Everything You Don’t Know About The Barbie Movie
Besides whether she’ll win an Academy Award
Note: go here for the free video version (with a music track that includes me whistling the Barbie melody)
We’re gonna cover a lot of topics, so here’s your TOC. Make sure to read the Streamberry fine print!
- Is The Barbie Movie Secretly A Sequel To The Matrix?
- Will Ferrell: the Architect of capitalism and all that is evil
- The 2003 MTV Movie Awards
- The hero’s arc doesn’t require Barbie to be “The One”
- PS. Ken gets his own “Matrix” arc too
- Every other Barbie (and Ken — and Allan!) you can expect to see
- Barbies you WON’T see
- Early reactions to Barbie
- What other movies does Barbie reference?
- The music of Barbie
- While I’ve got your attention, please find a screening near you of Black Barbie: A Documentary
- Easter Egg Barbie
Is The Barbie Movie Secretly A Sequel To The Matrix?
In the most subversive movie of my generation, our protagonist wakes to the truth that their deepest dread isn’t just paranoia. Their seemingly idealized world is actually the dystopian creation of a malevolent intelligence harvesting their bodies for resources.
But enough about Barbie — I want to tell you why it’s secretly set in the same cinematic universe as The Matrix.
Who knew Barbie had cyberpunk roots? Maybe the Joi character from Blade Runner 2049 is simply the logical endpoint for Barbie as a product.
NOTE: That’s Ryan Gosling AGAIN in the bottom right corner. Is Blade Runner and replicants also the future for Ken? Did you notice all of these movies are owned by Warner Bros?
And yet in the upcoming Barbie movie, Barbie follows a path mirrored by the replicants in Blade Runner and its sequel. Like those synthesized people, she discovers she is not simply a product. She is not simply a concept. She is a person who knows she deserves more than what men want from her.
Described by Maddie Davis for Comic Book Resources, the trailers for Barbie show off “the titular Mattel doll in her perfect Barbie world. But, despite the pretty plastic life she was given, Barbie doesn’t feel like she’s supposed to. Her reality doesn’t seem right to her…”
Barbie’s questions about life and death bring fresh challenges — and fresh cracks in her seemingly perfect world. Indeed, things go from weird to Weird (Barbie).
Whereas Barbie begins the story so privileged that she literally floats from her roof to the front seat of her car…
Barbie suddenly gets cold showers, bad haircuts, and — WARNING!!!
Barbie gets flat feet. OMFG.
Barbie’s inner turmoil (and the pleas of her fellow Barbies) lead her to Kate McKinnon’s Weird Barbie, who presents the movie’s most obtrusive link to The Matrix yet.
As described by Maddie Davis:
The first of these options is for Barbie to remain in her perfect Barbie world with her friends and keep living her manufactured life. This option is aptly represented by a high-heeled shoe, one of Barbie’s many fashion staples.
But another option would change Barbie’s life as she knows it. That is, of course, to enter the real world and experience life among the imperfect human race. Instead of a heel, this option is represented by a Birkenstock, which references real-life fashion styles.
The trailer shows Barbie just as hesitant as Neo refusing to make the jump from the office window.
But once Barbie’s version of the Morpheus explains what’s at stake, she follows a path strikingly similar to Neo.
In Maddie’s description of the Barbie trailer for CBR, they also gave this description to note just how deeply the story for Barbie parallels the cyberpunk dystopian narrative popularized by the Wachowski siblings.
Neo, played by John Wick’s legendary Keanu Reeves, approaches an all-knowing man named Morpheus to gain some insight into the world around him. Morpheus then gives him a choice between two pills, one red and one blue, that carry drastically different side effects. Taking the blue pill would seemingly have no effect, as Neo would return to his normal life, having his mind altered to the state in which he was oblivious to the Matrix and any illusions throughout his life. On the other hand, the red pill would allow him to fully understand what the Matrix is and what the illusions were hiding about life outside the Matrix. The red pill would make him completely self-aware of the simulation he’s in and, in theory, allow him to escape the manufactured reality.
Fun, huh? But not just fun.
The biggest clue that this is literally set in the universe of The Matrix doesn’t stand out unless you’re old as **** (like me).
