Should grown-ups agonize over Barbie?

For the next couple weeks we’ll be assaulated with analysis of the Barbie movie. Is it too woke? Are the people who say it’s woke haters of one kind or another?

I expected it to be woke garbage, and I suspect that’s the reality. But I don’t particularly care — except for a slight concern than any socially significant media event might tend to push things in the wrong direction.

My overall reaction is that I’m tired of adults agonizing over children’s stories and toys. Stop trying to analyze Barbie. It’s just a toy for girls.

But as soon as I say that, I realize how wrong-headed that is. Children’s stories and toys are precisely where we fight for the next generation. Kids who grow up assuming that girls should be Barbie and boys should be G.I. Joe will make a very different society than kids who grow up believing girls and boys can just swap roles and clothes and private parts.

Prediction: there will be a new version of Mr. Potato Head where the kid can decide if it’s Mr. or Mrs. by swapping out some plastic parts.

As much as I hate the thought of it, yes, people probably should agonize over Barbie.

9 thoughts on “Should grown-ups agonize over Barbie?”

  1. QUOTE: Should grown-ups agonize over Barbie?

    No, they shouldn’t “agonize”. If so, they likely don’t have enough to do in their adult lives.

    As with most things, they should be aware of it. Yet, if they don’t like the movie, don’t support it. Let the market decide. We all have seen what can happen when the market doesn’t or does like something (e.g., Bud Light, Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day).

    If there’s going to be any “agonizing”, adults need to do so over public resources like Faux News, InfoWars, AON, et. al. Those can have far-reaching, adverse influence upon the culture (e.g., January 6 riot, the Big Lie, Ebola panic, Tan Suit Gate, To Kill a Mockingbird school book ban, etc.).

  2. I’m glad my kids are way past this kind of thing and my grandkids’ parents (my kids and in-laws) are generally too counter-cultural to buy into mass-produced consumer kid kitsch on any significant scale.

    That doesn’t make your question unimportant, I’m just glad I don’t have to think too hard about it on a personal level.

  3. Have no plans to see. Won’t unless my wife wants to see it…but, probably not. She never had a Barbie growing up. She had friends who had Barbies and maybe family, but her mom was too poor to buy one–they didn’t have indoor plumbing, electricity, etc.

    1. I hadn’t planned to see it but my daughter was interested. So, we rarely have dad-daughter time and we thought this could be a moment for us. I’m mostly looking forward to spending time with my daughter but it will be interesting to see what could potentially cause some to “agonize”.

      1. Uht-oh, I think I discovered why some may “agonize” over Barbie…Ben Shapiro torched it (literally setting the doll on fire) and rendered an expletive-laced review. I wonder if it’s appropriate for youth to view that???

        1. These unhinged rightwingers are trying to get us to “agonize” over every little flame of wokedom that they can ignite in order to distract us from the blazing dumpster fire called “Trump.”

          1. I’ll reserve judgment until after seeing the movie, but I must admit I was surprised it was on the “agonize” radar screen. Once I saw Mr. Shapiro and other “Woke-busters” were on it, it all began to make sense.

            Indeed, your point about distraction is well made. A movie about a child’s toy is enough to potentially “agonize” over but a twice impeached, twice criminally indicted (with potential for more), legally liable sexual abuser, consummate liar, habitual adulterer is seemingly acceptable. In fact, he is currently their leading choice for POTUS. With Barbie…we might wanna “agonize”, with Trump…nothin’ to see here.

  4. A priest’s wife I know from when she and her husband used to attend my parish saw the movie, and her short review was: “Not the best picture, but I left saying this is one of the best movies I have seen! Very much surprised me. Cried through 90 % of it. My teenage daughters had different reactions.” She’s pretty conservative. Home schooler. Long hair. Head covering. Hell, even old calendar. She does have a PhD though. Maybe that makes her opinion suspect or evil…

    My sister saw it during her business trip to Mexico with a compañera from work…English movie with subtitles in Spanish. She really enjoyed it.

    1. Maybe the old adage…”don’t judge a book by its cover” needs to be updated to include…”don’t agonize over a popular movie until you’ve seen it”?

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