For some women in China, “Barbie” is more than just a movie — it’s also a litmus test for their partner’s views on feminism and patriarchy.
The movie has prompted intense social media discussion online, media outlets Sixth Tone and the China Project reported this week, prompting women to discuss their own dating experiences.
One user on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu — a photo-sharing site similar to Instagram that’s mostly used by Gen Z women — even shared a guide on Monday for how women can test their boyfriends based on their reaction to the film.
According to the guide, if a man shows hatred for “Barbie” and slams female directors after they leave the theatre, then this man is “stingy” and a “toxic chauvinist,” according to Insider’s translation of the post. Conversely, if a man understands even half of the movie’s themes, “then he is likely a normal guy with normal values and stable emotions,” the user wrote.
Okay, I’ll admit I had not the slightest clue what the plot was to Barbie before opening this post but I’m getting a little curious about this movie now.
It’s a fantastic movie, and I’d recommend seeing it and making your own judgement. Personally, I understand why some people got the wrong idea from it because while it does spell out a lot of it’s thematic arguments, it doesn’t spell all of them out as explicitly and that’s where I think most of the “Barbie Movie hates men” stuff stems from.
Anyway, watch the movie. It’s my favorite one of the year.
(Side point: it’s also a bit ironic because most of the reviews I’ve seen missing that it’s actually very cognizant of how patriarchy negatively affects men also criticize how explicit it is about it’s other themes…like…do they want the movie to explicitly spell out it’s themes or not, because either way it’s being criticized.)