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this movie rocked
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 03:02 |
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# ? May 30, 2024 13:49 |
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The Mrs. and I left the theater beaming, we loved it. I feel like the moral is more or less "being marginalized - for any reason - fuckin' sucks."
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 03:29 |
I keep seeing commentary about simplistic ideas of feminism as a failing of the movie (which I would 100% expect because after all this is a marketing tool more than anything else), especially as it relates to the big conflict in the second act but I feel like I'm missing something because I don't get it. As "Combed Thunderclap" said ITT, Barbie as a concept is just a canvas to project patriarchal ideals and expectations of femininity onto. Which would mean that Barbieland isn't some feminist utopia, or even a matriarchy (beyond the strictest of definitions) - it's a place that exists to "empower" Barbies to play the roles (jobs or what have you) expected of them. In that sense, the fact that Kens are treated as props with no sense of purpose outside of their relation to Barbies isn't an indictment of feminism, it's a criticism of patriarchy. Patriarchy presumes that in a female-centered society men would be denied value or agency or independent identity. As I understand it, the movie presents all of this as hosed up from the jump; yes Barbie's existence is comfortable and fun and lively but clearly not good and not fulfilling. It also makes it clear that the dynamic is hurtful if not outright harmful for at least one Ken. But that situation isn't the fault of Barbies, who have no real power except to play whatever role they're assigned - it's the fault of the people projecting expectations onto them, the most plentiful and powerful of whom are men in the real world. The marginalization of Kens is the result of a failure of patriarchy, which then begets more crisis after Ken is exposed to the real world where he is shamed for not living up to the standards of a "real man". Men failed Ken, denied him an opportunity to develop an identity distinct from unrealistic gendered expectations, and his response is to blame women. Am I missing something? Very much not a gender scholar or whatever so interested in other more informed takes. Just kind of baffled by the "the Barbie movie is bad for feminism because it treats matriarchy as patriarchy flipped upside down" angle of critique. Mat Cauthon fucked around with this message at 03:40 on Jul 23, 2023 |
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 03:36 |
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I liked the movie but the snapping the barbies out of being brainwashed with a speech didn't make sense because none of the Barbies in Barbieland could relate to any of that. They had the easy life.
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 03:59 |
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Bananaquiter posted:I liked the movie but the snapping the barbies out of being brainwashed with a speech didn't make sense because none of the Barbies in Barbieland could relate to any of that. They had the easy life. One of the first things the movie establishes is that there is a link between the experience of the girls/women who played with barbies and the feelings of the barbies. So it makes sense that someone laying out something so explicitly, something that their human counterparts have experienced, that it would land with them even if those feelings were never quite enough to mess with them the way it did with the main character. Especially after experiencing the beginning of the Mojo Dojo Casa House era
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 04:11 |
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Bogus Adventure posted:I look forward to your breakdown of it Ok, so: Matrix references. Lots of Matrix references. The movie takes place inside the mind of the character Gloria, a Mattel employee. Gloria lives in "the real world", which is not the actual real world, but "reality" as depicted in what's explicitly a 'meta' advertisement starring various Hollywood actors. In other words, "Gloria" is actually America Ferrera, playing herself, playing Gloria - the fictional mascot who is set to become the new face of the Mattel company. This is how the movie cushions its messages: first by saying it's only a toy commerical, then by saying that it's all just this one person's silly fantasy within the commercial. So, don't be fooled; we need to interrogate exactly those premises. But, given that we already agree that corporations are bad, any criticism of the film comes down to our ability to examine Gloria as she Like, where are Trans Ken, Wheelchair Ken, etc.? That's a rhetorical question, because the answer is simply that Gloria didn't think about that. It wouldn't fit into her conception of the Barbie brand, where Ken is (or should be) a vehicle for cisgendered girls* to safely confront harassment and microaggressions through parody. The "Kendom" thing clearly reveals that Gloria has no clue what kids actually like, outside her wheelhouse of "Barbie, but Weird Twitter". No way are Kendom products actually selling that much, even as ironic purchases. In fact, isn't it kinda odd that there are effectively no children in the movie at all? *The film's 'colourblindness' on such issues as trans rights leads to some odd scenes, like when Gloria makes Doctor Barbie stand up and... express generic criticism of tropes in romantic comedies? The elephant in the room is that Mattel wouldn't dare make Ken even subtly transphobic. SuperMechagodzilla fucked around with this message at 04:38 on Jul 23, 2023 |
# ? Jul 23, 2023 04:18 |
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SuperMechagodzilla posted:Ok, so: Matrix references. Lots of Matrix references. Yes! This is what I visit Cine_D for.
