Opinion | Why the Barbie film’s message should resonate with Hong Kong and the rest of Asia
- The film has been making box office waves globally, but received a cool reception in South Korea, where the presidential election has amplified fear of feminism
- While the need for women’s empowerment is openly discussed in Hong Kong, one lawmaker’s comments highlight misunderstanding of the impact of gender inequality
Did you know that if you Google “Barbie”, your search results and the Google logo come back in bright pink?
It was the biggest opening in North America this year, raking in US$162 million there and US$194 million elsewhere. It made more money over the opening weekend for studio Warner Bros than any other non-DC Comics film or a sequel. It was also the biggest opening and grosser for a female director.
The Barbie doll had feminist roots – when it hit the shelves more than six decades ago, it was the first mass-produced doll with adult features. Barbie was the creator’s response to girls being limited to playing with baby dolls, imagining themselves growing up to only be a mother.
Barbie encouraged girls to dream about being anything they want – that is, if they had a highly unrealistic 18-inch waist and were blonde. From very early on, people noted Barbie’s ridiculous body proportions and raised concerns over its promotion of an unhealthy body image.
