barbie movie review by christian

Reviewed by: Jim O'Neill CONTRIBUTOR

Story based on the Mattel toy doll

Woke messaging in films

A feminist critique of capitalism

Barbie having an existential crisis

Films that appear to be for youngsters, but are NOT

Transgenderism promotion by Hollywood

Hollywood leftist deconstruction of ‘gender roles’ and increasing man bashing in movies

Feminism’s sexist anti-man messaging—painting masculinity as toxic and predatory / males as idiots, bigots or pathetic losers

Is the FEMINIST MOVEMENT the right answer to the mistreatment that some women endure in this sinful world? Answer

Social satire

Films that attempt to contrast fantasy and dark reality

G reta Gerwig’s “Barbie” has a cotton candy wispiness that would be fine for a movie about a doll that comes to life, but behind the pink frosting facade, Gerwig has spun candy that is hard—and sour.

Gerwig, and her partner, Noah Baumbach , who co-wrote the script, might appear to be apt choices to make a film about the odd person out trying to catch a break on the inside while still maintaining the quirkiness of an appealing outsider. Gerwig’s performances as an actress in Whit Stillman’s “Damsels in Distress” and Baumbach’s “Frances Ha” were iconoclastic and daringly funny. Her insouciant embodiments of “innocent as doves” but secretly “wise as serpents” space-cadets in the mold of Zasu Pitts, Billie Burke and Judy Holliday, were a breath of fresh air.

As a director, however, Gerwig’s focus and tone have become stale, dour and accusatory. The wrathful “ Lady Bird ” and the unfaithful (literally and scripturally) “ Little Women ” were both successes, taking her from “low-budget indie” wannabe to well-healed Hollywood A-lister. As such, she not only abides by the rules of the realm, but has become one of its most reliable and outspoken voices.

With “Barbie,” Gerwig does everything bigger, bolder and louder. There is no soft underbelly to this doll. The film is pepper-sprayed with bursts such as: “either you’re brainwashed or you’re weird and ugly; there’s no in-between,” and my favorite, spoken to Barbie by a teenage student (a re-run of the “Lady Bird” speech shouted by that film’s title character to a conservative religious woman, a favorite Gerwig target): “You represent everything wrong with our culture… you destroyed the planet… you set feminism back,” and so on, concluding her “j’accuse” diatribe by calling Barbie “a fascist.” That kind of red-faced hectoring never lets up. Too often I felt as though I was sitting through a “Libs of TikTok” marathon .

The movie’s plot is a terse throw-away. The main doll, “Stereotypical Barbie” ( Margot Robbie ) lives in a fantasy world called Barbieland with all kinds of other Barbies who live in dream houses and drive dream cars. It is a feminist , but peculiarly unfeminine, environment in which the president is a woman, all nine Supreme Court justices are women, health care is provided by women, and businesses are run by women. The men, labeled “superfluous” citizens, are not even relegated to the sidelines; they have no place on the field at all.

A crack develops in Barbieland allowing Barbie to travel from fantasy land to the real world, a contrived plot device and a cheap “Matrix” rip-off, the first of many such “borrowings” from or references to earlier classic films, ironically ones made by decidedly non-feminist, macho filmmakers such as Stanley Kubrick, Francis Ford Coppola and, astonishingly, Robert Evans.

Each Barbie in Barbieland may have a plastic doll counterpart in the real world. Evidently, whatever happens to the doll and her owner in that realm has a concomitant effect on the Barbieland inhabitant. When the main Barbie starts developing human maladies such as flat feet and a bit of cellulite, she does not consult a Barbieland podiatrist or luposucionist (both of whom one would suspect in a perfect Barbie world would be crackerjack practitioners of their specialties), but instead travels to the real world (yes, in a pink Cadillac, pink motorboat, and pinkish rocket ship) to find the little girl whose dark thoughts has brought on her distress. Little does she know that her existential trip, for a doll, will lead her to fall into the clutches of the dark and male infested hands of the toy company that makes her, Mattel.

The Mattel conglomerate is located in Los Angeles, and traveling from one LaLa land to another could be fodder for some good jokes about how real and imaginary places may not be so different (remember the Star Trek movie scenario of the Enterprise landing in San Francisco, a place weirder than any extraterrestrial sphere could be?), but that nerve is never touched. Gerwig and Baumbach do know what side their bread is buttered on. There’s nothing new brought to this battlefield, even with Will Ferrell playing Will Ferrell playing a Ken-like dodo playing a past-his-prime jerk.

With each new performance, Ferrell is morphing into an A.I. version of himself, but in this case he sputters lines that an A.I. program, or even a Barbieland doll, would roll their eyes at.

In the real world, Stereotypical Barbie is absconded by secret service like Mattel minions while a befuddled Ken debates whether to rescue her or seek help. You may have already guessed that the film does not miss the opportunity to further emasculate Ken as he chooses to run back to Barbieland for help. Adding further insult to injury, he never returns for her either.

Meanwhile, Ferrell and his boardroom cohorts, all men in dark suits, prove to be easy, cookie-cutter targets. The strongest corporate retort to Barbie’s criticisms of their non-inclusiveness and all around non-niceness is a timid: “Some of my best friends are Jewish.”

This from Hollywood’s A-list original screenplay team?

Gerwig’s Barbie does not grow into a flesh and blood girl in the same way Pinocchio evolved into a boy through humility and self-sacrifice. She is inordinately cruel to Ken and seems to have a cold core, one that Margot Robbie sometimes brings to the surface, channeling the murderous character she played in the “ Suicide Squad ” movies, and giving her doll an edge that is sharp, if at times a bit rusty. Robbie has an inviting and generous smile which Quentin Tarantino used to enchanting effect in “ Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ,” but she can turn that smile to something sinister and deadly, as she did in the underrated “ Mary, Queen of Scots ,” in which she used her grin as a mask to soften, or conceal, the human monster, and political genius, that was Queen Elizabeth I. In “Barbie,” Robbie can’t seem to get the balance right. She holds onto the Mattel plastic while keeping the vulnerable humanity at bay.

The film begins with Barbie, standing as a tall bathing-suit clad monolith surrounded by a bevy of very young girls who defiantly smash and toss away their baby dolls. It’s not just a cheesy rendition of Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” opening where the apes bang bones they learned to use as weapons, but a cold and cynical cry for emancipation from the binds of what motherhood, and traditional womanhood, represent to the modern Hollywood sensibility.

As the movie unfolds, its makers herald the positives of such liberation, but shy away from its downsides. Barbie nonetheless develops a crisis of confidence, and then one of existence itself. Her anxiety is deep, the result we’re told, of patriarchal oppression, leading Barbie to have “irrepressible thoughts of death.”

When a tale starts, not with life as the Genesis story does, but with death, and that is what the baby destroying scene represents, it is fated to come full circle. Barbie’s “irrepressible thoughts” are about more than chauvinism. Those thoughts cry out for redemption and rebirth.