You’d need to be old enough to remember the 2003 MTV Movie Awards.
Will Ferrell: the architect of capitalism and all that is evil
That’s Will Ferrell as a version of the Architect, a character first introduced in The Matrix: Reloaded as a sentient program who thinks of himself as the father of the Matrix itself (the Oracle is its mother). He played the role in the opening skit for the 2003 MTV Movie Awards.
The 2003 MTV Movie Awards
Now having seen that…take a look at Will Ferrell’s newest role in the Barbie movie as the CEO of Mattel, a corporation dedicated to harvesting anyone who plays with their toys for resources.
Seem familiar?
One early reaction to the film said Will Ferrell may be the movie’s secret weapon.
Will Ferrell hasn’t been this funny in years, he plays a shallow and performative CEO of Mattel.
The same reviewer said we need to look out for another surprise standout appearance from none other than Michael Cera. Fresh off the Streamberry boat, Michael Cera is ready to cameo (no pun intended) in yet another story about a multiverse gone wild.
Gotta tell ya, though…my most anticipated cameos are John Cena and Dua Lipa as a merman and mermaid (more on those below).
But my most anticipated moment of Barbie is how they’ll transform her character while honoring her legacy.
The hero’s arc doesn’t require Barbie to be “The One”
Just as happened in The Matrix, Barbie’s destiny will not be to embrace the role of her idealized self in Barbie World, nor to embrace the “real” version of a woman people throw at her when she hops into another dimension.
Barbie’s potential includes more than high heels and Birkenstocks. Barbie will discover a third option.
She is not “the one.” There is no “one.” Just as there is no Perfect Woman in the real world, Barbie will face the consequences of accepting the flaws in her perfection and the full impact of her legacy.
(Hopefully by checking out Black Barbie: A Documentary)
Like Neo, Barbie will face true death and potential oblivion, but she will instead choose radical acceptance.
She will choose the reality of her flaws and her significance, because both are what empower her to empower herself as much as those who are not copies of her or her form.
PS. Ken gets his own “Matrix” arc too
Fresh off his OTHER role about the validity of synthetic beings and divergent identities in Blade Runner 2049, Ryan Gosling has returned to claim another character about men pursuing authenticity and vulnerability.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Ryan Gosling said that just as Barbie is questioning her role in Barbieland, Ken is questioning his.
He is made to worship Barbie, but she is not receptive.
“Ken’s got no money,” Ryan Gosling said, “he’s got no job, he’s got no car, he’s got no house. He’s going through some stuff.”
“That Ken life is even harder than the ‘Gray Man’ life, I think,” Gosling said, referencing his action-filled movie The Gray Man (2022) about a CIA agent on the run.
Every other Barbie (and Ken — and Allan!) you can expect to see
Issa Rae: Barbie
Why ‘Barbie’ Screening Left Issa Rae “Speechless” (Hollywood Reporter)
There were definitely parts of the costume and the way that [President Barbie] carries herself that [Greta Gerwig] was deferential to me about, and I saw her be that way with Kingsley Ben-Adir. Everyone had versions of how they wanted their Barbies or Kens to be, and I saw her take those ideas and make them her own in the best possible way.
Dua Lipa: Mermaid Barbie
John Cena: Merman Ken
Alexandra Shipp: Barbie
Will Ferrell: Mattell CEO
Kate McKinnon: Weird Barbie
Ncuti Gatwa: Ken
Simu Liu: Ken
Rhea Pearlman: unknown role, rumored to be Ruth Handler, the creator of Barbie
Michael Cera: Allan (he’s not a Ken!)
America Ferrara: Sasha, with an incredible monologue about the double standards women
Hari Nef: she gave her Barbie a ridiculously gay backstory (Them)
Emma Mackey: a Barbie who just so happens to have a Nobel Prize in physics
Barbies you WON’T see
Amy Schumer: believe it or not, Barbie was originally going to star Amy Schumer as the titular character
See also: Amy Schumer dropped out of original Barbie movie because it ‘didn’t feel feminist and cool’
When asked what happened on an episode of Bravo’s Watch What Happens, Schumer joker, “They said I was too thin.” But she has since then opened up about what really happened.
Schumer told The Hollywood Reporter in 2022 that an incident involving a Jell-O shoe led to her exit.
