zovjraar me

just saw the Barbie movie. i didn't want to- was not at all interested, but my mum wanted to see and had no one to go with, so... i thought the worst thing was that i'd spend a couple of hours mildly entertained and she'd be happy. i was totally wrong. the Barbie movie was fantastic and i loved it. i loved how it depicted Barbieland, how we played with these toys as kids, how we imagined their world to be. and of Ken was just a side piece, with no meaning unless Barbie was involved. the movie portrayed him exactly how we played with him as kids, too. Barbie was always an escape for young girls. things might be different today, but when i was growing up, girls were expected to be more caring, more compassionate, more self-effacing, more self-sacrificing. we were expected to take care of others first, to think of others first, and if there's time and it doesn't impact anyone, well, then you can have some time to yourself. we grew up knowing that we had to be wary of men, and not just strangers. we grew up seeing our mothers trapped in unhappy marriages, owning nothing of their own, and finding happiness by living vicariously through us. The Barbie movie took us right back there, and said what we've all been thinking- not much has changed. now it's "self-care" but it's always implied that you still have to take care of someone after you've taken care of yourself. Women are still making a fraction of what men do. Women are still out-numbered by men in all positions of power, whether it be government or corporation. Women still do the bulk of the child care and home care. women are still making the dr appointments, remembering their in-laws birthdays, remembering when Timmy has a baseball game. women are still carrying the mental load while also having the expectation of setting an example by being career-driven and portraying independence. anyone who doesn't like the Barbie movie either didn't understand it or has not experienced a typical female existence. i went to it grudgingly, and have come out the other side a supporter and i wish every chick in the world could see it, and feel a little less alone, knowing we are all struggling with this set of ideals and expectations.