Despite her eschatological concerns, this living doll has no spiritual dismay and no sense of what she was created for. Does she look to Someone who, before she was formed, knew her? Her self-reliance, cynically referred to as empowerment, blinds her to seeing that “all things in heaven and earth, the visible and the invisible…were created through Him and for Him.” Barbie jumps from battle to battle, emulating the Director’s own personal fight for the rights of marginalized women everywhere, but by never putting on “the shield of Christ ,” she is ultimately unequipped to “fight the good fight.” No wonder she and her real world counterpart have thoughts of despair and death.

Did I mention those thoughts are applauded by film’s end?

You know a movie’s script and production are weak when so much depends on a bevy of supporting and cameo appearances by underused, underwritten, or just miscast performers such as America Ferrera , Michael Cera , Issa Rae , Rhea Perlman , and John Cena who seem mostly befuddled by the polemic drivel they have to speak.

Helen Mirren is inexplicably and shamefully used as a narrator trying to elucidate the film’s mangled background story. Her commentary only makes this hapless doll world murkier and more punishing, declaring that playing with dolls might be fun, but ultimately harms little girls everywhere. Her voice, meant to be authoritative and instructive, is actually authoritarian and beguiling, like that of a matronly garden serpent.

Almost all the performances are amateurish and attention-seeking in the worst way, none more so than Kate McKinnon’s whose lack of comic skill is hidden behind by a tremendous well of self-regard. She plays “Weird Barbie”, not in a knowing and endearing sidekick-style in the vein of Eve Arden or Joan Cusack , but in a shrill and geyser-like fashion that is as jarring as her costume and inconsistent make-up.

There are several Kens, each different looking, but each behaving in basically the same way. Ryan Gosling plays the main Ken, and he almost brings it off. While watching him in all his tanned and bleached splendor, I wondered if his entire performance was nothing more than attempt to humor his director and co-star. He constantly tosses off his ridiculous costumes in the same style he throws away the beach taunts aimed at his co-Kens. Those exchanges, meant to be in-the-know jokes that would go over the heads of kids but tickle the ear of hip adults, are witless and sophomoric in their barely disguised homoeroticism .

Ken tags along uninvited on Barbie’s trip to the real world. She drives, of course, while he straddles the back seat. Unlike Barbie, Ken is captivated by the male energy of Los Angeles. He tries to bring that equine force back to Barbieland and build a society where men sport great biceps and abs, and have a great time drinking beer and dominating their female counterparts. There’s lots of male bonding in the new realm called Kendom, with men co-decorating their houses in horse motifs, exchanging outfits that include fancy furs, and doing bump, grind and male on male cheek-to-cheek kiss ala Busby Berkeley style dance routines on the beach and somewhere in the sky. This is presented as a patriarchy on steroids, a male world out of control.

Gosling’s god-like surface features seem particularly anti-feminist, the kind of physical specimen that you would not expect to find in a land ruled by powerful women, but the type you’d see on the covers of bodice-ripper novels or People’s Sexiest Man Alive issues, or perhaps in a Village People music video. But consistency is not a hallmark in the Gerwig-Baumbach universe. Discordancy is the point. The film’s liberation ethos, sexual and social, is a call, not for peace, forgiveness, and grace , or even enjoyment of what a world of toys can bring to a child, but a Progressive call to arms.

Or worse, it’s a gender studies lecture, where many Barbies and Kens are welcome, but only one voice, a very Feminist voice is allowed to speak, and be heard.

• Wokeism: Very Heavy
• Drugs/Alcohol: Moderate
• Violence: Mild
• Profane language: Minor
• Vulgar/Crude language: Minor
• Nudity: None
• Occult: None

Editor’s Notes

For the narrative arc, Writer/Director Gertwig was partially inspired by the 1994 non-fiction book Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher, which accounts the effects of societal pressures on American adolescent girls. The book has been described as a “call to arms” and highlights the increased levels of sexism and violence that affect young females. Pipher asserts that whilst the Feminist movement has aided adult women to become empowered, teenagers have been neglected and require intensive support due to their undeveloped maturity. Lead actress Margot Robbie stated that the film’s aim is to subvert expectations and give audiences “the thing you didn’t know you wanted.”

NOTE: In June 2023, a “Barbie” French poster went viral for including the tagline “Elle peut tout faire. Lui, c'est juste Ken.”, which literally translates to “She can do everything. He’s just Ken.” However, ken is the verlan slang term for the f-word in French, while c’est (“he is”) is a homophone for sait (“he knows how”), meaning the tagline could be read as “She can do everything. He just knows how to f***.” Analysts concluded that it was likely the pun was intentional, as the slang term is common knowledge among French speakers, though Warner Bros. would neither confirm nor deny whether this was the case.

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Barbie: A film that asks the questions only Christ can truly answer

2023-07-24T11:03:00+01:00

More than just a parade in pink, Barbie asks some deep questions about what it means to be human, with all its flaws and limitations. But where it lacks answers, Christ provides says Beth Card

Source: Warner Bros

Contains spoilers

It would be easy to watch Barbie and only take away the message that girls should be able to be whoever they want to be without judgment or obstacle. A 90-minute feminist romp with girl power speeches and a chance to see a land where women run the world. Job done.

More on that later if you want it.

But perhaps the film’s bigger message is that life is not perfect. Not the real world or Barbie Land. At the end of the movie, Barbie chooses to be a human, because she has experienced what it is like to cry, to want to make a difference; to have relationships that require effort. She chooses to leave behind a world of fakery and experience something more genuine, even though she knows it will be harder and that, one day, she will die.

We cannot make our world perfect. Whatever you do or don’t do with your life, the only thing that matters eternally is knowing Jesus

There are good aspects to this message. The film tells us that death is a reality and that the world isn’t perfect. It tells us to stop portraying our lives as faultless when we’re actually (frequently) upset about things. It teaches us that it’s OK to question why we’re here, whether we’re meeting our full potential or whether our relationships are good or going anywhere.

A plan and a purpose

But although Barbie accurately portrays the realities of a broken world, ultimately, it lacks biblical hope. As Christians, we know life can be tough, but heaven and perfection await us. We know suffering leads to our sanctification; we know Jesus understands our pain; and we know everything is happening for the glory of God.

The film also speaks to our human design as creators and workers, and our need for a purpose. In Barbie Land, everything is finished; there is no work to do. But Barbie leans towards a life in the real world, as she feels she has a purpose there.

We all need purpose. It’s good to have goals, but placing our ultimate hope in this is risky. You can spend your whole life trying to change society or reaching your dream and it can still be taken away. Only the return of Jesus can truly mend things. Placing our identity in anything apart from God can set us up for disappointment and failure.

Equal in power

The message of Barbie is that the real world is ruled by men. Women don’t hold senior roles at work, and are instead relegated to being pretty and perfect and serving men’s needs. There are obviously elements of truth in this portrayal – as well as elements of exaggeration and a considerable lack of nuance.

In terms of the exaggeration, I can’t help but think that a woman from the Middle Ages (or even the 1950s) would be amazed at the jobs and opportunities that women have today. The examples of inequality shown in the film - an all-male company board, women being ignored and men being respected more – do still happen. At the same time, it isn’t all bad news. The fact we’ve had three female prime ministers speaks to this. 

