Breaking Down the Hollywood Discourse Surrounding the ‘Barbie’ Movie

Oppenheimer could also be about an atomic bomb, however Barbie’s the film inflicting a popular culture explosion.

“My hope for the film is that it’s an invitation for everybody to be part of the party and let go of the issues that aren’t essentially serving us as both ladies or males,” director Greta Gerwig instructed The New York Instances in an interview revealed on Tuesday, July 25.

The highly-anticipated movie — which was launched on July 21 and stars Margot Robbie because the titular character alongside Ryan Gosling as Ken — raked in in $162 million on opening weekend. The satirical comedy bested Oppenheimer almost twice-over.

The film facilities on Barbie and Ken as they depart the security of Barbie World following an existential disaster — “Do you ever take into consideration dying?” Barbie asks her fellow dolls on the dance ground — and head into the unknown of the true world. It’s a movie about id, breaking limitations and questioning the bins society locations us in.

Whereas almost all of Tinseltown has been decked out in pink even previous to the movie’s launch, not everyone seems to be on board with a few of the film’s progressive themes — and the haters have made their criticism recognized.

Hold scrolling for the Hollywood discourse on Barbie:

The Stans

Jenna Bush Hager was openly “weeping” whereas taking daughter Poppy to see the Barbie film. The As we speak With Hoda & Jenna cohost praised the movie for its humanistic themes, noting on Tuesday, July 25, that the film confirmed “what it means to be human, what it means to be a girl, what it means to be a mom, all of these issues.”

Eva Mendes, in the meantime, couldn’t wait to gush about Gosling as Ken, whom she known as “Mi Hombre, Mi Vida, Mi Amor” in an effusive Instagram submit earlier this month praising her longtime associate within the function. Mendes opted to cite Gerwig’s commentary to Rolling Stone, during which she hailed Gosling’s efficiency as “some mixture of Marlon Brando meets Gene Wilder meets John Barrymore meets John Travolta.”

Even Amy Schumer — who was initially forged as Barbie within the challenge earlier than the movie and its manufacturing went in a unique path — had nothing but good things to say about the film.

“Actually loved Barbie and Oppenheimer however I feel I ought to have performed Emily Blunt‘s function [in Oppenheimer],” she quipped through Twitter on Monday, July 24.

The Barbie-Burning Backlash

For all the worldwide Barbie love, the film was additionally met with drama — with some critiques extra authentic than others.

Robbie joked to People on the day of the film’s launch that her pals have been horrified that she didn’t lock lips with Gosling at any half within the movie.

“All of my girlfriends have been like, ‘Nicely you probably did an entire film with him and also you don’t kiss? What’s incorrect with you?’ I assumed you have been type of in cost on this one!’” she quipped.

Robbie’s pals’ lighthearted humor, nonetheless, was no match for males in energy who derided movie’s feminist themes and political undertones. Sen. Ted Cruz known as the film “propaganda,” whereas controversial political commentator Ben Shapiro lambasted Barbie as a “flaming rubbish heap” and criticized its “woke” narrative. He additionally shared a YouTube video of his ideas titled, “Ben Shapiro DESTROYS The Barbie Film for 43 Minutes,” during which he destroyed Barbie and Ken dolls by setting them ablaze.

The Defenders

Whoopi Goldberg, for her half, was having none of it when discussing Cruz and Shapiro’s commentary on The View.

“It’s a film! It’s a film a couple of doll!” Goldberg, 67, declared. “I assumed y’all could be glad. [Barbie] has no genitalia, so there’s no intercourse concerned. Ken has no genitalia, so he can’t — it’s a doll film!”

Her View cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin, in the meantime, slammed the boys for feeling “emasculated” by the film.

The Trend, As a result of Pink Is the New Pink

Neglect any of the naysayers — if Barbie managed to get one factor proper, it’s the trend. (And never simply within the movie, although it wouldn’t shock Us if costume designer Jacqueline Durran was headed for an additional Oscar.) At each crimson carpet occasion selling the film Robbie was decked out in variations of actual Barbie outfits via the years — and each movie-goer adopted swimsuit.

Kim and Khloé Kardashian rocked the doll’s signature shade whereas taking their daughters and nieces to the World of Barbie Experience in Los Angeles in early July; Kourtney Kardashian opted for hot pink jorts when seeing the movie. Bush Hager, 41, sported a pink sweater on the motion pictures whereas watching Barbie together with her 7-year-old daughter, who wore Barbie shorts for the event.

Gerwig, for one, was in awe of the attain of the movie — and its trend. “It’s been wonderful to stroll round and see folks in pink,” she instructed The New York Instances. “By no means in my wildest goals did I think about one thing like this.”

The Music

Not solely is the Barbie soundtrack so stacked with expertise we don’t even know the place to start — see: Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice‘s “Barbie World,” Lizzo‘s “Pink,” Dua Lipa‘s “Dance the Evening and lots of extra — Gosling’s “I’m Simply Ken” is the powerhouse efficiency that everybody can’t cease speaking about.

“He has a stupendous voice, and he’s a stupendous dancer. We received there organically,” Gerwig instructed Rolling Stone on Wednesday, July 25, when explaining how she managed to get the previous Mickey Mouse Membership member to actually show off his singing chops within the movie. “I feel if I had stated, ‘I would like you to sing and dance on this film,’ he wouldn’t have essentially finished that for me. However it was type of that factor of boiling a lobster. I feel by the point he was singing and dancing, he didn’t even completely understand how we had gotten there. However he’s so fabulous at it.”

In the meantime, the scene of all the Kens singing Matchbox 20’s “Push” to the Barbies on the seaside? Iconic. Even MB20 frontman Rob Thomas was here for it — despite the fact that he thought the band could be the “butt of the joke” at first.

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“I wish to preface this by saying I assumed it was hilarious,” the musician instructed USA As we speak, including that Gerwig is “certainly one of my crushes without end.”