Are you a Barbie girl?

Kanisa George

IN 1959, a shapeshifter with somewhat supernatural powers forced the world to stop, regain momentum and spin again on its axis at lightning speed for the first time since World War II. Historians might argue that the leading cause of this phenomenon was the looming effects of the Cold War, the potential abuse of nuclear energy, and the obvious reverberating friction felt throughout divided Germany.

During this precarious time, military valour arguably wasn’t our most outstanding achievement. No, the world’s greatest source of innovation was an object made of plastic, outfitted with tulle and, for time immemorial, would house a spirit of great imagination.

When Ruth Elliot and her husband presented the first Barbie to the world in 1959, she was intentional regarding its purpose.

For Ruth, the doll was created to inspire children, particularly little girls, to "dream dreams of the future."

What she didn’t know then was that the power of the Barbieverse would rule generations for decades, spark deep-rooted debates on race and misogyny and, most crucially, raise essential issues on feminism and a woman’s place in the world.

The world of Barbie has made several strides since it donned its black-and-white striped bathing costume with matching black high heels at the Toy Fair in New York City. Moving past the traditional eye-candy appeal that some Barbie dolls were synonymous with, a diverse line of hijab-wearing, degree-seeking, afro-hair-showcasing dolls have now diversified the Barbie universe in a time when inclusivity matters most.

But even with so many changes in toe, it is fair to say that it’s still far from certain how these somewhat subtle yet bold changes have impacted society’s view on perfection and our ability to move forward from social constructs that have tied us to the 1960s.

The new Barbie movie has infiltrated the world of TikTok, transforming it into a life in plastic and a flash mob of pink, pink and more pink.

Not only has Greta Gerwig reignited a long-dormant flame in diehard Barbie lovers like myself who have dreamed Barbie dreams, but some believe her take on Barbie’s world has put a much-needed feminist spin on what some might call the fickle reality of a doll and by extension society.

Besides the prominent pink and fabulous world Barbie tends to represent, a lot of who she is, is steeped in confidence, self-love and a show of friendship and womanhood.

So why has the film and, by extension, the world of Barbie and what she represents plunged us into a state of divisiveness?

Varying views have either launched an attack on what they consider the feminism vs patriarchal drivel, or some engage in “the Barbie has set us back argument,” when they considered concepts like self-empowerment, our right to be heard and, most importantly, society’s perception of women.

Columnist for the UK Guardian Natasha Walter reflected on the harsh reality faced by a plethora of women while trying to navigate the complex work-life balance and being forced to maintain a somewhat “plastic” and subversive view of beauty.

Walter wrote that the number of new, aspirational Barbies, who combine cool jobs with gleaming smiles, serve to remind us just how hard it still is even for successful and experienced women to be valued if they don't also show doll-like qualities.

In a world in which women are told they can be anything, too often they still have to be dolls as well.

It’s a painful reality, but most women in the real world feel set up for failure if they aren’t apt at combining the accepted beauty standards with intellectual grit, which alone is more than enough for a man.

Other views of equally damming effect tend to focus on the source of the anti-Barbie narrative and whether this theme collides with dark underlying opinions about women, representation and how out of tune society is when dissecting these concepts.

Katrina Vanden Heuvel proffered that Barbie is often perceived as a symbol of female empowerment so is it any wonder that she's an easy target for reactionary backlash?

It's only natural that Barbie is being targeted as Mattel's most recent slogan goes, Barbie wants girls to imagine the possibilities and for some those possibilities are unimaginable.

“Barbie and, by extension, women should learn to bat in deh crease!”

The truth is, “Barbieland, a pastel pink haven in which all problems of feminism and equal rights have been solved,” isn’t a luxury we all have in the “real” world.

One writer believes that just like Barbie, we are yet to eradicate those boxed-in labels that are easily thrown at women that define us, restrict us and cause us to act like an immune system under threat.

Of course, Barbie has allowed us to demystify a woman’s role in society, yet in the process, just like other tools used to free us, we’ve been boxed in even more.

Beauty standards that have birthed a consensus-approved look of hips, butt and tiny waist have made us more doll-like than ever before.

Our reality, in the eyes of some, is that within the fabric of our society there are tools used to systematically make women feel bad about themselves, resulting in monstrous insecurities, anxiety and pure unhappiness.

In many ways, Barbie, just like society, forces us to construct our identities around fickle beliefs of what beauty and success should look like and as result of this we fail to accept ourselves, flaws and all.

How do we confront this perceived fallacy? It’s tricky.

For with all that we see, hear and experience daily, finding your true self in the face of counter-narratives stacked against us is not, and I repeat, is not an easy task.

But denying yourself the privilege of owning your true identity is the most dangerous thing one can do.

Negate those stereotypes, give your voice a voice and in the end maybe those peddlers trying their best to tell us what to do would no longer be as vocal.