How an Anti-Feminist Symbol Like Barbie Became a Modern Feminist Icon

I held out as long as possible to see the Barbie movie. For me, Barbie is a toxic role model. One that gives little girls body image issues and makes them feel bad about their bodies. In a way that even <a href="http://xn--the%20ultra-thin%20dolls%20changed%20girls%20perceptions%20of%20the%20ideal%20body%20shape%2C%20moving%20it%20toward%20the%20thinner%20end%20of%20the%20spectrum-vf77h.%20unfortunately%2C%20playing%20with%20realistic%20dolls%20didn%27t%20undo%20these%20negative%20effects./" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">psychologists</a> confirm sticks with them. Her body proportions are completely distorted. Her head and breasts are so big that if she were a real woman, she would have to <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beauty-sick/201906/why-girls-are-rejecting-the-new-curvy-barbie#:~:text=One%20analysis%20suggests,girls:%20%E2%80%9CDon%E2%80%99t%20eat.%E2%80%9D" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">crawl around on all fours</a>. No progressive mother buys her daughter a Barbie. That was the consensus in my circles. So when “Barbie the Movie” came out, my first thought was, wtf? Barbie? Who needs a live-action movie about Barbies? But <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8283615/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">FOMO</a> is real. So I caved and watched it to see what everyone was talking about. But Barbie hasn’t changed, and I was very underwhelmed. This movie isn’t about feminist agendas. First of all, kudos to Greta Gerwig for being the first woman to direct a billion-dollar box office hit. I truly love that for her. And for us. It's a huge milestone. But did it have to be a movie about this noxious doll that got us there? Now, don't get me wrong, it's not an awful movie. The visual effects are amazing, the costume design rocks, and Margot Robbie is the perfect cast for the role. She does an amazing job. I do see the surface appeal of the movie. But I don't understand the hype. It’s the story of a blonde bimbo who lives in a luxurious Lala land. She has no cares or responsibilities. Every day is perfect — for her. <a href="https://medium.com/bitchy/how-an-anti-feminist-symbol-like-barbie-became-a-modern-feminist-icon-11bb76f29255">Read More</a>