Barbie Movie | Photo by Ashley Hainzer | The Wright State Guardian
On Oct. 25, the Wright State University College Panhellenic Council, Women's Center and Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance hosted a screening of the “Barbie” movie. It was more than a screening, however, as it became an event of empowerment for any gender.
Party before
Before the screening of the movie and the night’s festivities, there was a small reception with refreshments and activities. Paper dolls, friendship bracelets and photos were just some of the fun offered. Students were buzzing with anticipation for the movie and sharing their love of “Barbie.”
“The movie is a symbol of not just feminism, but a symbol of finding acceptance in who you are and where you are in life,” acting major Paige Purcell said.
The pink-coated night started with the Miracle Makers spirit team teaching the audience the moves to the big party scene to do later in the movie. Many participated and ‘danced the night away.’ Then, dressed in their Barbie-best, students strutted their stuff in a fashion show with all participants receiving prizes.
Time for the show!
“Barbie” came out in 2023 and starred Margot Robbie as Stereotypical Barbie. In the movie, she feels different and is unsure why. She travels to the real world with “her Ken” (Ryan Gosling) to find out what is happening, but when Ken is influenced by the outside world, it is up to Barbie to save BarbieLand and find out what she is truly made for.
After all of the festivities, the movie started. There were many laughs and tears throughout Oelman 109 as the movie played. Many students left the film feeling empowered.
“Barbie is extremely important because she outlines everything that women have to deal with in society and overcomes it,” Carly Hosmon, an organizational leadership major, said. “She is literally everything.”
Another student, AJ Allen, explained that Barbie—and, by extension, the movie—makes her feel empowered due to all the representation.
“It allows people in different bodies to explore femininity. You don’t have to be skinny to be girly,” Allen said.
Why the movie hits home
For many students, this movie hit close to home, particularly when America Ferrera’s character gives an impassioned speech in the film.
“Women or female-presenting people are always held to a higher standard. They always seem to have to try harder,” Purcell said.
Misogyny is something that almost every woman faces, so to many, this speech is a direct attack on this form of prejudice. Many women resonate with it due to its extreme relatability.
If it is not the speech, it is the mother-daughter relationships present in the movie. It is a sentiment that has followed the movie, even outside of Wright State University, that the relationship between Gloria (America Ferrera) and Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) is touching to many, so much so that there was a joke on social media where young girls ended up calling their mothers after the movie around the time of its release.
The “Barbie” movie is not a plastic movie. It has a relatable depth that left WSU students who attended the event emotionally moved and incredibly empowered.