Inequality is bad for men too. Ken struggles to know his place in Barbie Land. He is defined solely by his relationship with Barbie, something that is acknowledged within the message of the film as unhealthy. 

The female-led Barbie Land shown at the beginning perpetuates the misconception that women are not just equal but  better.  An equal society is good. But frequently, what people actually want is domination in reverse. Although this isn’t how the film concludes, it may well be the message that viewers leave with. Feminism has no room for allowing men to be better at any point, allowing the right men to lead on merit or for women to ever submit. Of course some say this is simply correcting an over-dominance that has existed for centuries, but why correct when we could simply try to live out God’s plan of servant heartedness and putting others above ourselves?

Asking the big questions

Barbie is a film that rightly raises questions about our very existence, and helpfully asks us to really think about why we are here and what our purpose is. But ultimately, it provides only one solution: society, which is too male-dominated, must be changed. Not everything about this idea is wrong. Equality is a worthy goal, but while having a female US president would be a brilliant thing, only Jesus can really mend everything.

We cannot make our world perfect. Whatever you do or don’t do with your life, the only thing that matters eternally is knowing Jesus.

And while we’re comparing, heaven won’t be like Barbie Land – a boring place where everything is perfect. The Bible tells us that we will work, but our work will be fruitful and not laboursome. And it won’t be like Barbie Land because neither women nor men will rule it – Jesus will.

Doing Barbenheimer? Read our review of Christopher Nolan’s most political film to date here

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Barbie (Christian Movie Review)

Verdict: Despite a fun aesthetic and some commendable ambition, Barbie is a joyless slog that lacks the fun or subversiveness to elevate its story to something beyond a heavy-handed sermon.    

About The Movie

As the famous song by Aqua once declared, “I’m a Barbie girl in a Barbie world. Life is plastic. It’s fantastic!” After months of being hyped as the bubble-gum pink side of the viral “Barbeneimer” craze, Barbie has finally been unleashed into the world. Appearing for the first time in live action, the Barbie world is no longer plastic. Unfortunately, it is also far from fantastic.

The Barbie doll has always been more complicated than a mere childhood toy. There is great potential for an interesting and thought-provoking story about the cultural impact of the doll (both the good and the bad). Director Greta Gerwig and company can be commended for taking a bold and ambitious swing at doing just that. But as “Baseball Barbie” might have warned them, the harder you swing the easier it is to miss— and Barbie is a giant miss. 

The movie begins well. The realization of “Barbieworld” in live action is immersive and fun, with some wonderfully fresh and creative aesthetic choices, and the introduction to the story hints at a clever and subversive direction. The cast is comprised of A-list stars, and Gerwig is a gifted filmmaker. But the initial promise is short-lived. In the film’s opening scene, a group of young girls humorously embrace the invention of the Barbie doll by bluntly smashing their previous dolls against the ground. The scene is representative of the approach taken by the movie itself. Barbie is more a simplistic sermon than an entertaining story.

To call Barbie “ heavy-handed” is an understatement. Everything in the movie is in rigid service to its message, rather than the allowing the message to flow organically from its story. The Barbie world seems to function in whichever way the message demands (several characters give the meta commentary, “Don’t think too much about it”). Characters don’t speak like believable people, but as mere mouthpieces for delivering the message (tween girls give lectures about “fascists” with the distinct voice of an adult scriptwriter). The entire third-act climax is largely a series of almost direct-to-camera speeches.

Barbie has an interesting theme to explore and a positive message to share, but rarely finds a way to do so without resorting to the most basic approach of simply having a character give a verbal lecture. The problem is not that the film has a strong feminist message (that should be expected from a Barbie movie), but that it repeatedly smashes audiences over the head with that message in uninteresting ways.

Also noteworthy is the surprisingly joyless tone. My movie theater was packed with mothers and daughters wearing matching pink attire, but the movie itself is far from a celebration of the doll. Beyond the nostalgia of seeing certain childhood play sets or characters come to life, the movie has almost nothing positive to say about the classic doll.

Margot Robbie’s Barbie is not a hero. She is universally reviled and repeatedly accused of “ruining the world” and the self-esteem of countless young girls (there is one undeveloped subplot that seeks to frame Barbie as a more positive connection point between a mother and daughter).

In the end, a movie that marketed itself as a clever and provocative social commentary on a complicated theme instead comes across like a 2-hour speech from a Hollywood award show stage, delivered in the form of an SNL sketch stretched far beyond its comedic limits. In my theater there were only a handful of scattered chuckles throughout the runtime but were plenty of cheers and “amens” after the delivered speeches. That might be a fitting representation of a movie that is less a story than a sermon. Some viewers will surely appreciate and feel empowered by the message being preached, but for those who also hoped to be entertained by a story, Barbieland may not have much else to offer.

For Consideration

Language: One F-bomb is bleeped out, and there are several other profanities. The song that plays during the ending credits also contains multiple profanities. “God” and “Christ” are misused several times.     

Violence: The Kens brawl in several scenes in a humorous and non-graphic ways. 

Sexuality: There are several clearly depicted LGBTQ characters, but also potentially other more ambiguous cases. One Barbie is played by a transgender performer (the character itself is never distinguished as being transgender, but there are obvious real-world implications from the casting). The Barbie and Ken dolls’ lack of genitals is a repeated gag, with Barbie declaring to a group of men that she “doesn’t have a vagina” and Ken “doesn’t have a penis” (to which Ken awkwardly insists that he does). Another Barbie suggests that the Ken’s lack in that area is not a problem for her. There is also a scene that features various discontinued Barbie and Ken dolls, including “Growing up Skipper” (a doll whose breasts enlarge), “Sugar Daddy” (an older Ken doll), and “Earring Magic Ken” (popularity known as “Gay Ken”). There are frequent scenes where male characters sexually objectify Barbie through their speech and actions. The Mattel headquarters building is referred to as “phallic” and revealed to featured “gender neutral” bathrooms.  

Engage The Film

Feminism, the patriarchy, and harmful cultural expectations.

Despite the heavy-handed approach to delivering it, there are some positive and empowering aspects of the message.The movie attempts to use exaggerated and satirical elements to shine a light on the valid real-world struggles that many women endure. Margot Robbie’s “stereotypical Barbie” becomes representative of the idea that the lofty expectations of a “stereotypical” woman is unattainable, and thus a hurtful and confusing experience to those who feel they inevitably fall short.

The inverted power dynamic in Barbieland (and the unjust treatment of the Kens) is an attempt to showcase the gender imbalance in the world today (“If you feel bad for the Kens in the movie, then think of how many women feel in the real world” etc.). Although the original dolls may have been well-intentioned as a way to “inspire” young girls that they can “be anything,” the central message of the movie is that it is okay to just be yourself.    

At the same time, much like the doll it is satirizing, the movie’s message is also complicated and frequently self-contradicting.  For example, it attempts to expose the harm of “stereotypical” Barbie, but does so by deploying countless stereotypes (ie. every male in the movie without a single exception is a chauvinistic or abusive pig).

