Feminism, Barbie, and Intersectionality in Film
Photo by Elena Mishlanova on Unsplash
In 2023, Barbie quickly became a cultural phenomenon as it garnered a core audience even before the film was released. I was admittedly one of those people who were intrigued to see the film. When the character posters were unveiled, I immediately noticed the diversity in both the Barbies and Kens. The film features a wide range of actors portraying different versions of Barbie and Ken, highlighting varied backgrounds, body types, and personalities—something rarely seen in major studio films centered around iconic characters.
I didn’t have a good experience when I first tried to see Barbie. I had signed up for an early screening, which was notably first-come first-served. Unfortunately, the venue I went to also sold tickets, meaning the line was out the door and wrapped around the corner solely for people who had purchased tickets through a third party. It was mid-July, on a busy street in Center City, Philadelphia, and I was dressed in an on-theme outfit, only to be turned away just as the door came into view. As a result, I already had a negative association with the movie, made even worse by the fact that tickets were sold out. I wasn’t able to see the film for weeks after its release.
As a movie lover, I value the experience of seeing films in a theater. The reactions of others filling the room, aided by surround sound and the smell of theater food, always comfort me. I didn’t get this experience with Barbie, and I am undoubtedly grateful—because when I finally watched it in mid-August in a nearly empty theater, I was allowed the opportunity to form a more true opinion of the film. In the end, I left the theater underwhelmed and disappointed. My initial reaction was that the diversity represented in the promotional material fell flat in the actual film. While the promotional posters featured Barbies and Kens of various races and body types, the film itself largely centered on the experiences of the white, blonde Barbie, leaving the other characters with minimal screen time and limited development.
Photo by Ka’Neisha Davis, shown is the Barbie trailer
Before the live-action film, Barbie dolls gained popularity for their representations of women being capable of having any career. As explained in an Asher Witmer article: “Barbie marked a significant shift in the way children interacted with dolls. Prior to Barbie, dolls were primarily seen as representations of babies and children needing to be nurtured. Barbie, with her adult features and glamorous lifestyle, presented a new model for girls’ play. She encouraged them to imagine themselves as independent, successful women, pursuing careers and enjoying a variety of experiences.” This alone is a significant marker in history, but admittedly was reflective of what was considered progressive at the time. While having an adult woman doll was a step forward from traditional baby dolls, Barbie's exaggerated features and idealized body type often resembled a caricature of femininity. The early Barbies almost exclusively portrayed white women, highlighting the limitations of that progress and the lack of racial diversity in the brand’s initial vision of womanhood.
The first Black dolls were made by Mattel in 1966 and were named Francie and Christie. These were notable sidekicks to the actual Barbie doll. It wasn’t until 1980, years after the initial Barbie release, that an actual Black Barbie was made. The idea of women of color being an afterthought is echoed in the 2023 film. It is established in the movie that America Ferrera’s character, Gloria, owned the Barbie that Margot Robbie portrays. The dominating narrative of the movie is one of self-discovery for Barbie, namely, what her identity is as an autonomous being. She discovers this only because of the existence of Gloria, who is often treated as an afterthought.
America Ferrera is a Latina actress of Lenca ancestry, an Indigenous group native to Honduras. She is one of several women of color featured in Barbie. Issa Rae, a Black actress, portrayed President Barbie in the film. Alexandra Shipp, who is biracial, with Black and white heritage, played Writer Barbie. Ana Cruz Kayne, a Filipina-American actress, took on the role of Supreme Court Justice Barbie. Despite all of this, these characters do little to drive the plot and have minuscule screen time. Their identities as women of color are not made an integral part of their characters or their careers. While Barbie dolls of various ethnicities and professions allow young girls to see themselves in vocations they aspire to, the film doesn't explore or highlight the significance of these characters' racial or cultural backgrounds, leaving a missed opportunity to celebrate their full identities.
Most of the movie is overtaken by the Ken dolls, which, in a way, mirrors the complexities women of color face when trying to be seen among men. This imbalance is also reflected in the lack of depth in Barbie, which prioritizes white experiences and leaves emotional moments feeling flat. When Gloria attempts to connect with Barbie as she cries over her self-image, I couldn’t empathize as deeply as I had hoped. The film even uses satire in this scene, pointing out the irony of watching Margot Robbie cry about self-worth. This comedic moment ultimately fell flat, as it not only highlighted the film’s issues but did nothing to address or shift them.
One of my earliest memories of anything Barbie-related is receiving one at my 6th birthday party. I was immediately taken aback that she was Black, not because I didn’t like it, but because she didn’t look like the Barbie from the animated films I watched. My parents, of course, understood the importance of my having dolls that reflected who I was. Yet, I was left questioning why the main character of the films, whom I saw as the "true" Barbie, didn’t look like my doll. If they could recreate every aspect of the Barbie brand, including all her accessories, why was the protagonist never a girl of color? This question mirrors the larger issue in the 2023 Barbie film. While the movie celebrates diversity in its cast, it struggles to fully acknowledge or explore the identities of its women of color characters, reducing them to mere side notes in a film that prioritizes white experiences.
Barbie’s failure to meaningfully integrate these diverse actors, despite their prominence in the promotional material, is frustrating. Barbie's narrative, which revolves around self-discovery, remains hollow when it is disconnected from these broader cultural identities. Ultimately, in a time when we are striving for progress and inclusivity, it's disappointing to see that the most significant aspects of the film, its diversity and the potential for rich storytelling, are left so surface-level. How did you feel about the way diversity was handled in Barbie? Do you think films today are doing enough to move beyond surface-level representation and tell deeper, more inclusive stories?
