Greta Gerwig’s one billion dollar hit “Barbie” has shaken the media with its representation of the patriarchy and modern-day feminism.

In the Mattel-inspired film, Barbie Land is a fictional world in which women own homes, hold roles of leadership, and support one another regardless of size, color, and gender identification. The Kens of this universe essentially exist as arm candy to the Barbies, admiring and supporting their partners with a smile and a wave.

The fantastical universe is stirring quite the controversy among viewers, begging the question, “Does Greta Gerwig hate men?”

Conservatives across the country, including Ben Shapiro and Candace Owens, have shared their outrage with the film.

Although Owens decided not to view the film based on reviews, she still holds strong opinions, which she shared on her podcast. “We are living in a world that is increasingly anti-man,” Owens said. “While we are pretending that women are suffering under the foot of the patriarchy, what’s actually happening is that toxic feminism has risen to the top and is actually oppressing men with movements that make entirely no sense.”

Shapiro went as far as to burn Barbies on his YouTube channel in an effort to protest the film and Mattel.

From the far right’s perspective, the thought of females having so much control over their own lives is a controversial and alarming ideology. After all, Ken has feelings too.

Those who claim Gerwig’s playful, fictional land is anti-man are missing the point of this summer’s blockbuster.

Isla Muñoz, 4, at the World Of Barbie Exhibit in Santa Monica, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. Isla’s mom is a native Santa Monican who was a child model and appeared on “Fashion Party Nikki” Barbie doll boxes when she was Isla’s age. (Josephine Fischer | The Corsair)

While “Barbie” does push feminist ideals, it does not exclude men from the narrative. Barbie compares our real world and the fictional one, with Barbie Land exhibiting the opposite of America’s current thriving patriarchy.

Rather than America’s oldest white, male president, leading the Barbie Land is a Barbie of color played by Issa Rae. Alongside her is an all-female Supreme Court, a stark contrast to the United States Supreme Court on which only six women have served in America’s history.

Women stepping into positions of leadership is a relatively new concept for America, with the first female representative, Jeannette Rankin, being elected to Congress in 1916. This came almost 130 years after our constitution was ratified. There are still 18 states in the United States that have never elected a female governor, including the very liberal state of California.

Outside of government, women have spent hundreds of years shattering the plastic ceiling.

With the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote in 1920 came an upsurge in women breaking traditional gender roles. Myra Bradwell helped to open doors by becoming one of the first female attorneys in America and fighting the battle against gender discrimination. In the years following, women traded in being teachers, nurses, and secretaries, for male-dominated fields such as medicine and law.

Gerwig herself broke records with this feature becoming the highest-grossing opening weekend for a film directed by a woman and snatching the title of Warner Bros.’ highest grossing global release, surpassing “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II.”

Despite these milestones, it is unrealistic to assume that we have left the patriarchy behind, as it is still alive and well.

Barbie does not set out to implement the idea that women should take over the world and leave their husbands at home but instead points out that neither men nor women should hold the reins of power, but rather share it.

While conservatives may disagree, the patriarchy is not only harmful to women and the queer community but also puts restraints on cis-gendered men as well. When men are forced to take on the role of “breadwinner,” they are pushed to isolate themselves from their families and their community.

According to a June 2021 study performed by the Survey Center of American Life, 28% of men under the age of 30 reported having no close social connections and 18% reported having no more than one person they could turn to outside of their immediate household for help.

The patriarchy enforces an order in which men must work, provide, and exhibit no emotions outside of strength. This is as unhealthy for men as the “quiet and subservient” role is for women.

*Isla Muñoz poses for a portrait holding a Mermaid Barbie. (Josephine Fischer | The Corsair)*

It is important to note that the voice of the film, Margot Robbie’s Stereotypical Barbie, is exactly as described: stereotypical. Barbies of all ethnicities, sexualities, and sizes are seen on the big screen, but their stories are not the leading voices.

Gerwig herself is a white female director and can only express feminism through her own experiences as a white woman. Women of color have historically been left out of previous waves of feminism, and it is imperative to remember there is more than one narrative to consider.

“Barbie” has inarguably sparked a conversation about feminism and questions as to what it means to be a feminist. In continuing the conversation, we must listen to those whose experiences differ from our own.

The truth of the matter is humans should be encouraged to equally feel, dream and live a unique life that is fit for them because gender roles are not one-size-fits-all like Barbie’s wardrobe.

Simply put, “Barbie” is a comedic rollercoaster that holds a funhouse mirror up to the world we live in, showing a feminist fantasy. It is not meant to be taken too seriously, as fantasy can not be a reality, and was created for the little kid inside of us all who dreams of a better future.

“My hope for the movie is that it’s an invitation for everybody to be part of the party and let go of the things that aren’t necessarily serving us as either women or men,” said Gerwig in a New York Times interview.

Media can only ignite a flame of change, and it is up to us, the viewers, to take the message and run with it. It is up to us to rally together and tear down the Mojo Dojo Casa Houses. And it is up to us to take a look around and make sure no one is left behind.

So let us join Barbie Land in waking up from the patriarchal brainwashing, turn up some Indigo Girls, and ride our Barbie dream cars into a new wave of feminism where everyone is Kenough.

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