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 04:25 |
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SuperMechagodzilla posted:Ok, so: Matrix references. Lots of Matrix references. Isn't stereotypical Barbie the only Barbie that belongs to America Ferrara? The rest of the Barbie's belong to other people
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 04:32 |
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Saw this movie tonight but pretty sure the guy behind me was masturbating the entire time and it ruined it for me
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 05:19 |
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Soggy Muffin posted:Saw this movie tonight but pretty sure the guy behind me was masturbating the entire time and it ruined it for me Don’t know if he was drunk and just trolling the theatre but he kept moaning silently, I’d turn around and his hands would move up suddenly
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 05:23 |
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Soggy Muffin posted:Saw this movie tonight but pretty sure the guy behind me was masturbating the entire time and it ruined it for me username post combo
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 05:24 |
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This movie was loving great! I had pretty high expectations going in, and it exceeded them in every way. Also shoutout to the Goon seated next to me at the Seattle showing tonight who I saw browsing the forums on his phone.
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 05:37 |
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Talorat posted:This movie was loving great! I had pretty high expectations going in, and it exceeded them in every way. Also shoutout to the Goon seated next to me at the Seattle showing tonight who I saw browsing the forums on his phone. That was me! Did you hear the loving weirdo behind us? He was prob a goon as well
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 05:41 |
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Must have been a different showing I'm afraid.
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 05:44 |
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Looten Plunder posted:Isn't stereotypical Barbie the only Barbie that belongs to America Ferrara? The rest of the Barbie's belong to other people None of the Barbies belong to anybody, strictly speaking. All of the doll characters are actually 'the idea of a doll', existing in Gloria's unconscious fantasy world. Gloria specifically has this fantasy because she's heavily, heavily invested in the Barbie brand - like, fanatical to such a degree that she got herself a job at the company, and gets in a high-speed car chase when she hears of Barbie coming to the real world. Meanwhile, the goal of the Will Ferrell character is to prevent Gloria's ostensibly-unmarketable "dark" ideas from spreading to potential customers. So, whatever hint of a collective dimension to the fantasy world, this is strictly Gloria's show. That's the response to Mat Cauthon's post, as it happens: Barbieland isn't a utopia or a dystopia, because it isn't an actual society - or at least not anything recognizably human. The idea-doll characters are immortal and don't actually do things like eat or whatever. Their status is determined by the degree to which they are "good ideas": both Gloria and the diegetic filmmakers ranking them in terms of their marketability or something.
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 06:11 |
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Imagine if i could go back in time and tell my 10 year old self that three decades from now there would be big blockbuster movies made about toys. My excitement would be off the charts, then I reveal that my sisters stupid Barbie dolls would have a better movie made about them then my bitchin robots that literally turned into trucks would.Atma_Weapon posted:
Also the Snyder cut joke was dead-on. GarudaPrime fucked around with this message at 15:38 on Jul 23, 2023 |
# ? Jul 23, 2023 12:03 |
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This reminded me a lot of The Holy Mountain (Jodorowsky), with plenty of 60s Demy and Godard. Also enjoyed the nod to Tati's Playtime with the Mattel HQ. This has a lovely balance of art and commerce, while doesn't dilute its satirical message (much like RoboCop). One of the best-photographed and lit films I've seen in a while, every performance is wonderful, and I'm going to have to watch it again to check out all the fascinating production design details. I'm still giving this high marks, despite it calling me out personally at least twice.
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 15:59 |
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It was a stroke of genius to have Ken's favorite song be "Push" by Matchbox Twenty. I wonder how much thought went into that selection, because I'm pretty sure no other song would have been more hilarious.
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 16:01 |
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Mat Cauthon posted:Am I missing something? Very much not a gender scholar or whatever so interested in other more informed takes. Just kind of baffled by the "the Barbie movie is bad for feminism because it treats matriarchy as patriarchy flipped upside down" angle of critique. I think the concern is that people might interpret the depiction as being anti-men in a way that gives them the wrong idea about feminism. That’s something worth thinking through, as you’ve done here, but it’s really less artistic critique and more political communication strategy. To which I think all I personally can say is: based on the movie, I’m pretty sure the people who would go see the Barbie movie and make that interpretation were never going to be persuadable that feminism or gender equality are good anyway.
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 16:23 |
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William Bear posted:It was a stroke of genius to have Ken's favorite song be "Push" by Matchbox Twenty. it's a song about domestic abuse bro
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 17:54 |
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Combed Thunderclap posted:To which I think all I personally can say is: based on the movie, I’m pretty sure the people who would go see the Barbie movie and make that interpretation were never going to be persuadable that feminism or gender equality are good anyway. It certainly seems that way. https://twitter.com/TechnicallyRon/status/1683058689224179712
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 18:03 |
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Combed Thunderclap posted:I think the concern is that people might interpret the depiction as being anti-men in a way that gives them the wrong idea about feminism. Yeah. I went with a bunch of female coworkers and one (gen-x who loves cops, is against social programs and anti-union) complained about “all the political stuff” and another one (40-ish) literally said the movie was “an example of how modern feminism has gone too far.” This is a group that would generally identify as liberal, but haven’t read or engaged with actual feminist text. I found the movie’s feminism sloppy and heteronormative, but my experience was colored by the aforementioned group. But I’m realizing my version of feminism is fundamentally queer. Gender anarchy! Also I’m shocked horses were coded as a male thing. 0% horse girl representation.
