Are People Actually Upset at Mattel’s Latest Barbie Line?
Last year Mattel landed probably the best possible advertisement for its most iconic toy in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. It makes sense then, that to capitalize on this they would come out with a range of ‘Women in Film’ Barbie dolls, but not everyone is pleased ー or are they?
Barbie dominated 2023. The film, directed by Gerwig and produced by/starring Margot Robbie, became the highest-grossing film of the year. It wasn’t just about the figures; a wave of Barbie flooded social media, theater-goers donned costumes to attend viewings (guilty as charged), and hot pink just seemed to be everywhere.
Though Mattel, the parent company of the Barbie doll brand, was fairly heavily satirized in the film, it came out on top regardless as its stocks rose thanks to the zeitgeist surrounding the IP. As a way to continue the goodwill and tip its cap at the female-led movie (as it fully should), Mattel announced that the theme of its annual “Career of the Year” collection for 2024 is filmmaking. The Barbies in the collection represent roles such as film director, studio executive, cinematographer, and movie star.
It only makes sense to honor women in film, especially when it was women who did so much for the brand through their creative endeavors. And we love to see women in film represented in a way that allows younger girls to aspire to a career in the industry. The dolls are seen holding equipment related to their role, such as a film camera for Cinematographer Barbie, a script and set of headphones for Director Barbie, and a phone for taking important calls for Studio Executive Barbie.
A piece from The Guardian on the matter has caused a little bit of a stir, as the paper ran with the headline “‘That film taught Mattel nothing’: screenwriters lead backlash to ‘women in film’ Barbies.” The article was based on tweets from writers Taffy Brodesser-Akner and David Simons. The former wrote on X, “Where is Screenwriter Barbie? Does Mattel not know how to make sweatpants? Does Mattel not know how to get avocado toast on a t-shirt and just kind of leave it there?”
Simons also chimed in on the platform writing, “No writer Barbie. No grip Barbie. No Teamster Barbie. No key set PA Barbie who has to go into Movie Star Barbie’s trailer and tell the delicate flower to get the fuck down to set because 120 other pissed-off Barbie’s are waiting for her. That film taught Mattel nothing.”
Though The Guardian may have perceived their gripes as genuine, both have since responded to the article affirming that they were, of course, joking.
After the Writers Strike, however, many writers are wondering where Screenwriter Barbie is, asking on X, “Ok, so there are no lines in that movie? Where is the screenwriter Barbie? Signed by a screenwriter that was Barbie for Halloween.”
Regardless of the confusion, whether people are genuinely mad or just poking fun (the latter seems more likely), having more representation of women in film can only be a positive (and necessary) thing. In recent years we have seen more female directors working on films ranging from blockbusters like Barbie to smaller indies. Speaking to The Guardian, film critic Anna Smith said, “I think overall the range represents progress. How incredible for kids to have a female director toy to play with!”
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
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