Barbie and the Challenge of Ideology

James Fernandez Cardoso

How can it be Barbie Despite our reservations about the image of the iconic American Doll, it still managed to become a global box-office phenomenon associated with consumerism, the objectification of women, and beauty as the only goal?

The answer may be that this story exposes a deep conflict between the true value of authenticity and the reality that allows us to stay true to ourselves and pursue our personal dreams. The Countervalue of Deference to Ideology, both patriarchy and matriarchy limit our insight, our emotions and our being. The Barbie Movie is an inner journey, destined to discover the power of your own thinking.

The Barbie Movie is an inner journey, destined to discover the power of your own thinking

The starting point of this narrative journey shows us a perfect world BarbieStereotype Along with a society made up of superficial people, but with an institutionalized organization, that is, with a collectively accepted system of rules, in which only women have functions of status and power, which they celebrate every night with a group. Girls only. Their rivals, the Kens, resign themselves to a life of casual beach activities… “Barbie is having a good time every day, but Ken is only having a good time when Barbie is looking at him.”

In the hero’s journey, the call to adventure is carried by a messenger, according to Joseph Campbell in his book Hero with a Thousand Faces It is often dark and hateful or terrible, and the world sees them as evil, but if one can follow them, it will pass through the walls of day and into the darkness where jewels shine. ” (page 55).

Barbie’s sudden thought of death portended other signs, such as her feet appearing flat, habits she couldn’t continue, and cellulite, which forced her to go weird barbie, Once a doll who was cruelly treated by her master, she now lives as an outcast in a secluded part of Barbieland.

but weird barbie play the role of participating narrative models Hero Myth Journey,one of them tutorThe wise woman bestows talismans and explains the path to the hero’s goal: travel to the real world and meet Barbie doll’s past owners.

She is a worthy human being who deserves and deserves to fight for what she wants, no matter what a man thinks or says.

he jump to the first thresholdIt’s a typical stop on a mythic tour, with Barbie driving her convertible only to find Ken accompanying her, whom she reluctantly agrees to join. They headed into Venice Beach, California, to soak up what Campbell called a “mythical” experience. whale belly, The heroes are consumed by the unknown, and in the movie, the couple suffers their initial confinement as they collide with this new reality, which is expected to be suffocated by masculinity. “Honey”, A worker yells at a Barbie doll.

As Barbie battles the bumbling male gang of Mattel, the company that sells his brand, Ken finds himself drawn to real-world patriarchal values ​​in California: his horse, manhood, and ostentatious body. Ken wants to know: “Why doesn’t Barbie tell me about patriarchy?”

Without hesitation, she decided to abandon Barbie, return to Barbie Paradise, and start an election process for new values. The culmination of this process will be the promulgation of a new constitution based on patriarchal ideology.The formation of these novel political orders has historically followed Founding Declaration Establish new values, similar to the 1787 Declaration of Philadelphia or the 1789 French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

This time, the first steps in creating the patriarchy begin under Ken’s direction, all behind Barbie’s back, and Ken is completely unaware of these ongoing events.

The patriarchal egocentrism of Ken’s thought world is challenged and overcome through a subtle process of discursive influence.

In the Mythic Hero’s Journey, it’s common to find allies in the field of action, who band together to achieve a desired goal. That’s the case with Barbie, who finds unexpected support from her previous owner, a young Sasha. Although Sasha initially criticized Barbie for promoting capitalist values ​​and hindering the progress of the global feminist movement, she soon began to see in Barbie the characteristics of ordinary people: a vulnerable human being, able to experience confusion, tears and faith in them. of compatriots.

Along with her mother, Gloria (who is the trigger for Barbie’s ongoing existential crisis), she becomes a shield against persecution by Mattel’s executive director. Together, they not only protect Barbie, but accompany her on her journey back to Barbie’s land.

When Barbie returns to Barbieland and finds that the world is the polar opposite of the overly matriarchal values ​​she herself led in the old world, the tension in the film’s basic axiological values ​​increases.

Barbie and her cohorts manage to stop the ongoing electoral process initiated by Ken, thus restoring the women’s system

Discursive semiotics warns us that when heroes are thrown into action, there is one fundamental aspect: motivation, which is an essential part of their sustainable development. Against this backdrop, Barbie’s unwavering determination to restore the traditional values ​​of Barbieland is tested.

