Wonkette Movie Night: Barbie
'Humans only have one ending. Ideas live forever.'
Imagine a universe where Barbie and Ken exist as living beings. It is a very pink universe. A happy place with all the different Barbies and Kens living in an ideal world, having nightly parties and spending their days at the beach. But something dark is creeping into the perfect pastel life of BarbieLand. Barbie has begun to think of her own mortality and her magical life has lost its joy. The other Barbies are horrified to discover that classic Barbie’s heels now touch the ground.
She goes to Weird Barbie seeking advice. Played by the amazing Kate McKinnon, Weird Barbie tells her she can find “the truth about the universe” by traveling to the Real World. Joining Barbie on her journey in her Dream Car is Ken. They are hoping that Barbie can discover why she has lost her spark.
Meanwhile back in the real world, Gloria is trying to connect with her teenage daughter and move forward in her career at the toy company Mattel. Once it is discovered that Barbie and Ken have crossed into the Real World all hell breaks loose at Mattel. They want to put Barbie “back in her box” but she may have other plans and Gloria maybe the right person to help her.
As Barbie has been seeking out the source of her malaise, Ken has found something in the Real World that he wants to take back to BarbieLand. He discovers that men have power and control in the Real World, something he feels he is missing back home. They both may learn something about the good and bad of what it means it be human.
Margot Robbie could not have been a more natural fit for the role of Barbie, giving a quintessential performance of a doll come to life. With Ryan Gosling truly embodying the 6-pack abs-having, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Ken.
There's so many wonderful moments in this movie. Greta Gerwig has gifted the world a work of art in which all of us can find a reflection of some part of ourselves.
The part I found most inspiring and emotional is the monologue perfectly given by America Ferrera as Gloria. It is a recognition of the truths that we all experience as humans and the challenge to keep fighting for yourself. There is only a tiny bit of a spoiler in the clip.
Barbie stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Michael Cera, Issa Rae, Will Ferrell, and Rhea Perlman. Directed by Greta Gerwig.
Barbie is available with subscription on Max. $3.99 in the usual places.
To make requests and see the movie lists and schedules, go to WonkMovie.
Our cartoon is The Fifth Column Mouse, a Looney Tunes short directed by Friz Freleng from 1943.
Our next Movie Night on June 8 is 𝐎𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨 (𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟐),
https://open.substack.com/pub/ziggywiggy/p/wonkette-movie-night-june-8-orlando?r=2knfuc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
True story, I was once anthologized in a book of young women's feminism that used "Barbie" in the title. Mattel sued and the book was republished under a different title. I have a copy of the rare first printing with the original title.
I can't, of course, claim much credit for all of this. I didn't choose the title, they just wanted one of my pieces. Nor did Mattel sue me, per se. Still, I like having the original book up on my shelf.