I played with Barbies when I was a kid, but my older brothers made fun of me so I don’t remember playing with them for very long. I took out my mature disdain for Barbie and her pink-tinged world in a fervent Barbie hair-cutting phase. I discontinued my love of pink. I let others impact and define my unique Weird Barbie side. I developed an undefined dislike for Barbie, and Barbie dolls in general. I never introduced Barbie to my own daughter even though she loves dolls. She found the Barbie TV show on her own.
I never considered the meaning behind the creation of Barbie, but I still remember the first time I saw someone compare Barbie’s bust/waist/hip measurements to real-world standards and it was insanely unrealistic: 39-inch bust, 18-inch waist, and 33-inch hips. Carried by size 3 shoes. As unrealistic as it was, it was how society defined the “perfect” woman’s figure.
That’s impactful whether you’re a child, a teenager, or an adult. It stung me the most when I was a teen, during the years of comparison between peers- when you’re already insecure and feel less than perfect.
It’s taken 30 years, but I’m finally discovering and embracing the Weird Barbie in me.
It’s also okay to fit in.
For me, it is so wild to be a woman who is a mom, a daughter, a sister, and in a male-dominated profession in the military. All at once. It’s impossible to be “perfect” by everyone’s standards and I’d cripple under that anxiety if I tried.
Barbie, the Greta Gerwig 2023 film, made me feel seen and heard. My heart was shouting, “Finally, someone understands me!”
I will do my best to avoid spoilers, but if you haven’t seen it yet- you should go buy that ticket now. Make it a girls’ night, a moms’ night out, get dressed up or dressed down- and be the Weird Barbie you felt you had to hide to be happy and successful.
So, to the creator, actors, actresses, writers, Mattel, and everyone who created to the creation of this movie- thank you!
Barbie deeply validates that it’s okay to be a Weird Barbie.
It’s okay to be less than perfect. It’s okay to strive for big goals. It’s okay to be frustrated. It’s okay to feel sad. It’s okay to be you, as long as you are wholely you.
Another message from Barbie that touched me was the idea that at the end of the day, we should all try to be kind to those we meet. It’s not that hard. Just- be kind.
I have a new appreciation for Barbie as a mom of a daughter, and a son. There are so many lessons to gain from this movie if you’re open to it. So- to those who have seen it, what did you think?
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