“They definitely didn’t want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it,” she told the outlet, confirming that she wanted the character to be an “inventor,” but that the studio wanted her invention to be a shoe made out of the sweet treat. “The idea that that’s just what every woman must want, right there, I should have gone, ‘You’ve got the wrong gal.’”
“But it really was just like, creative differences,” she went on to say. “But there’s a new team behind it and it looks like it’s very feminist and cool, so I will be seeing this movie.”
Saoirse Ronan: according to an interview with People, Saoirse Ronan’s Barbie cameo didn’t happen because it clashed with her filming schedule
“I live in London and they were [filming] there,” Ronan said. “There was a whole character I was going to play — another Barbie. I was gutted I couldn’t do it.”
Early reactions to Barbie
Ryan Gosling Teases ‘Barbie’ Movie, His ‘Kenergy’ and ‘The Gray Man’ Film (Exclusive)
“I can’t wait for people to see the film,” he marveled. “That’s all I can say, otherwise Mattel will come in and box me up.”
Reactions For Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ Are VERY GOOD, Ryan Gosling Steals the Show (World of Reel)
“I saw Barbie. Loved it. Gonna be a massive movie.”
“Fiercely feminist and volcanically hysterical. So flashy and bright. Will win Oscars for Costume and Design, they’re delicious.”
“It deconstructs the feminist iconography of Barbie and recontextualises her for a new generation.”
“Creates strong commentary and juxtaposition. Since this is Gerwig, there’s a big heart at the centre.”
“Margot [Robbie] plays Barbie with a Valley accent, interest and agency, as she questions her position in Barbieland and clashes with Ken about patriarchy.”
“[Ryan] Gosling is outstanding as Ken, perhaps his best performance. He’s a huge scene stealer and gets to sing and dance. He will probably get Oscar nominated. Will Ferrell hasn’t been this funny in years, he plays a shallow and performative CEO of Mattel. Other standouts include Rhea Pearlman and Michael Cera.”
“It’s one of the best studio films in years and easily best studio comedy in even longer.”
“An absolute delight that will be an obsessive favorite. Greta elevated her game. Visually, it’s iconic. The costumes pop off the screen and the sets appropriately feel toy-esque and animated. Every performance is on the same wavelength and delivers on the camp. Gosling is MVP and has never been better. His performance will be memed to death.”
“Despite the overall spiky and over the top comedy (there’s even a chase scene!), it remains surprisingly emotional and playfully and blissfully political without being heavy-handed. It moves quickly but nails it’s narrative beats.”
“America Ferrara’s monologue about double standards women face earned applause. It’ll be PG-13, there’s sexual jokes and swearing.”
What other movies does Barbie reference?
Greta explained to the crowd at CinemaCon…that much of the technicolour visuals were inspired by the classic 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz (many eagle-eyed viewers had already noticed easter egg references to the yellow brick road and Dorothy in the trailers) as well as the vibrant, energetic spirit of disco music.
See also: Is the ‘Barbie’ Movie Somehow Connected to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ ? Fans Say Yes! (People)
In a video with more than 3 million views, Bobbi, another user on TikTok who shares pop culture-related content, similarly pointed out The Wizard of Oz details that she spotted in the teaser trailer.
She noticed that a still from the 1939 film can be seen on the screen inside the theater that Barbie drives by in the trailer. The still is of a shot where the yellow brick road leads to the Emerald City, showing the path Dorothy and her friends have followed to their destination.
The classic trailer with a giant Barbie also references 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Classic trailer with giant Barbie
The music of Barbie
- Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice — Barbie World (with Aqua) [Official Music Video]
- AQUA — Barbie Girl (Tiësto Remix) [Lyric Video]
- Aqua — Barbie Girl (Noisemaker Remix)
- BARBIE GIRL X NOT YOUR BARBIE GIRL (REMIX BASS SLOW) — AMAZING!!!
