004. Barbie has trauma, and so do I

"Barbie’s Been Through It… And Honestly, Same"

Few things can unite a group of people from all over the world. Something that transcends language, culture, and identity. One of those things, I have come to discover, is the animated Barbie movies.

I know what you're thinking- "Donatella has officially lost it, gone off the deep end, a few fries short of a Happy Meal". But stick with me!

You see, after a few discussions with my friends about what growing up was like in our respective countries, we came to the topic of what films we loved to watch growing up. For girls who grew up in the early 2000s, the Barbie movies had a chokehold on all of us (and on our TVs).

For those of you who have the misfortune of never seeing a Barbie movie (your homework after reading is to watch one), Barbie manufacturer Mattel produced 52 movies starring Barbie as the main character across various storylines. In response to the rise of digital media, Mattel released these films first on home video (2001-2009, 2011-2015) and then eventually moved onto web series (Dreamhouse Adventure, 2017- Present).

Barbie went on to star in both original and adapted stories. Some of mine (and my friends' favourites) include Barbie of Swan Lake, Barbie Rapunzel, Barbie Princess and the Pauper, Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses, Barbie Nutcracker, Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus, and Barbie Fairytopia (a series)

After a conversation with friends, we realized that if you combine all of Barbie's experiences in each of these films into the "life" of the blonde-headed plastic toy, then Barbie's had it rough.

In light of Greta Gerwig's live-action Barbie film, discussions have shifted from critiquing Barbie as a problematic children's toy to Barbie acting as a vehicle for social commentary on women's experiences in the last decade. I now see a space where we can analyze Barbie's animated life with the same lens.

The truth is that Barbie has trauma.

Although the perils of womanhood don't usually consist of discovering you are a princess or being tasked to save a whole species of magical winged creatures. I argue, however, that Barbie's stressors mirror those of women today (in some respects)

As I took this walk down memory lane (and I welcomed this healthy dose of escapism from the dumpster fire that is the current state of the world), I couldn't help but notice the underlying messages in these films.

Take Barbie of Swan Lake, for example. Although an adaptation of Tchaikovsky's ballet by the same name, Barbie is banished to a forest where she is forced to turn into a swan by day and a human by night. Her mission is to defeat the evil sorcerer.

I began to think: can't a girl just go for a walk in the forest without being accosted by a Fairy Queen asking for favours? Also, Barbie needs to set some boundaries. This is a big job, and I know she already has too much on her plate.

While on this mission, she is almost shot with an arrow by Prince Daniel, but he stops himself because he admires her beauty and spares her life. Although lost on me as a child, this plot point showed that it was only because Barbie was beautiful that her life had value. Perpetuating the idea of "pretty privilege" or that a woman's worth is in her outward appearance. If it was Barbie the Ugly Duckling, this movie would have ended very quickly and in a much more depressing fashion.

I agree that one of the appeals of Barbie is that she is conventionally attractive. However, this message to a curly, brown haired, brown-eyed, 7-year-old such as myself made me stop and wonder if I had seen myself as being worthy of the Prince's affection. It is often in these "fun" fictional stories that we can see societal structures at play.

Let’s take a deeper look into Barbie’s relationship choices.

Continuing in Swan Lake, she spends one night with him and falls in love. We have all had a friend who thinks she met the love of her life after an evening, only to be ghosted the next morning. Can't help but feel Barbie may be responsible for this unrealistic expectation of modern dating. Furthermore, the Prince love bombs Barbie and conveniently, the only thing that can beat the Swan Curse is true love. I don't know about you, but if I was relegated to living the life of a large, white, feathered animal where the only way to be human again was to fall in love, I, too, would throw myself at the first guy I ran into.

The relationship dynamics between Barbie and her love interests (usually played by Ken) were something I fantasized about like many other girls my age. But dissecting it over time and across many of the films, I am left with a sour taste in my mouth. Most films have the message of friendship and believing in yourself at the forefront, but these Prince Charming subplots can undermine the intended spirit of the movie. One could argue that it's a bit poetic, as many women choose to center self-worth and healthy friendships in their lives, but in the background lies this pressure to prioritize romantic relationships as they fit the status quo.

