaction is my Gen X coming out. Barbie was the iPad of my childhood, not a shared activity with adults.

Still, the film has reopened a portal into my Barbie years. I adored her camper, still remember the smell of the yellow vinyl pop-up. I loved inventing stories for Barbie to act out. And yes, I loved the outfits— shiny gowns, mini-dresses, swimsuits.

My most intense memories though? That would be the Dawn Doll’s dance floor. Anyone remember that? I loved mine. My sister and I each had one and I fondly recall our dance parties, putting a 45 on her mini suitcase record player and pushing the controls to make Dawn’s legs slide back and forth while her arms shot up and down and her hair flew.

I didn’t become an outdoorswoman, a fashionista, or a dancer, but my love for stories endures. Like a true Gen Xer, I’m not a huge fan of labels whether that’s feminist, bimbo, or elderly lady. But this outpouring of love for a doll that opens up a child’s imagination into what adult life could be like? I’m ALL for it.

These are not my pics, they're scarfed from eBay. My childhood toys are long gone.

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​Casey Erin Wood is a writer and coach who helps women get really good at being themselves. I've had the good fortune to connect with her on socials and you should too. Check out her Insta. Her Intuition Cheatsheet will show you how to tell the difference between your ego (whose job it is to keep you safe, but has the unfortunate side effect of keeping you scared, small and spinning in circles) and your intuition (whose job it is to make sure you stay true to yourself, your dreams and your purpose.)

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