It’s a Barbie World But Is That a Good Thing? | Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer

<p>Barbie has smashed through the glass ceiling. Greta Gerwig’s new movie based on the popular Mattel doll is the big summer film of 2023. It’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/06/movies/barbie-1-billion-box-office.html" rel="nofollow">made more than $1 billion</a> –the first time that box office benchmark has been reached by a film directed by a woman. This popular success is all the more notable because the movie deals explicitly with feminist critiques of patriarchy. </p><p>Barbie has generated an enormous public debate, but not everybody wholeheartedly loves the movie. I think <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/barbie-greta-gerwig-film-review/" rel="nofollow">the best piece of writing on the film</a> was written by Tarpley Hitt for <em>The Nation</em>. Hitt, a writer and editor for <em>The Drift</em> who is working on <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Barbieland/Tarpley-Hitt/9781668031827" rel="nofollow">a book about the Barbie doll</a>, described the movie’s feminism as “muddled.” I sat down and talked to Tarpley for an enlightening discussion about this year&#39;s buzziest blockbuster.</p><br/><br/>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a><br/><br/>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>