The third act speech centers on the importance of accepting that life is messy and complicated, but the movie paints with only sweeping and simplistic brushstrokes. The film villainizes the Kens for establishing the patriarchy in Barbieland, but then celebrates the Barbies for regaining control and treating the Kens in the same dismissive, controlling, and demeaning sense as they were. Barbie condemns the harmful and unrealistic beauty standards established by the Barbie doll, but does do with glamorous actresses and actors whose bodies are essentially manifestations of the dolls. The moviemakers themselves seem aware of this double-standard, allowing the narrator to interrupt the story and note that casting Margot Robbie in the lead roll is perhaps not a helpful way to make that particular point. 

On an individual level, there are some redemptive and wholesome themes of female empowerment, acceptance, and understanding. But on a wider level, the movie presents a somewhat cynical message that culture is all about power, and that the solution is not to challenge that harmful system, but merely to usurp those holding the power and claim it for your own.

Daniel holds a PhD in "Christianity and the Arts" from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author/co-author of multiple books and he speaks in churches and schools across the country on the topics of Christian worldview, apologetics, creative writing, and the Arts.

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by Shan Shannon

I appreciate your take on the movie. I grew up playing with Barbies and I loved it but I can see how you may have felt that it was preachy. I do have a few disagreements with your analysis. **Light spoilers!**

Alan is not presented as a chauvinistic or abusive pig. He’s just a guy trying to live his best life and send very comfortable being himself. The Mattel intern and the human father don’t present that way, either. In fact, the Kens don’t act that way until they “discover” patriarchy and in the end didn’t seem truly happy when they were being chauvinistic.

I also feel like we walked away with two very different takes from the ending. Had the Barbies simply regained control and had everything go back to the way it was before, I would agree with you about the message being a power struggle, usurping one another. But without discussing the details too much, I feel like it ended with a lot of self-discovery, both for the Barbies and the Kens. They both came of age. The Kens recognized they can contribute more to society than just being accessories for the Barbies. And the Barbies realized they had been taking the Kens for granted. It really felt to me like they were both growing up.

Isn’t the movie really about Mattel saying “If you had just stuck the values we gave you, everything would be fine.” Srsly, there are 3 character groups (Barbie, Ken, and the Corporate Overlords) that work in 2 worlds (Barbieland matriarchy, and the Real World patriarchy). It’s set up that one mirrors the other, with gender roles, gender power and complexity being polar opposites. In crossing the border (through the looking glass) Barbie realizes she’s way more complicated, but lacks self determination due to the patriarchy/matriarchy flip. Ken realizes he’s got purpose and power in the Real World, but lacks the experience to know what to do with it, so gravitates towards the most stereotypical masculine values and roles since he now has access to self determination. Mattel simply freaks out that their profits may be in jeopardy. Once the Real World gets dragged back into Barbieland, we see the formerly repressed Ken’s in full rebellion, the formerly omnipotent Barbie’s canceled by the new Ken culture, and Mattel exceedingly relieved that they’re still making money on this mess (and therefore simply go with it ref: tickle me, tickle you…whatever works). Things only resolve when Barbie restores order, squashes the rebellion, and grows a vagina…just like before, but now w sex.

I was forced to watch Barbie by my sister and her husband (who have the worst taste in movies ever!) Althoigh the movie was not the worst movie ever, it’s not the best either. I understand it was made for adults but I still find the idea of marketing kid’s toy movie to adults. When I told my sister that it wasn’t just Christian radio that hated this movie, the parents with their kids disliked it too, she and her husband cruelly blamed on the parents for not watching the trailer. I did not like how anti-romantic it was. Like it or not, feminists, Ken really is supposed to be Barbie’s boyfriend. Let’s say you saw a movie about Mickey Mouse, in which Minnie loves Mickey, but he rejects her and tells her to go and find herself. Wouldn’t you feel confused and peeved? That’s how I felt regarding Barbie and Ken. My sister says this movie was made for women who grew up playing with Barbies from the 60s-80s. But I think this movie is made for women who hate men and/or LGBTQ.

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Christians Should Welcome the Conversations ‘Barbie’ Sparks

More by jen oshman.

I grew up playing with Barbie. Like many women reading this, I had scores of them, as well as the Barbie Dreamhouse, the convertible, the swimming pool, and one Ken doll (Mattel sells seven Barbies for every one Ken). Generations of us gathered in each other’s bedrooms to create stories for our Barbies and act them out. We changed their clothes a lot and made-believe the good life for our plastic collections. Through them, we imagined our own futures. Barbie served the aspirational purpose that her creator, Ruth Handler, envisioned for girls.

But as we came of age, our relationship with Barbie grew increasingly distant and even cold. At first, it was just that we outgrew pretend doll play. But then we became preteens and teens and—parallel to what the Barbies in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie experience—we emerged from our playtime paradise where everything was made according to our own ideals and dreams. We had to face the real world.

We gained unpleasant knowledge. Our eyes were opened. Barbie’s aspirational qualities were countered by something sinister. As the moody teen Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) says to Barbie (Margot Robbie) when she first meets her, “You’ve been making women feel bad about themselves since you were invented. . . . You destroy girls’ innate sense of worth.”

Sizing Up Barbie

Are Barbie dolls good or bad? This is one of many philosophical questions the new film asks. And while you may assume audiences don’t want to think about weighty questions in a Barbie movie, consider that Barbie had the highest-earning opening weekend for all films so far in 2023, as well as the highest-earning one ever for a female-directed film. Greta Gerwig ( Lady Bird and Little Women ) has clearly struck a chord, fueling immense social media chatter and launching countless hot takes.

In the movie, newfound knowledge requires Barbie to leave Barbieland for the Real World. Ken (Ryan Gosling) joins her but returns early to establish the Kendom while she’s still away. The result is a power struggle between the two genders as all the Barbies and Kens try to determine their purpose and place in the world. The film may have a minor plot, but it asks major questions. Barbie is creating plenty of community and controversy, both online and in real life. It’s forcing a conversation that’s relevant for the church—but I’m not sure we’re ready to have it.

It’s Complicated

The answer to the question of whether Barbie dolls are good or bad is this: it’s complicated. The same is true of the movie and all the themes it brings to the surface. Gerwig is unwilling to present obvious conclusions throughout, highlighting the complex ways men and women relate to themselves and to one another in this cultural moment.

Gerwig’s refusal to be simply “pro” or “con” is the film’s greatest strength (other than, admittedly, Ryan Gosling’s over-the-top hilarious performance as Beach Ken). Consider just a few of the major topics Gerwig’s film explores.

Barbie is forcing a conversation that’s relevant for the church.

Barbie, herself an icon for feminism, was created in the 1950s so little girls might imagine their own grown-up lives when they play with Author Barbie, Doctor Barbie, Physicist Barbie, and more. The movie, though, causes the audience to ask, “Is feminism good or bad?” It doesn’t offer a neat and tidy answer. The film seems to say that if feminism helps little girls grow up to be all they can be and fulfill a diversity of roles, it’s good. But if feminism says men aren’t needed, it’s bad. As with all tough topics in the movie, it’s multilayered.

