As a kid, when I would visit my grandparents, my favorite toy to play with was Barbie. I would spend hours playing on my own, creating fantasies in my head about the exhilarating life my Barbies lived. My generation of Barbie came with a TV show where Barbie lived in her dream house, did anything and everything she wanted, and had boyfriend Ken waiting on her hand and foot. The most memorable part of this show was the physical representation of the toy's mantra “you can do anything” through her wardrobe full of old job uniforms. She had done absolutely everything.  

However, this was all she appeared to be. A woman who had worn many uniforms, but not someone who had accomplished much. In this show, Barbie is presented as a girly-girl who is nothing more than the clothes in her closet and the man at her side. Not to say that these aren't respectable things, but this portrayal of Barbie, my childhood version of Barbie, did not inspire me in the way Barbie was intended to inspire little girls. But this view on Barbie, who she was and what she could do, was completely different when I watched the 2023 Barbie movie. 

The Barbie movie is an incredible piece of contemporary feminist media. The film highlights the complex relationship between women and society, through the character classically known as Barbie. The movie also shares an important message about women’s empowerment, without diminishing men. The core theme of this film lies in its elegant and simple delivery of its message: women can transcend their “assigned” roles as mere mothers and defy the societal double standards imposed upon them. Moreover, Barbie advocates that women's empowerment does not require neglecting the opposite sex.   

Over the course of her lifetime, Barbie has stood for many things, like the continual development of women’s independence and limitless capabilities. However, she has also reinforced the unrealistic beauty standards imposed on women. The first Barbie doll came out in 1959, and this pioneering toy drastically changed future generations of children's playtime. Dolls that preceded Barbie were baby dolls, meaning that little girls could only play as mothers. 

Barbie gave children the opportunity to play as more than just mothers, to be regular people, adults, women in the real world. The theme of this revolutionary toy was “you can be anything.”  

Unfortunately, its impact on young children completely goes against its original intention. Her proportions and physical features unintentionally reinforced an unrealistic standard for women that has become indoctrinated within modern society. As discussed in the Barbie movie, Barbie has just become another impossible perfect figure for women to be compared to. Societal expectations have made it clear that a woman’s waist must be as small as Barbie's, but still have curves. Her bust is exceedingly big, but she can't show it off. Her skin must be perfect and smooth, without any wrinkles, cellulite, or moles, but she can’t look fake. Yet, all of this is simply impossible. The judgment surrounding a woman's appearance is so harsh and unrealistic that only a doll could possibly live up to these standards. 

The Barbie movie protested society’s unrealistic standards. Celebrated for its feminist message and widespread popularity, the film earned 9 Golden Globe nominations clinched victory twice, and stands as the 14th highest-grossing film globally. Simultaneously, the film authentically depicts the everyday challenges women encounter, which is a remarkable achievement itself. A key moment of this theme depicted in the movie was America Ferrera’s character, Gloria, delivering a speech on the double standards imposed upon women which continue to hold them back.  

However, some people still didn't get the message. Professional comedian Jo Koy presented a monologue at the 2024 Golden Globes, comparing the subject of films Barbie and Oppenheimer with a tasteless joke. He suggested that the theme of the film that’s rooted in feminist empowerment, Barbie, is just based on a “doll with big boobies.” The taste of disgust instantly filled my mouth when I first heard him deliver this joke. It was vapid, menial, and, quite frankly, dull. I can only imagine how the amazing cast, sitting right in the audience, might’ve felt when their hard work had gone to waste, with a single joke. A mediocre comedian condensed the entirety of their movie into the exact concept that inspired its making. Truthfully, it was a poor decision on Koy to make a joke like this at an event that’s celebrating the work of the amazing artists behind all our beloved TV experiences.  

Koy’s joke shined a light on the numerous difficulties that women face in this cruel world. Sexism in the form of job discrimination, harassment that is so common it is completely normalized in our society, and old-fashioned gender roles that women are constantly being compared to and judged for. These are just a few examples and the very motive for the making of this movie. His intentions may have been to make a light-hearted joke, but his words affirmed the harsh reality of sexism and emphasized why movies like this are so essential.