Since its release, Barbie (2023), most commonly referred to as “The Barbie movie,” has been a hot topic of discussion among youth and adults alike. But what could there possibly be to discuss about a live action movie about dolls? Well, to answer that question, we’ll have to dive into the overall message of this movie. The theme of this movie isn’t particularly muted in any way. It presents the effects of the patriarchy on both men and women in a way that is easy to understand.

The movie brought in over $1 billion in the box office, which is fantastic considering it cost over $145 million to make and produce. It also managed to make more money than Oppenheimer, which released on the same day, Barbie making roughly $5 million more than Oppenheimer.

This overwhelming success wasn’t for no reason, though. For decades, the Barbie franchise has been extremely popular, with a variety of dolls and other animated movies made in its name. This success was more than expected for such a household name. However, the overall message of the movie seems to frustrate some.

The message of this movie isn’t particularly subtle. It presents the effects of the patriarchy on both men and women in a way that is easy to digest for its wide audience. Particularly in the United States, this reveals the underlying issues of a patriarchal society by reversing the roles of men and women several times throughout the movie. This is likely to not only get an important message through to men, but also women.

Quite a few students at Buffalo Island Central both agree with and understand this movie. An Example of this is eighth grader Grace Oldsen. “I like the feminist uprising in the movie, as well as how Barbie kind of overthrows the patriarchy,” said Olsen.

However, this movie’s message doesn’t sit quite right with some of our students. “I didn’t like it because I don’t like when politics gets into movies,” said  Sophomore Hector Ramos. “However, I think it’s good that these topics are included in childrens’ movies to educate them. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it’s Barbie.”

The Barbie movie presents a powerful message which is divisive among those who watch it. On one hand, there are the people that find its example of the patriarchy distasteful. On the other hand, others really enjoyed the message. In any case, the message remains the same; under patriarchy, neither men nor women can truly prosper.