Some viewers have claimed the film is antimotherhood. There may be some truth in that claim. Pregnant Barbie is sidelined and called weird. The opening scene doesn’t want little girls to envision themselves as only the mothers of babies.

On the other hand, the human mother-daughter relationship (America Ferrera and Ariana Greenblatt) develops sweetly. Most mothers and daughters can see themselves, at least a little bit, in their dynamic. And the way they come together to cheer for one another and all women is good . There’s a photo montage near the end of the film that brings many viewers to tears. It conveys the message “Growing up as a girl is hard, but it’s very good.” Many walk away from the movie appreciating motherhood even more. Barbie’s maker says to her, “We mothers stand still so that our daughters can look back and see how far they’ve come.”

One of the most polarizing aspects of Barbie is its portrayal of men. It’s true, there are no genuinely good or smart male characters present (except maybe Allan). As with the toys, Ken is an accessory to Barbie. The Kens in the movie portray what it’s like to be identifiable only by one’s connection to another person.

But to say the film is bad because it makes men look bad is to miss the point of Ken and his Kendom altogether. Gerwig wants us to consider what it’s like to live in another’s shadow, something many women regularly feel—even in 2023. It would be simplistic to say the Barbie movie disses the patriarchy and exalts the matriarchy. It’s clear in the movie that neither is good for anyone.

There are a dozen more themes worthy of dissection, and absolute proclamations about any of them short-circuit the film’s invitation to reflect on these issues from multiple angles. Prematurely proclaiming “It’s good!” or “It’s bad!” shuts down important conversations about identity and gender and how men and women can live in harmony and even advocate for each other. These conversations are certainly needed in culture. As Christians, we should admit they’re also needed in the church.

Why ‘Barbie’ Matters for the Church

Of the 40 million people who’ve stopped going to church over the last 25 years, 10 percent say they left specifically because of misogyny . More than one leading Christian denomination in the U.S. is currently embroiled in a scandal of widespread sexism and sexual abuse. Anecdotally, women in ministry across the nation will tell you they struggle to know how to function in the church because they’ve been discipled (inadvertently or not) to see themselves as threats, temptresses, or less than their male counterparts. We feel at once too much and not enough. (It may be therapeutic for one of us to write and share a replica of America Ferrera’s fiery monologue but for women in ministry.)

The Barbie movie invites a conversation about our identities both as individuals and as men and women together. We Christians have the tools to engage this conversation, both inside the church and out there in the world, but will we? Are we willing to think deeply, listen patiently, and share honestly?

There’s a significant thread throughout the Barbie movie that ponders creation and Creator, the relationship between Adam and Eve, and the question of all questions: What are we made for? Spiritual and anthropological questions abound in the film, but answers are hard to come by.

Perhaps it’s a testament to our “all over the place” cultural confusion on these topics that Barbie has sparked such a multitude of (sometimes contradictory) interpretations. In a culture grappling for solid handles to approach the slippery questions of identity, it’s no wonder the meaning of Barbie —like the toys we used to play make-believe with—is essentially whatever the viewer wants it to be. Without God and Scripture guiding the way, questions of human identity (including gender) and purpose default to subjectivity.

But whereas the movie falls short in giving clear answers to massive questions about life and gender, Christians should not. We know the God who made us and died to save us. We know what humans are made for. We know both men and women are very good and both men and women need each other. We have God’s Spirit and God’s Word to enable us to be on mission together.

Whereas the movie falls short in answering massive questions about life and gender, we should not.

Rather than slipping into the sex segregation and suspicion that comes so easily in the flesh, let’s stand side by side, eager to honor and advocate for one another. Let’s resist church versions of Barbieland and Kendom, where men and women are pitted against each other. Let’s resist too-fast and too-easy answers to complicated questions. Let’s listen to one another. Let’s behave as the siblings we’re meant to be.

Why Do So Many Young People Lose Their Faith at College?

New Testament professor Michael Kruger is no stranger to the assault on faith that most young people face when they enter higher education, having experienced an intense period of doubt in his freshman year. In Surviving Religion 101 , he draws on years of experience as a biblical scholar to address common objections to the Christian faith: the exclusivity of Christianity, Christian intolerance, homosexuality, hell, the problem of evil, science, miracles, and the Bible’s reliability.

TGC is delighted to offer the ebook version for FREE for a limited time only. It will equip you to engage secular challenges with intellectual honesty, compassion, and confidence—and ultimately graduate college with your faith intact.

Jen Oshman has been in women’s ministry for over two decades on three continents. She’s the author of Enough About Me , Cultural Counterfeits , and Welcome . She hosts a weekly podcast about cultural events and trends called All Things , and she’s the mother of four daughters. The family currently resides in Colorado and they planted Redemption Parker , where Jen is the director of women’s ministry.

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As Christians, we can learn something from 'Barbie'

Warning:  Spoiler alert, and mature content will be discussed

Some critics are saying, “Don’t watch ‘Barbie’, go see 'Sound of Freedom' instead.”  I’ve actually seen both movies and I believe they share a similar underlying message.

In “Barbie,” the main character lives in a seemingly perfect Barbie World — a female-driven society in which the Barbies are all intelligent, strong, and celebrated super-achievers. The Kens in Barbie World are little more than complementary accessories, whose main purpose is to look good and cheer on the Barbies.  

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One day Barbie wakes up to find she is less than perfect, which is devastating to her. Barbie goes to the real world, in which she discovers that everything is upside down — she finds a patriarchy, where she is objectified and even hated. Ken, on the other hand, starts believing that patriarchy is where he can finally be valued. He takes this idea back to Barbie World and establishes a machismo hierarchy where the Kens are in charge and the Barbies cater to their egos.

The movie is a hilarious satire built on a reversed world of extreme gender stereotypes, but the writing is incredibly deep and full of beautiful moments if you’re willing to peer beneath the surface. Both Barbie and Ken ultimately discover that each of them has equal worth, that nobody should be reduced to stereotypes or objectified, and that gendered power imbalances might feel good to those in power, but they actually exploit and harm everyone.

“Sound of Freedom,” by contrast, is a dark, gut-punch of a film. Two children are kidnapped in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and sold to sex traffickers in Mexico and Colombia. The main character, Tim Ballard, embarks on a journey to find them and it yields the liberation of many more child sex slaves and the start of his nonprofit organization, Operation Underground Railroad.

Critics have pointed out that some of the rescue tactics depicted in the movie and the way in which child trafficking was portrayed, can wind up doing more harm than good. Those are valid points worth considering. Even so, this powerfully told story brings to light the horrific reality of human trafficking, calling on moviegoers to end this form of modern-day slavery. It also makes two crucial points — that sex trafficking is fueled by the supply and demand of pornography, and that “the United States is one of the top destinations for human trafficking and one of the top consumers for child sex.” What connects the two films is that both showcase the ramifications of a world in which we dehumanize and objectify our fellow human beings.

