With award season upon us, it’s hard to ignore Barbie. Greta Gerwig’s billion-dollar summer sensation has officially broken the record for the most Critics’ Choice nominations – 18 in total! It’s clear Barbie has made its cultural mark.
It’s almost impossible to teach Psychology of Women and Gender without someone referencing Barbie. And, much like the doll itself, the movie is complicated. Is it feminist? Or, does it problematically reify (and possibly celebrate) traditional binary gender roles in a way that privileges white, heterosexual, able-bodied, cis femininity? I decided to lean into these questions rather than avoid them.
I typically do this assignment closer to the end of the semester, when we have covered most of the content of the course. Below are the clips I showed in class, followed by open-ended questions that students discussed in small groups. Before the class, I assigned each student one of the following chapters from our textbook: Chapters 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, and 11. I asked them to review their assigned chapter and identify theories and empirical evidence that they believed might be connected to Barbie. I asked them to organize these on a handout that they would bring to class. I then create groups so that each group has a representative for each chapter.
When class starts, I organize the room so that groups sit together. Before showing clips, I ask them to bring out their notes from the textbook. I remind them that they should connect their notes to what they are viewing and discussing.
Clip 1: Barbie dance scene
- In what ways is Barbie a movie about feminism, and in what ways is it not? Do you believe it reflects an intersectional perspective?
- How do corporations and consumption relate to gender? To feminism?
Clip 2: Barbie on bench with the older woman (who is Ann Roth, an Oscar-winning costume designer)
- The theme of death and aging was throughout the movie. Why?
- What was your take of the intergenerational themes? Why was this a poignant theme throughout, and what does it say about feminism across generations?
Clip 3: Mother/daughter montage of school drop off
- Did Barbie dolls free girls to care about something other than motherhood, or did it force women to adopt men’s ideas about success – possibly complicating women’s relationship with mothering?
- If girls don’t need Barbie dolls (or other dolls, like Bratz/Disney Princess), then why do they exist? What should replace them?
- What happens to girls that might make them abandon what they previously see as enjoyable or fun?
Clip 4: America Ferrera’s monologue on being a woman
- This particular clip generated quite a bit of buzz. What aspects of this monologue contributed to the immense popularity and backlash?
- Why do you believe this speech was made by Gloria (a women of color) toward Barbie (a white woman)?
Clip 5: Ken dance off scene with the other Kens
- At some point, Ken realizes that his idea of himself was tied to Barbie and things he owned. What does this reflect about masculinity?
- In many ways, this movie is also about Ken. What do you think the take-away is about him?
These class discussions were surprisingly emotional. While watching aspects of these scenes, students described how much the storyline resonated with their lives. Such emotion increased their engagement and motivation to connect what we were learning in our text to the movie and, ultimately, to their own lives. In this way, Barbie is an exceptional resource to help students connect their lives to the material in Psychology of Women and Gender.