Story by Zoebelle Bean, Opinion Editor
Childhood is plagued by concerns of adulthood and identity crises. Every child, either during or at the end of childhood, has come to realize that in some sense they are distant from their peers, and they have actualized their potential as independent societal members. Most of the time, this is influenced by childhood toys that act to help a child embrace their individuality. One such toy has held influence over children since its introduction in 1959: the Barbie.
An independent woman, Barbie owns all of her accessories, including her car, her house, and her job. Today, women may not think twice about this statement, but this was relatively untrue of most women in the late 1900s who came to idolize Barbie as the future of womanhood.
Perhaps this is why the Barbie movie incited so much interest this past summer. While it comes off as playful, the movie carried deep satire that ignited gender roles. In an effort to understand how polarizing the Barbie movie was, the Aquinas community offered their opinions on the film.
One professor off-handedly brought up the movie in a class discussion and remarked how “the movie is interesting because it plays on tropes and stereotypes in a satirical manner.”
A sophomore, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated: “I hated the movie. It was full of overdone stereotypes, and I didn’t want to go in the first place. I’m not a feminist either, so it didn’t appeal to me.”
Senior Kyle Cameon agreed, saying, “I expected it to be more of a romance story for Barbie and when it wasn’t, I was disappointed.”
Some students were neutral about the movie, including Senior Regina Bonifazi, who had mixed emotions. She claimed that she hated some parts and liked others, though, “the movie had too much fluff. The last scene was my favorite, but it was meaningless until the ending.”
However, some students were enthusiastic after the film. Sophomore Morgan Kuula claims, “The Barbie movie means so much more than toys or dolls that we played with as kids. This movie represents the struggles women grow up with and showcases the extreme differences between each gender’s view of the world. It showed to me how powerful women are.”
Truly the Barbie movie was an icon of the summer. Though people have strong opinions both ways, the truth is this is an event that most people will never forget.
Photo courtesy of The Movie Database
The Saint 