“Barbie” uses humor and over-the-top satire to illustrate how harmful and demeaning it is for one sex to rule over another. The movie calls out patriarchy and abusive men specifically, and for good reason. When Will Ferrell’s character commands Barbie to “Get back in the box, Jezebel,” many women know exactly how that felt. Likewise, when America Ferrera’s character pours out her powerful speech at the end, many women felt every single syllable. “Sound of Freedom” employs blunt, heart-breaking imagery to illustrate the horrific abuse that happens when someone decides that another person is theirs to use. When the hero of the story resolutely declares, “God’s children are not for sale,” we felt it in the depths of our souls. Humans weren’t created to be owned, used, and dominated by other humans. We were made for freedom.

Another common thread is that pornography, sex trafficking, and what we know today as patriarchy all share the same core belief — that one person is entitled to exercise power over another person through control and domination and that one person is less human than another.

The loudest critics mocking “Barbie” insist that American women have nothing to whine about, that women are already regarded as equals, and that they should stop living with a “victim mentality.”

If true, why do varying studies reveal that 57% up to 91% of American men admit to regular pornography use? Why is the U.S. a top consumer of child sex and the top producer of pornography? Is that because American men view women and children as equals?

More troublingly, Barna research indicates that 68% of churchgoing men and over 50% of pastors consume porn regularly. Is that because they view women as equals?

Let’s be honest. When we say that “68% of church-going men struggle with porn” what we are really saying is that 68% of churchgoing men struggle to see women as fully human.

Can it be said that churchgoing women today are viewed as equals by churchgoing men when they are repeatedly dehumanized and objectified by their Christian brothers on a regular basis?

While there are many good men and many good churches, the statistics reveal a staggering reality: More men in the Church view women as sex objects than men who do not. Yes, good men and good churches find this appalling, but few seem to realize that a major driver of this objectification is a deeply rooted belief that God himself instituted a hierarchical power structure of men over women.

If you think I’m exaggerating, are you aware that popular social media influencers now encourage Christian wives to take pole-dancing classes ?

Or consider these words from pastor Doug Wilson of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho: “All Christian wives, in all Christian marriages, occupy a subordinate rank, and it is always bad for a subordinate to be insubordinate.” 

How about this from Jack Hyles , who once preached: “For every single man in prison for rape, there ought to be right beside him a half-naked girl in the next cell.” 

Michael and Debi Pearl’s blog and books, Created to Be His Helpmeet , and The Bible on Divorce & Remarriage , instruct wives to “stop defrauding your husband and start pumping him dry about every day or so. If he is younger than 25, make that every day and twice on Sunday … If you do not cheerfully, joyously make yourself a willing participant, you are the tool of Satan to bring your husband down.” 

Not to belabor this, but none other than pastor John MacArthur has said:

“Man is the sun and woman is the moon. She shines not so much with the direct light of God, but that derived from man … woman was made to manifest man’s authority and man’s will as man was made to manifest God’s authority. The woman is the vice regent who carries out man’s wish … She demonstrates her significance in the world in response to the direction of men who are given divine dominion.” 

Perhaps these critics have never been girls who had to change their clothes to protect grown men’s minds, had to kneel down to have their skirt lengths measured, or had to endure a teen girl’s youth group session where they were compared to a chewed-up piece of gum, un-sticky tape, or a wilted rose [if they lost their virginity].

I laughed and cried through “Barbie.” I cried through “Sound of Freedom.” The latter calls attention to the horrors of a world in which people are dehumanized and objectified in the worst possible way. The former seeks to open our eyes to the entitled, power-hungry belief systems that can build such a world.

As long as there are churches in this country teaching women that they are more easily deceived than men, that men are entitled to unconditional respect, that husbands will be unfaithful if they aren’t given sex on demand, that marital rape does not exist, that wives dishonor God when they leave abusive marriages, then we cannot claim to say women and children are equal to men.

As long as there are churches in this country teaching women that female bodies of all ages are threats to men’s fragile sexual integrity, that God calls women to martyr themselves to abusive husbands, and that women and children can provoke rape or assault with their clothing, that blames teenage victims of clergy sexual abuse, we cannot claim to believe that women and children have equal worth with men.

We cannot use, abuse, consume, or dominate another person without first lowering their humanity.

Followers of Christ are called to love as Christ loves. Christ-like love challenges and levels ungodly hierarchies, empowers the weak and vulnerable, protects children, and sets captives free. It is for freedom, after all, that He came.

What does that freedom sound like? It sounds like voices raised that were once silenced. Some may mock or belittle those voices, but the Church is called to a love that listens, honors, and spreads the Word. The shared messages in “Barbie” and “Sound of Freedom” call us to this if we’ll listen.

Lead the way, dear Church.

Aleassa Jarvis is a freelance writer specializing in women’s issues and trauma-informed ministry in the church. She and her husband have spent most of their married life in local church ministry and international mission work in Central America and the Caribbean. Her years working alongside vulnerable women and children inspire much of her writing. She enjoys weaving neuroscience, theology, spiritual formation, and social issues into perspectives that challenge the status quo. She and her family currently live in Minnesota. 

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In the beginning, there was Barbie

Turns out Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie is a Biblical metaphor after all.

by Alissa Wilkinson

In a May feature in Vogue , Barbie director and co-writer Greta Gerwig cheekily compared Barbie and Ken to Adam and Eve. “Barbie was invented first,” she said. “Ken was invented after Barbie, to burnish Barbie’s position in our eyes and in the world. That kind of creation myth is the opposite of the creation myth in Genesis.”

The quote snagged some attention, in part because Gerwig has played with theological themes before in her work — most notably in Lady Bird , in which Sister Sarah Joan borrows the wisdom of philosopher and mystic Simone Weil to advise her titular charge. The Genesis comparison does sound a bit like a joke, though, at least when applied to plastic dolls. In the Bible, God makes the first man, Adam, from the dust of the ground, and then knocks him out, takes his rib, and fashions it into a companion for him: Eve, the first woman. They live in a perfect world, the Garden of Eden.

God has one command for his creations: They can eat the fruit of any tree in the Garden except one, the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” Naturally, that’s what they do. (It’s humanity’s first failure in the “you had one job” department.) Immediately they realize they are naked, and they feel ashamed, and after receiving a series of curses having to do with labor (both of the agricultural and natal kind) they are sent out into the cold, hard, not-so-paradisiacal world.

And that’s the story of why life sucks.

While that’s not strictly the story of Barbie — a delightful and often gaspingly funny movie, by the way — it turns out Gerwig wasn’t just having a laugh when she brought up the creation myth in the Vogue interview. Barbie is thoroughly, and more or less textually, a surprisingly wise excavation of one interpretation of the text and its meaning, as well as the meaning of Barbies as products of culture, the gender wars, and feminism more broadly. You know, typical blockbuster stuff.