However, her motivation faces a serious challenge when she finds herself frustrated and realizes that the new reality her friends live in is visibly immobile. conquered by men. The obstacle instantly turned her into a barely alive doll, lying on the ground unwilling to continue fighting.

Thanks to Gloria’s intervention, her impetus to restart the parade is activated, through inspirational speeches, allowing Barbie to see that she is a person of value, that she deserves and must fight for what she wants, no matter the man what they think or say. He said: “It’s practically impossible to be a woman. You’re so beautiful, so smart, but you don’t think you’re good enough, and it breaks my heart… I’m tired of seeing myself and all the other women get into trouble trying to get people to like me. And all this is true for dolls that represent women…”

Discursive semiotics also reveals that in order to realize the object of desire, the heroine must develop, improve, and intensify her own abilities. That’s exactly what Barbie achieves, devising a strategy to awaken her peers’ critical thinking and help them overcome their recent fascination with science. world of obedience and obedienceKen embodies the ideology of patriarchy and masculinity.

They don’t need to be manipulated by matriarchal or patriarchal ideologies, or dependent on the opposite sex.They have reached maturity in the Kantian sense

Ideology assumes the way an axiological universe based on standardized values ​​behaves. In the context of Ken’s new environment, these behaviors are gradually countered by Barbie, who has been approved by Sasha, Gloria, Larita Barbie, Ellen and other discontinued dolls.

this persuasion strategy Barbie’s achievement is based on a discursive influence lure, This includes presenting the manipulated person with positive comments about his image or competition.

Every man under the Ken patriarchy loses the attention of the conquered girl, at which point Barbie activates a second mode of influence called ” provocative: The ability to denigrate another makes him act in a particular sense.

Surprisingly, Barbie’s undercover friends start belittling the Ken man they previously pretended to adore. This leads Kens to believe that other Kens are responsible for their diminished empathy and connection.he patriarchal egocentrism The character of Ken’s ideological world is challenged and defeated through the subtle process of discursive influence.

After the previous process is complete, the heroine Barbie and her companions manage to stop the ongoing election process started by Ken, thereby restoring women’s institutional.

However, there is a deeper elixir that awaits Barbie and Kens: what both of them discover is that what they truly achieve is an inner journey that allows them to realize that they are authentic and unique beings.they already understand they don’t need to be manipulated Influenced by matriarchal or patriarchal ideologies, nor dependent on the opposite sex. They have reached maturity in the Kantian sense.

In March 1959, he brought the doll to life, hoping it would transcend its physical form and become an embodiment of authenticity.

Barbie and Ken now understand that they have strayed from their essence, that they cannot find their true selves under the influence of these extreme ideologies. They expressed their apologies and acknowledged that these extreme ideologies made them people who were unable to experience real emotions.

They were treated as mere objects by Mattel’s management team, pursuing icy profiteering interests that violated the vision of its founder, businesswoman Ruth Handler.she gave life to the doll March 1959 It is hoped that it will transcend its physical form and become an expression of authenticity.

Ken is revealed as someone who doesn’t need to submit to Barbie’s old matriarchy, which motivates him to urge other Kens to be real. Meanwhile, Barbie discovers her desire to live a life that gives meaning to others.

Barbie teaches us in this film that true value lies in authenticity, away from ideological manipulation and emotional dependence.

Barbie is now a real person, freed from the shackles of ideology. Through a hero’s journey, he discovered his purpose in life and longed to pass it on to others. The return of the hero’s journey that conquered lore doesn’t always come back to square one. Sometimes, as is the case in this movie, Barbie arrives in California, now human, with her first appointment with her gynecologist.

Barbie teaches us in this film that true value lies in being authentic, moving away from ideological manipulation and emotional dependence, and giving meaning and value to others. Inner lessons that guide us towards true and perfect happiness. It’s this value of authenticity that justifies why a select few were able to hit theaters during the critically acclaimed film’s international premiere.

Movies allow us to experience the awakening of our deepest values ​​in the most unexpected places.


James Fernandez Cardoso | Doctoral Dissertation Analysis

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