You Can Be Anything!

        "You can be anything!" Wrong! You can't. But, we'll feed you these ideas through a colorful show and a line of dolls and then squash all of your hopes and dreams that came from these things when you grow old enough to see the truth!

        Barbie, the beautiful doll who can do and be anything is the perfect example of a stereotypical "dumb blond" who was able to make the cruel and unforgiving world seem more welcoming. She was—and still is—the role model to young girls who grew up in the less-than-ideal world that we all live in today.  She made everything seem possible, all while wearing dresses and heels. And, while her message was clear and tempting, it was hard to take it to heart when she was a fictitious character who was perfect, down to her immaculate makeup and pin-straight hair. Still, imagine the world's excitement when the announcement of a live-action Barbie was to be released. And, not just any Barbie, but a Barbie who faced real-world problems and was pragmatically able to face them.                  

        The movie itself was amazing, taking the perfections of Barbie and stripping them away when she entered the real world. Her realistic behavior showing the truths of the public made it so that women actually felt empowered. They weren't just staring at someone who they could envy, they were staring at someone who was easily relatable. The way Barbie was able to adjust to the new feelings that she faced upon entering the real world was refreshing to see, and adding her shock of seeing a world where men ruled and women essentially had no voice helped add an element of realism necessary to make Barbie understandable. Another huge cliché was, "He's just Ken."

        A really big part of the live-action Barbie was Ken, which represents all of the stereotypical qualities of women but as a man. He's shown as overly attention-seeking, shy, clumsy and demure. But, he's also portrayed with all of the stereotypical issues that men face. Attention-deprived, rejected and ignored. It's easy to see why he was enamored by the men in the real world who had money, fitness, and of course, horses. He gets sucked into the newness of it all and falls into the trap of toxicity. Fortunately, he's able to realize his mistakes and overcome them throughout the duration of the popular song, "I'm Just Ken," (which is a banger). He easily fell into the stereotype but was just as able to spring back out of it.

    Overall, this movie was able to break down gender stereotypes that are harmful in today's society and counteract them, making it easy to understand why it made over 1 billion dollars. And, it took Barbie's slogan, "You Can Be Anything," that used to be meaningless and made it uplifting. Now, just like "Barbie has a great day every day," we're shown that we can too.