As a psychologist and person, I found the Barbie movie satisfying and meaningful in its commentary regarding relationships. It made comments relating to being human, friends, couples, and self.
Relationship to being human. Barbie really shows us what it means to be in the perfect world of Barbie Land compared with the real world. She shows us that, in the end, that there is benefit to being in the real world filled with real human bodies, emotions and all.
Relating to friends. Barbie demonstrates how important it is to have a group of good supportive girlfriends to increase our wellbeing. Ken also thrives being with the other Kens.
Relating to Barbie and Ken as a couple. The Barbies and Kens first have a relationship where the Kens are just there as accessories to the Barbies. Later in the movie the Kens take over Barbie Land and the Barbies are there to serve the Kens. Both situations describe relationships that are not based on equality. In the end, Ken and Barbie agree that they can live together, in a relationship, with equality, even if it takes work to figure out how to do this.
Relating to self. The movie makes a point that it is important to know who you are, have a positive concept of yourself, and be accepting yourself, as Barbie explains to Ken toward the end of the movie. It also illustrates what you can be in the world, anything, just like Barbie can be anything that she would like to be. It also shows that, like all the Barbies, we are OK no matter what we look like.
What did you think of the Barbie movie, what meaningful takeaways were there for you?
Do you have any thoughts about the mother and daughter relationship in the movie?