There’s a history of filmmakers talking a big game when it comes to taking existing intellectual properties (Marvel characters, say, or nostalgia sequels) and “saying something” with them. Occasionally it works (see Black Panther or Rogue One ). More often it is, at best, pretty shallow; consider Ocean’s Eight or Captain Marvel or, wondrously, Cats , which director Tom Hooper described as being about the “perils of tribalism.”

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Barbie is not the kind of IP that naturally lends itself to cinematic and philosophical musings. But in Gerwig’s hands, along with her co-writer Noah Baumbach, it’s sly and just about as subversive as a movie can be while still being produced by one of its targets (toy manufacturer Mattel, which the movie relentlessly tweaks over discontinued Barbies and Kens) and distributed by another (Warner Bros. Discovery, which gets one expertly barbed zinger). Loaded with movie references from the ’60s beach party genre to the trippy dream ballets of midcentury musicals — and, uh, Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey — it is cinephile wish-fulfillment rolled in nerdiness and covered in pink sprinkles. Should Barbie be a smash hit, Mattel may wish to replicate its success with other IP, but it’s hard to imagine any future films rising to Barbie ’s level of sheer cleverness, rather than pure corporate pandering.

On the 2001 point: The movie (like one of its trailers ) begins at the very beginning, with a scene ripped from Kubrick’s film. In his, a tribe of apes in a barren prehistoric landscape learn to make tools and then are suddenly confronted by a giant, mysterious, towering rectangular monolith. In Gerwig’s, a group of little girls equipped only with baby dolls and tea party accessories are suddenly confronted with a giant towering monolith of their own: a curvy Barbie, which inspires them to smash their boring baby dolls. In voiceover, Helen Mirren announces that, thanks to the creation of Barbie and then her many career-focused iterations (Doctor Barbie, Scientist Barbie, President Barbie, and so on), “all problems of feminism and equal rights have been solved” in the real world.

“At least,” she says, as the crowd snickers, “that’s what the Barbies think.”

The Barbies live in Barbieland, an analog for the Garden of Eden, where every day is a sunny and perfect day — especially for our heroine, Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie). Her home is a Barbie Dream House in Barbieland, where the Barbies run all aspects of the world. She has a load of friends, all named Barbie, and a boyfriend named Ken (Ryan Gosling) who hangs out with the other Kens at the beach. He is not a lifeguard, nor is he a surfer; his job, he insists, is “beach.”

One day, in the middle of a party, Barbie suddenly starts thinking about death, for no reason at all (especially because she’s a plastic doll and one that is, as you probably know, virtually indestructible). When a tragedy strikes — I won’t ruin it — Barbie is forced to leave paradise and go to the real world, and Ken hitches a ride. When they get there, they discover that they’re suddenly self-conscious and aware of being looked at (this movie’s version of Eve and Adam discovering their nakedness). The plot soon thickens, because not only does Barbie realize that women do not have the same kind of standing in the real world as they do in hers, but men can leer and jeer and make crude comments and stupid decisions, and it’s just sort of what they do. Meanwhile Ken ... discovers patriarchy.

I should say at this juncture that while Robbie is a reliably excellent Barbie, it is Gosling who absolutely steals the show, in part because the character of Ken is terrific and in part because he’s committed so hard to the bit that just looking at him move his arms is somehow hysterical. Gosling’s face is just a little odd, a little asymmetrical, and he pulls off “big doofus with a big doofus face” and “vaguely sinister idiot” with equal aplomb.

Ken’s discovery of patriarchy (which seems to have a lot to do with the subjugation of women and with horses, as far as he can tell) is the means through which a sort of original sin leaks into Barbieland, though by the end of the film it’s clear that this isn’t a typically shallow Hollywood take on feminism. Sure, Barbies were created to teach girls that they could be anything, but what else did they do? (By the end, we learn that in a truly ideal world, the Barbies and the Kens would live in harmony and equality — and that won’t happen overnight.)

But the path the movie traces is more than a little theologically familiar: a paradise lost, destroyed by the “knowledge” of “good” and “evil,” and a path back to restoration (with some bonus reflections on being created for a purpose by a Creator). And there seems to be some built-in interrogation of the Genesis narrative, too. Would it be better, after all, for Barbie and Ken to have continued living naively in a paradise where Ken is just “and Ken” and everyone seems happy all the time? Or did gaining knowledge of the outside world actually make them aware of their free will and equip them to live better, more fulfilled lives? It’s a question some theologians have approached throughout history, and one that recurs when we think about history: Golden ages often appear that way because we were naive to what was “really” going on back then, not because they were actually better.

Let me not give you the wrong impression here: Barbie is an impressive achievement as a film and far, far funnier than any studio comedy I can remember in recent history. There are perfect jokes about everything from stilettos to boy bands to fascism and Matchbox Twenty; I’m still giggling at some of the gags. Barbie probably isn’t for very young children, though the spectacle could get them engaged, but tweens and up will find something to love.

Yet fun and thoughtfulness can go together; a blockbuster (or a doll) need not be brainless to be fun. Gerwig’s solo directing career thus far (which includes Lady Bird and Little Women ) is a triumph of reimagination, an exploration of what it means to find out who you are and not allow yourself to be shaped by nostalgia and sentimentality while also living with deep, real love. That she managed to infuse the same sensibilities into Barbie is something near a miracle. I can’t wait to go see it again.

Barbie opens in theaters on July 21.

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Barbie Movie Message: Empowerment, Identity, and Faith-Based Self-Discovery

After a year of major cinematic wins and critically acclaimed awards, the Barbie movie emerges not merely as a form of entertainment but as a profound narrative imbued with lessons of empowerment, identity, and self-discovery, resonating deeply within a Christian context. The Barbie movie message transcends its surface-level perceptions, offering not just a story but a journey that aligns with Christian values of inner beauty, strength, and purpose.

Barbie Movie Message: Inspiring Women through Faith and Virtue

The Barbie movie , while a tale spun from a well-known childhood figure, delves into themes far beyond mere aesthetics or playful adventures. It presents a narrative that aligns with the Christian belief in the inherent worth and strength of every individual, particularly women. The movie inspires by portraying Barbie not just as an icon of physical beauty but as a symbol of resilience, intelligence, and compassion — qualities highly valued in Christian teachings.

This cinematic piece serves as a mirror reflecting the multifaceted nature of women, crafted in the image of God, capable of overcoming obstacles, embodying virtues of kindness, and achieving their God-given potential. Young girls and women are encouraged to see themselves as valued and powerful individuals, who can lead by example, live out their faith, and make a difference in the world, much like the Proverbs 31 woman who is praised for her strength, wisdom, and fear of the Lord.

Main Message: Embracing God-given Uniqueness and Rejecting Worldly Conformity

Central to the Barbie movie is a message deeply rooted in Christian principles: the celebration of one’s God-given uniqueness and the rejection of worldly conformity. Romans 12:2 advises not to conform to the pattern of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of the mind, a theme that resonates throughout the film. It encourages viewers, especially young women, to embrace their unique gifts and callings, steering away from societal pressures and superficial judgments.

