Life in plastic, IT’S FANTASTIC! (And so is the cast of this film!)
Many girls grew up playing and watching Barbie, they not only capture the beauty of femininity that Barbie encapsulates but also encourage young girls to embrace themselves. Barbie has always set out to teach girls “independence” and “all that [they] could be.”
The Iconic Story
Barbie was created in 1959 by Ruth Handler, wife of the co-founder of American toy manufacturer Mattel. Handler decided that she wanted a toy that her daughter could play with by imagining herself as an adult.
Over the years, Barbie has proved to be capable of adapting to aesthetic and cultural change. Thanks also to its ability to adapt to the changes, making it an iconic toy but also transforming it into an intergenerational model.
Barbie as a Symbol of Inclusion and Diversity
Times change and we change with them. From the style, make-up, and accessories – all have been adapted to the tastes and values of each new generation.
In the beginning, Barbie gave girls the freedom to mix and match clothing and accessories as a way of expressing their creativity. Then came the revolution. Barbie appeared to change her attitude and become more ambitious.
She became a doctor, a lawyer, a career woman, an author, a rock star, and even the president of the United States of America. She transformed into an inspirational toy for young girls all over the world. But the Barbie universe did not stop there, she became the representation of women all over the world, complete with many different skin tones, outfits, and body shapes, with long hair, short hair, bald, with vitiligo, with artificial limbs or in a wheelchair.
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie
Greta Gerwig has teamed up with Margot Robbie and Warner Bros. for a live-action Barbie movie, based on Mattel’s famed doll. Robbie will play Barbie while Ryan Gosling will portray as Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken. Gerwig’s adaptation will feature multiple variations of Barbie and Ken, and it screams diversity and inclusivity!
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The other Barbies will be played by Issa Rae, Dua Lipa, Kate McKinnon, Nicola Coughlan, Alexandra Shipp, Hari Nef, Emma Mackey, Ana Cruz Kayne, Sharon Rooney, and Ritu Arya. The hunky assortment of Kens will be played by Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ncuti Gatwa, and Scott Evans.
Simu Liu, who will also play as Ken, praises Barbie movie as inclusive and is ‘about finding your inner beauty.’ “You don’t have to be blonde, white, or X, Y, Z in order to embody what it means to be a Barbie or a Ken,” Liu said.
The world has evolved and the Barbie legacy has evolved with it. I guess we are all Barbies and Kens in our own world, right?
Is there a trailer yet? Yes, there is!
Barbie Teaser Trailer/Video via Youtube @WarnerBrosPictures
Barbie releases in cinemas on July 21, 2023.
Photo banner via Twitter @thepophive
