On July 2023, ‘Barbie’ brought not only Mattel’s traditional plastic doll to the silver screen but a screenplay and direction by Greta Gerwig allied with the talents of Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Ryan Gosling (Ken), followed by an ensemble cast proposing a narrative that is deeper than usually seem in blockbuster movies based on decades-old IPs approaching gender roles, patriarchy, representation, and capitalism without forgetting to entertain the audiences. Barbie may not be a full arthouse movie and was never supposed to be, but it is already above other pictures based on toys, as critics and the public have lauded the Robbie vehicle.
In an interview with Big Picture Film Club, Doctor in Multimedia and advertising professional Thifani Postali (Sorocaba University – UNISO) points out that: “For some time Mattel has been attempting to modernize the idea of Barbie which has been criticized as a stereotype of the female body. The movie screenplay follows the current discussions about what it is ‘to be a woman,’ in particular in Western societies. The protagonist is a classic Barbie model but progressist, independent without pushing aside her aesthetical preferences.”
Postali sees in the figure of Ken a character that discovers a “sexist world dominated by patriarchy with imposed characteristics that the character brings to the fictional (doll) world, which can also be easily assimilated to the social structure of many Western countries. Ken’s character arc is an explicit critique of the patriarchal model, reinforcing the new position that the brand Mattel aims for with this movie. This situation divides the public, as a more progressive viewer will be more receptive; meanwhile, the conservative will criticize how the gender issues were approached. In the end, I see that the outcome was mostly positive, and Mattel’s intention to reposition the brand goes together with the modern discussions about the matter.”
Mattel released Barbie in the US in 1959, when America was experiencing the struggle of the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War, decades before the advent of video games and the Internet. For long, Barbie has been aligned with the values of a white and conservative America. Still, it has been trying to keep up with the times, including societal changes and the ever-growing presence of media in the daily lives of its consumers; with the movie being one such example.
A Barbie for the current era
“This production, in my opinion, must be understood in the logic of transmedia narratives,” explains Brazilian communicologist Mara Rovida (UNISO), for who the ‘Barbie’ appeal can be better understood under the prism of transmedia narrative which “is this narrative universe made up of different types of narratives that complement each other (they are not just versions of the same plot).”
Postali further explains transmedia narratives as “not the simple translation of content to another medium, but the expansion of the universe with new stories, news and curiosities about the topic. The entertainment market has often used this strategy to keep its products in the spotlight.”
For Rovida, the Barbie franchise’s set of media products generates a narrative universe, thus falling under transmedia. Rovida also believes that many product-based pictures supposedly aimed at a younger market like ‘ ‘Shazam’ (2019) or ‘Dragon Ball Evolution’ (2009) originate in comic books and anime. “Toys are usually elements that appear later,” exposes Rovida which can be seen as toy lines made after a successful movie. A vital moment in the relationship between the movie and toy industry was the creation of the ‘Star Wars’ toy line – with George Lucas retaining ancillary rights to the licensing of Star Wars toys.
Some of the transmedia assets when promoting ‘Barbie’ was social media, fast food, and public transport. For Postali, this shows the current state of blockbuster promotion because “there is no way not to involve digital media and electronic games in a film campaign, especially for a product that involves a culture that transcends cinema, as is the case with Barbie. Digital media, through algorithms, can better segment the public that is most interested in the subject. In contrast, electronic games, as they have become a fundamental medium in the 21st century, can reinforce dissemination and reach other audiences interested in the topic.“
Besides Barbie, other toys from the past have transitioned onto the silver screen, like ‘The Masters of the Universe’ (1987) starring Dolph Lundgren, the ‘G. I. Joe’s movies with Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson, and Bruce Willis, and the upcoming Matchbox movie with John Cena behind the wheel.
“It is a translation or adaptation, and its failure or success will depend largely on the quality of the production – whether or not the toy had a previous story and how this story will be presented in new media” affirms Postali. The scholar thinks that new media enable different forms of content that can contribute to the permanence and success of a toy.
In Postali’s eyes, when these narratives are well planned and performed, they expand the universe, enabling the use of the transmedia technique. This technique is not the simple translation of content to another medium but the expansion of the universe with new stories, news, and curiosities about the topic. The entertainment market has often used this strategy to keep its products in the spotlight.
‘Barbie’ might be an isolated event inside the genre of “toy movies,” much like not every superhero movie is on par with ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008), still as Hollywood is ever reliant on IPs to satisfy its capitalist needs over art, ‘Barbie’ might serve as a template for those who dare to do a blockbuster that isn’t just a ‘Made for TV’ movie with a bigger budget, however, to know if the new endeavours will achieve the bar that Gerwig, Robbie, and Gosling have set is another issue.
Also Read: Beyond Superheroes: What Will Define Hollywood’s Next Era?