- Qveen Herby — Barbie Girl
- AQUA — BARBIE GIRL (BOOMSOUNDS REMIX)
- SERENEJA ft. Morpheus — MATRIX BARBIE but it’s drill (dope remix)
See also: If BARBIE GIRL Was The Hardest Song In The World (by the best bass player on YouTube)
While I’ve got your attention, please find a screening near you of Black Barbie: A Documentary
In 1959, Barbie was released. Twenty-one years later, Black Barbie hit the shelves. Beulah Mae Mitchell, who worked on the Mattel assembly line, asked her boss Ruth Handler, the creator of Barbie: “Why isn’t there a doll that looks like me?”
Today, her niece, filmmaker Lagueria Davis, will tell her story and explore the broader struggle for Black female representation in a world where worthy rarely means Black.
Through examining the history of Barbie, the most iconic girl toy brand of all time, Black Barbie: A Documentary will explore the double standard of femininity and beauty that Black women face. With exclusive access to Beulah Mae Mitchell, the charismatic aunt of the director, the film will take us on a personal journey through her 45-year career at Mattel working on the signature brand, and her impact on the evolving diversity displayed in today’s product line. Historically the toy industry, led predominantly by white men and women, has overlooked the significance of seeing diverse faces mirrored on our shelves, and the lengthy, uphill battles it takes to get them there. Our film will bolster the importance of representation and the necessity to incorporate more inclusive voices into the mainstream.
Love her or hate her, almost everyone has a Barbie story. Even if they don’t have a story, there’s a story as to why they don’t have a story. In this film, we tell the story behind the first Black Barbie, because yes, she has a story too. It started with the filmmaker’s 83-year old aunt, Beulah Mae Mitchell and a seemingly simple question, “Why not make a Barbie that looks like me?”
‘Black Barbie: A Documentary’ Review: A Fascinating but Unfocused History of a Groundbreaking Doll
It is part of American lore on race and progress: In the 1940s, Kenneth and Mamie Clark set out to study the psychological effects of segregation on Black children. The psychologists conducted a series of experiments famously called the “doll test,” in which they asked hundreds of children, between the ages of 3 and 7, about dolls of different colors. The most well-known and damning revelations from the test — which played a major role in the Supreme Court ruling on Brown v. Board of Education — came from the responses to the question of preference. After identifying the Black dolls as bad and the white ones as good, most of the Black children said they preferred the white dolls to the Black ones.
Director Lagueria Davis repeatedly references the doll test and its results in her energetic and informative, if uneven, documentary Black Barbie: A Documentary. The experiment anchors her film, which explores the history of Mattel’s first African American Barbie doll before broadening its scope to look at the cultural significance of toys in America, how they can perpetuate — and sometimes debunk — stereotypes. Davis, who admits a healthy skepticism toward dolls early on, uses her doc to draw attention to the various layers of an existing conversation.
‘Black Barbie’ Review: Witty and Weighty Doc Dives Into the History of the 1980s Doll
Davis makes a jam-packed argument that the road to Barbie diversity and inclusion has been long and marked by detours, intersections and, maybe a dead end or two.
The film consists of three chapters and the final one, “Future of Black Barbie: Center of Her Own Story?,” features a brainy klatch of thinkers led by developmental psychologist and professor Dr. Amirah Saafir and family therapist Yeshiva Davis who’ve done doll studies with a new and diverse set of youngsters.
Agency is the topic. And even more than the adults who fawn over the original Black Barbie doll more than her contemporary descendant Brooklyn Barbie, the children in this segment offers ample insights we’ll want to return to as we head into a summer with director Greta Gerwig’s and star Margot Robbie’s live-action Barbie on the horizon.
Lagueria Davis Interview for Black Barbie: A Documentary | SXSW 2023 (YouTube)
SXSW 2023: Lagueria Davis ‘Black Barbie’ Interview (YouTube)
Black Barbie: A Documentary (The Awesome Foundation)
Easter Egg Barbie
Margot Robbie Takes You Inside The Barbie Dreamhouse | Architectural Digest (YouTube)
In conclusion…are you as excited as me to see Barbie??
Over on Patreon, my $3 supporters and above can check out a preview of music we made for a brief segment in an upcoming documentary about sci-fi/fantasy author CS Friedman. We needed to make the audience feel like you’re INSTANTLY in the 1970s — but on the verge of transitioning into the 80s.
How did we do?
If you want to see what else you’re supporting, watch our latest video on highlander, vampires, and immortality (includes our short film from high school) (text version here).
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