With the official seal of approval from the iconic toymaker Mattel, the Barbie movie could have been just another lighthearted romp through Toyland, starring the best-selling doll in history. Instead, the film challenges extremist politics with a faithful portrayal of the gender-role-bending world of Barbie, plunging Mattel into the center of today’s culture wars.
The Two Faces of Barbie
The Barbie doll is often criticized as an idealized, impossible representation of female beauty as seen through male eyes, but the power of transformation has also played an equal role in her story.