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 18:14 |
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Crocobile posted:Yeah. I went with a bunch of female coworkers and one (gen-x who loves cops, is against social programs and anti-union) complained about “all the political stuff” and another one (40-ish) literally said the movie was “an example of how modern feminism has gone too far.” This is a group that would generally identify as liberal, but haven’t read or engaged with actual feminist text. Sounds like you need cooler friends tbh
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 18:16 |
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Rarity posted:Sounds like you need cooler friends tbh Coworkers, not friends. Ok wait maybe I take it back
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 18:18 |
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Ash Crimson posted:it's a song about domestic abuse bro Goddamn, that was a fun movie. I laughed, I cried. The movie is in fact critiquing both patriarchy and matriarchy. The Barbies were mean to the Kens without even thinking about it, because Ken is and always has been a Barbie accessory. Then, at the end, the Kens get only partial self-government: they can be lower-court justices but not Supreme Court justices. https://twitter.com/kyalbr/status/1682969851273572353
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 18:29 |
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x-posting from the pyf meme thread. it's low effort but, ironically, i couldn't get the idea out of my head all weekend
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 18:54 |
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Nwo looking ken
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 18:57 |
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MacheteZombie posted:Nwo looking ken Hollywood Nick Hogan
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 18:59 |
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My new favorite thing tweets from fragile right wingers
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 19:01 |
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Whoa the right wing doesn't like a popular movie? No way!
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 19:03 |
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https://twitter.com/travon/status/1682933439388078081?s=46
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 19:09 |
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This is one of the smartest scripts I feel like I've seen in awhile. Oppenheimer felt like a bad script acted well/interesting enough to let you ignore that. Can't fathom how you could make this better. Everything just hit. The sets were amazing, all the joke beats about it being a fake world worked so so so well. And the showstopper number is a loving banger. Can totally see the criticism that ultimately the justice of the movie is that women are in complete control and men will struggle to climb ranks for decades and only then get a couple of seats on their supreme court..... ...but it's a movie. And men predominately do control the real world boardrooms and government. The movie is trying to be inspiring and parity is so far off yet that it's like complaining someone brought a water pistol to a gun fight. Could the movie have used a positive male role model that wasn't a joke? Maybe? But there's already almost every other movie for those. Men don't need this one too. Along those lines, did love that they don't *redeem* Ken, but they did give him a path forward. I do like that this film walked into a thunder storm with a lightning rod, and anyone who gets mad at is is literally getting mad at "The Barbie Movie". William Bear posted:It was a stroke of genius to have Ken's favorite song be "Push" by Matchbox Twenty. Them zooming out on him playing it to reveal them all playing to their Barbie... impeccable. CatstropheWaitress fucked around with this message at 19:37 on Jul 23, 2023 |
# ? Jul 23, 2023 19:30 |
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William Bear posted:It was a stroke of genius to have Ken's favorite song be "Push" by Matchbox Twenty. I was expecting Wonderwall but that was even better lol
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 19:32 |
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CatstropheWaitress posted:I do like that this film walked into a thunder storm with a lightning rod, and anyone who gets mad at is is literally getting mad at "The Barbie Movie". I'm not saying it should be for children; I'm saying a lot of adults who are there only for the children will be surprised. I thought those guitar chords were Wonderwall. Yes, I did spend the entire 1990s trapped
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 19:42 |
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CatstropheWaitress posted:Them zooming out on him playing it to reveal them all playing to their Barbie... impeccable. I don't know if this was for sure the biggest collective laugh I've ever been in a full theater for, but it was drat close at least
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 20:10 |
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One of my fav parts of movie Depression Anxiety Barbie commercial with Pride and Prejudice BBC, OCD sold seperately
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 20:11 |
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All the people I know would buy Ordinary Barbie in a heartbeat.
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 20:12 |
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https://twitter.com/PopCrave/status/1683151802513100802?s=20
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 20:15 |
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Good, they deserve all those wins. I am pre-emptively weary for the upcoming wave of media that completely misses that this movie works because of the substance + the style and not just style alone. What happens often with Wes Andreson's flicks, where people will assume this is such a big hit because PINK!
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 20:36 |
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# ? May 30, 2024 13:49 |
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Goddammit that was like one of the funniest movies I've seen
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# ? Jul 23, 2023 21:14 |