The narrative champions the idea that true fulfillment and happiness come from understanding and accepting one’s identity in Christ, rather than adhering to fleeting worldly standards. This powerful message encourages a deeper self-reflection and alignment with God’s purpose for individual lives.

Lessons of Faith, Courage, and Self-Discovery

Echoing the journeys of biblical figures such as Esther and Ruth, the Barbie movie portrays a path of courage, faith, and self-discovery. It encourages viewers to step out in faith, embrace their God-given roles, and persevere through challenges with grace and determination. The film becomes a vehicle for teaching valuable life lessons aligned with Christian values — the importance of trust in God, the beauty of God’s timing, and the strength found in faith-driven resilience.

By presenting a story where challenges are overcome through faith and integrity, the movie becomes a source of inspiration, illustrating how one’s journey, when aligned with God’s will, leads to true empowerment and fulfillment.

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The Barbie movie and Christian calling as a struggle of creation

Opinion Mallory Challis  |  August 10, 2023

Like many other women around the world, my sister, Olivia, and I went together to watch the new Barbie movie. Yes, we are both adults, but we chose to see this movie because we thought it would be a funny, unserious and lighthearted film that would make us laugh.

And yes, it did make us laugh.

Mallory Challis

However, among the many humorous plot points (including multiple moments of song and dance performances by Ryan Gosling as Ken), the film left viewers with a few thought-provoking messages. One of those messages is about the struggle of discovering your calling as a product of creation.

Barbie follows the journey of “stereotypical Barbie,” a doll (played by Margot Robbie) who lives in Barbieland and exists as a model of the original Barbie doll — the stereotypical Barbie. She does not have a designated job, nor does she have a deeply passionate relationship with her Ken-doll boyfriend. As the narrator explains, she is simply a Barbie who has a good day every single day.

And Ken, whose job is described as “beach” (not lifeguard), only has a good day when Barbie looks at him. Because he is just Ken, and this is Barbieland.

And while this is the case for all the other Kens in Barbieland, this is not the case for the other Barbies. Other Barbies have designated jobs or roles, all of which reflect real editions of the Barbie-doll series throughout history. For example, one Barbie is the president, while another is a doctor. Some Barbies are even mermaids.

“As a being who was created to be perfect and pretty, Barbie finds herself unsatisfied.”

Stereotypical Barbie, although she is supposed to have a good day every day, finds herself experiencing strange, unsettling and unusual things (such as having flat feet that do not perfectly fit into her heels). This prompts her on a journey to find the girl in the real world who is playing with her, as the reason for her malfunctions must be due to an issue with the connection between herself and this real girl.

To minimize spoilers, I will not reveal what happens to Barbie when she gets to the real world, although I will discuss how the movie ends.

Following her journey through the real world, Stereotypical Barbie and Just-Ken both have moments of self-discovery. As a being who was created to be perfect and pretty, Barbie finds herself unsatisfied. She begins to question what might happen if she is not pretty enough to be “Stereotypical Barbie” anymore. She was not created with a job or role; she was created simply to be pretty.

And Ken was created to be Barbie’s boyfriend. Who is he if she does not love him? Although Ken is a secondary character to Barbie, he also longs to be someone unique and meaningful.

Creator as a creative mother

And at the end of the movie, faced with the Barbie doll’s inventor, Ruth Handler (played by Rhea Perlman), Barbie asks to find meaning beyond the superficiality of her being. In an honest, personal conversation with her creator, she makes the decision to be more than a doll, stepping into the world of humans in the hopes she might be more than an object of someone’s imagination. She hopes to be one of the meaning-makers.

This decision is scary, sad and difficult, and the movie does not reveal what exactly Barbie is called to do in the real world. Yet Barbie is sure she wants to say “yes” to this calling. After living for so long in Barbieland, although it means she must give up its blind perfection, she chooses to walk away and seek out deeper meaning.

And her creator is pleased with this decision. Sure, Barbie is breaking free from the pretty, pink stereotypical image Handler had in mind when she created the doll, but control never was the intent of her creation. The choice to discover herself is Barbie’s, and as her creative mother, Handler lovingly stands aside to watch as she makes it.

“This choice Barbie makes is much like the choice we Christians make when we search for, discover and answer our callings.”

This choice Barbie makes is much like the choice we Christians make when we search for, discover and answer our callings.

Playing during what I discern to be Barbie’s “calling” scene is a song by Billie Eilish titled, “ What Was I Made For? ” In her lyrics, the artist describes the struggle of figuring out what it is she is supposed to be doing. She is confused and conflicted as she seeks to discover her own sense of calling.

“I don’t know how to feel, but someday I might,” she sings. She knows there is a purpose to her existence that she will someday find but cannot seem to put her finger on right now.

What does it mean to answer the call?

It is hard to discover ourselves in the real world, too.

Self-discovery requires a great deal of vulnerability, along with a willingness to make uncomfortable, unfamiliar or scary decisions. And to do this, we must do what Barbie does: Have a discussion with our Creator about who we are, who we were made to be and who we need to become to live our lives to the fullest.

But discovering (and saying “yes” to) a calling is not as simple as that sentence makes it seem.

In fact, as a student about to enter divinity school, I am often asked to reflect on my journey discerning my calling into ministry, to think about how this calling has looked different throughout each stage of my life and question how it will keep revealing more of itself as my life is molded by my continued spiritual journey.

And while I wish I could say I know exactly what it means when I say I am “called into ministry,” I do not. Just like Barbie, I have taken a step out of my comfort zone in search of what I know is a deep sense of calling and purpose, guided by conversations with my Creator, yet unsure of the exact journey on which I am embarking.

“Just like Barbie, I have taken a step out of my comfort zone in search of what I know is a deep sense of calling and purpose.”

I know I have said “yes” to the call. I know the crux of it all is love. And I know I have experience in writing, research and congregational ministry — three areas through which I could find a measurable, labeled purpose — yet the mystery of God’s call is not so categorical. It must be searched for, longed for and nurtured, while simultaneously possessed by a believer who is willing to take a risk without knowing what comes before them.

And just like Barbie, we too hope to be meaning-makers. In pursuit of our calling, we must have enough faith in the mystery to allow it to guide us in the direction of God’s purposeful love.

A friend at Wingate University once described for me her calling as “nonlinear,” meaning it did not follow a straight path and usually included unexpected twists or turns. It seems no matter how hard you try to maintain what you think the plan should be, your calling never will fail to surprise you, make you uncomfortable or cause you to think more deeply about who you are.

In the search for this call, we may echo Barbie or Billie Eilish as we ask of God the question, “What am I made to be?” When we have that conversation with our Creator, we must be willing to say, “I’m not sure, but here I am, Lord.”

Mallory Challis is a former Clemons Fellow with BNG and is a first-year master of divinity student at Wake Forest University Divinity School.

Related articles:

It’s time for Pastor Barbie  | Opinion by Patrick Wilson

Why the patriarchy is hyperventilating over  Barbie   | Analysis by Rick Pidcock

Can Barbie help us create justice?  | Opinion by Val Fisk

What was I made for? Not to be pretty or skinny | Opinion by Brianna Childs

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