8/15/2023-|last update: 8/15/202307:54 PM (Mecca Time)
Revenues from the movie “Barbie” have exceeded the billion-dollar mark since its release in theaters more than two weeks ago, as director Greta Gerwig broke the record for female directors whose films achieved the highest profits, after it was previously held by director Patty Jenkins, director of the movie “Barbie”. Wonder Woman.
Warner Bros. Pictures, the producer of the film, announced that it earned $ 459 million from cinemas in North America, and $ 572.1 million worldwide during the weekend, bringing the total revenue to $ 1.0315 billion.
The film, produced by Margot Robbie, has been able to steadily occupy the first place in the highest revenues for three weeks, and it is still continuing, and this speed of revenue is greater than any other film in the “studio”, even from the “Harry Potter” series, according to reports by the network. CNN and the British newspaper, The Guardian.
It is true that these numbers about the film raised many questions and discussions about whether the cinematic work was worth watching, and the uproar aroused around it, which made it part of the reviews of many art critics and the media, but there is another question we ask here: What is the secret of the popularity of the movie “Barbie”?
Controversy about the doll and its suitability for children
This is the first appearance of the “Barbie” doll – which was put on the market 64 years ago – in a movie on the big screen. Basically, this doll that appeared on the scene in 1959 has been the subject of controversy since its appearance, especially with the ongoing debate about whether this doll is suitable for girls. Young girls who want to play with toys that are appropriate for their age, not dolls for a mature woman who has a certain body shape in the image of the “ideal slim body”, an image that Western media has tried to export since the 1920s.
On this point, Andy Zeisler, author of the book “We Were Feminists Once”, wrote a blog published by the American newspaper “The New York Times” on this point on the occasion of the launch of the film, as she said that “Barbie” represents a flashpoint over the past 64 years on the question of what she looks like. Women? Especially with the development of different models for Barbie from the skinny blonde girl with a pink dress, to many different versions in sizes, colors, occupations, clothing and additional “accessories”, and the discussions – and perhaps the confusion of choice – are intensified among the lovers of this doll.
Zeisler cited the 2018 documentary Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie, which discussed the controversy, in which one of the guests was a fan of Barbie, and cited Michelle Schedoni, head of public relations. In the American toy company “Mattel”, (or as it describes itself as “Barbie promoter”), in the title of this documentary that “Barbie carries on her small shoulders beauty standards and feminist analyzes for several generations,” as she believes that this is what made the doll reconfigured; To become fuller, or more sporty, or vary in color depending on the discussions taking place around it, or the attempts of its manufacturers to provide a product that satisfies different tastes.
For her part, Maria Teresa Hart, author of “The Doll”, believes that this popularity is related to the desire of some people “to return to their toy box, and they want to relive the moments they lived in their childhood bedroom.”
“Barbie” promotes an “ideal” city in which Barbie holds a great job on equal terms with men (Source: IMDB)
The perfect city for a woman
The events of the film transport us to the land of Barbie, an “ideal” city – in the eyes of the work makers -, where every Barbie has a wonderful job on an equal basis with men, and as actress Helen Mirren says in a sarcastic voice: “All the problems of feminism and women’s rights have been solved,” so the magazine said. Times” of America in its presentation of the film.
The magazine also indicated that the film presented an ideal picture of “Barbie” who spends the night in evenings showing her beauty and confidence, while “Ken” is a comfortable dance partner, and even when she wanted to search for answers in the real world, “Ken” was just an “accessory” in Barbie’s dream life is on her voyage of discovery.
The article saw that “Barbie” may criticize the current tense life of gender relations, while providing support for girls, and providing a distinctive musical link.
The movie “Barbie” .. a commercial
In conjunction with the film, this summer saw an extensive display of Barbie products, as the film’s production company “Warner Bros.” and the doll’s production company “Mattel” collaborated with many other companies; Such as: the luxury fashion company “Bloomingdale’s”, all the way to the American ice cream chains “Pinkberry” to launch pink products, and the pink color trend has spread, to the extent of Barbie pasta and “Xbox” Barbie.
The American magazine report adds, “The reason for the high revenues of the Barbie movie may not necessarily be because you cannot cross the street in a big city without seeing an advertisement for Barbie, but it is more for its pink tint. Barbie boldly engages in feminine beauty, targeting a female audience, and this is what “It doesn’t happen much in Hollywood. Big-budget films, including Barbie’s box office rivals like Oppenheimer and Mission Impossible, tend to be marketed to a male audience.”
Participation of famous singers
Before “Barbie” was released in theatres, there was a lot of controversy surrounding the album track featuring the famous stars of the movie; Such as: American rapper Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, singer Charlie XCX, and American singer Billie Eilish, while it was executive produced by the famous producer Mark Ronson, and perhaps the introduction of these famous names was another factor in the attraction of the film, and that The fun music aspect of the film may attract some audiences looking for enjoyment and fun.
The movie “Barbie” managed to steadily occupy the first place in the highest box office for weeks (Source: IMDB)
Political discussions
Political debate has also been sparked by the film, with a map that critics claim depicts the “nine-stripe line,” a maritime boundary that was rejected by an international tribunal in The Hague but used by China to assert its ownership of much of the South China Sea. The Vietnamese and the Philippines – disputing with China over its territorial claims in the South China Sea – prevented the film from being shown in the country because of the map.
Although the production company confirmed that it was just a “painting in transparent colors in the manner of children” and that those in charge of the work “did not intend any kind of statement” or political stance, questions persisted about the relationship between Hollywood and Beijing, and the size of the concessions that some “studios” might make. films in order to reach its huge market.
psychological reasons
There are also psychological reasons discussed by the “Psychology Today” website specialized in psychology and mental health, as it talked about the nostalgia of some of the film’s audience for the perfect pink Barbie world, despite the writer’s talk about the difficulty of building a story that lasts for a long time in an ideal world, as Doctor of Philosophy Bence Nanai said, “After all, what kind of conflict and impasse can there be in a world where every day is perfect?”
And he concluded, “Here the film uses another direction, as Barbie is faced with decisions that make her sympathetic to all of us, such as: choosing between staying in (Barbie Land), or going to the real world to fix things, which he considered familiar decisions, and we face in our lives when the choice is between Something we know very well, and something completely strange.”
