EXPLOITED BARBIE

I recently dragged my partner to the movies to see the much-hyped ‘Barbie’ movie and I must say I loved it, but my partner said ‘it was 2 hours of his life he will never get back’. I found it funny, colourful, corny, imaginative, containing innuendo and double entendre as well as dealing with issues from the real world, such as, existential themes, sexism and the patriarchy. It contains empowering messages, and some colourful language, but not too much. It had fantastic special effects and was simply fun to watch.

What I don’t get, though, is why the writers/producers/directors would create such a movie, (that is based on a doll that most children own from the age of 4 and whose target audience is kiddies aged 4+ years), and include the "use of bleeped strong language ('motherf**ker'), as well as moderate bad language (‘b***h’)", "moderate innuendo including occasional gags about 'beaching off' and 'sugar daddies'" and "a scene of sexual harassment in which men catcall a woman and make inappropriate comments about her appearance" (RadioTimes.com). By doing so, the producers know that it will be given a PG -13 rating thus precluding all the under 13s from seeing it unless the parents vet it beforehand to ascertain its appropriateness for their children.

As it turns out, the parents who have taken their under-13s to see it have mostly said that the swearing, innuendo and sexual references all went over their kids’ heads as they were mostly captivated by the bubbly dolls that had come to life and the clever on-screen action.

As written on the RadioTimes.com website, “The hotly-anticipated film might be based on one of the most popular children's toys of all time, but many of the movie's jokes and talking points are aimed squarely at a more adult audience.”

So, I decided to ask ChatGPT for the possible reason behind the adultification of the Barbie movie, and here is what it said:

“Movie studios sometimes experiment with different approaches and target audiences to expand the brand’s appeal and capitalize on nostalgia or appeal to parents who grew up with Barbie. The Barbie movie might be a spin-off or a more mature adaptation that aims to bring in older fans who have a sentimental connection to the brand.”

ChatGPT has probably hit the nail on the head. It sounds like a money-making ploy to me.