Ken's best friend

Masculinities in Barbie

Dados Bibliográficos

ID4367441
AutoresJulie Estlick (0000-0002-9783-361X, University of Colorado Boulder, autor correspondente)
Ano2024
Volume25
Fascículo4
Páginas557-564
Data de publicação2024-12-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoFeminist Theory (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1464-7001 • E-ISSN: 1741-2773
EditoraSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/14647001241291448
OpenAlexW4404118952
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas4
Referências citadas6

Greta Gerwig's Barbie (2023) has predominantly been labelled either as anti-man propaganda or as a paragon for women's empowerment. I suggest that such positions miss a crucial point: Barbie is not anti-man; it is pro-man and is not necessarily a revolutionary film for women, at least not as much as it is for men. This is because Barbie espouses non-hegemonic masculinity through cultural critiques that are rare to see in popular media, especially with the immense commercial success that the film has had . I postulate that Barbie can be utilised as a blueprint for men through its representation of queered masculinity and intimate heterosexual male homosocial relationships. The film portrays heterosexual deviance that can be used as an alternative thinking of how masculinity can be performed sans patriarchy and hegemony. This subversive representation is paramount, and the ramifications of such an analysis can hopefully result in future media representations of non-hegemonic masculinity and can also lend to the effort in normalising the existence of men's emotions and mental health struggles, and in underlining discussions of what it means to be man enough; or better yet, what it means to be Kenough

Androgyny · Art · Masculinity · Psychoanalysis · Sociology · African history and culture studies · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Psychology · South African History and Culture