If someone were to ask me what corrupted me, I would say Christmas of '06 when Santa brought me Barbie Princess and the Pauper on DVD (the CD soundtrack and the doll, Christmas peaked in 2006). The film was an adaptation of Mark Twain's novel The Prince and the Pauper. Princess Anneliese and Pauper Erika discover that they look alike, end up switched in a kidnapping and work to get to the bottom of why the kingdom is going bankrupt. I say this movie corrupted me, not just because I watched it on average twice a day, but because it was a blatant display of the wealth gap (Barbie style).

Barbie Erika was an indentured servant being taken advantage of by Madame Carp as she worked off her family's debt, whereas Barbie Anneliese was the daughter to the King, lived in a castle, and people like Erika made her dresses. It was my first informal introduction to Marx's class structure, with Erika as the proletariat and Anneliese as the bourgeois. I classify this as Barbie trauma because not even in fairytales can we reach workers’ rights.

Anneliese only starts to care about the poor when she exits her little bubble to venture into the village and sees the effects of poverty. A poverty that is caused by the kingdom's bankruptcy due to the King's Bernie Madoff-esque adviser, Preminger, who steals gold from the mines.

However, I argue that if Anneliese's family didn't spend lavishly on parties, dresses, and costly interior design, maybe some of the villagers would not have to sell their children into labour, but I digress. As a child I remember realizing that Barbie has lived as an aristocrat and as a peasant. The only two things that separate her experiences are the class into which she was born. Something Barbie has no control over, and despite Pauper Barbie's efforts to make it as a singer on her own, she requires the attention and assistance of her privileged counterpart to make the dream come true.

What is also never touched on (as it is a children's movie) is how both girls are born days apart and look the same. I can't help but feel that a possible switched/separated at birth scenario would affect Barbie in the future. Someone get Barbie to therapy.

In the late 00’s, magic became less of a focus in this new era of Barbie. However, when magic is presented, it is a privilege for the 1% (oh, how life imitates art). Instead, these films have Barbie wanting to pursue a career (actress, musician, surfer). The magic version of Barbie is sent to school to learn how to govern kingdoms, aka, gain political influence and perpetuate nepotism. While the non-magic version has to pull herself up by her bootstraps, make an income, and start filing taxes (T4, 401K, or whatever bureaucratic nightmare exists in the Barbie cinematic universe).

Even in the non-magic films, Barbie is doubted by those around her as she sets goals for herself. Working in cafes by day and trying to pursue a career in the arts (a fairly accurate representation of the fickle world of entertainment). Or carrying the weight of the oldest sibling by providing advice or guidance in the absence of her parents. I always wondered where her parents were, and I think the parentification of Barbie is something we overlook.

This isn't to create a dislike towards Barbie (lord knows she has received enough of that over the years), but rather the opposite. Barbie deserves a little empathy, she has lived a million lifetimes in only 65 years. Whether it was her more realistic struggles from working the high-stress job of a doctor, breaking the glass ceiling as a pilot, or working minimum wage while the cost of living soars. From the pressure of saving the world(s), discovering new family members, or not being able to dance with her 11 princess sisters. Barbie has experienced stress in all of its glorious forms.

Despite all the stress and traumatic situations Barbie found herself in, she taught me resilience. That no challenge was too hard and no mountain was too big to climb (especially when you have a friend named Pegasus). Many of our life experiences make us who we are, and despite challenges that leave us feeling pain or disappointment, they provide moments of great reflection.

At it's core, the problems Barbie faces are not far off from that of the girls she raised. Navigating big changes, increased responsibility, and the vocalized doubts of others. As cheesy as it sounds, the parables in Barbie's life taught me the power of believing in yourself, that it’s okay to ask for help, and that fostering friendships that uplift you goes a long way in this cruel world.