Let's Talk Barbie--Weird Barbie
Sometimes Fiction Is Closer Than We Think
Like many people who jumped on the bandwagon to see the new Barbie movie, I did too. In a world with all the Marvel movies and characters that morph into what looks like plastic monsters to fight heaven-only-knows-what, a colorful movie featuring a fun childhood toy fit the bill for me. Off I trotted, with spouse in tow, and we watched Barbie. I stayed awake and enjoyed the movie. I think my spouse copped some Zz's for several minutes a couple of times. Overall we enjoyed the movie and the messages it tried to get across to a varied, and at times, baffled audience.
Everyone has added their two cents about how they see this movie. Many see it as a man-hating monstrosity that's a pile of trash and needs to be set on fire now. One review I saw compared the movie to the story of the goddess Inanna, and how her pagan history follows the movie Barbie so closely. As for me, I really want to focus on Weird Barbie.
When I was a little girl, I played with these dolls. I had a regular Barbie, Suntan Barbie, Styling Barbie (where you you could style and curl her hair), Midge, Skipper, and two Dawn Dolls, but I don't think the Dawn dolls were part of any Barbie collection. My dolls had clothes, some of which my mom made, and the little shoes and accessories too. However, I outgrew these dolls quickly, and I never asked for the Dreamhouses and all the trappings that would make up what is known as Barbie Land. Never cared for Ken, either, so he was missing in action. I also didn't have a Weird Barbie. I would never had dreamt of writing on my dolls or cutting their hair or singeing their locks with a lit match. Horrors!
However, I found that Kate McKinnon's role was just beautiful for this movie. Her looks and actions fit a weird Barbie perfectly. The house she lived in was interesting and colorful, pretty much what you might expect for a doll like this if it had been sold my Mattel. She was the only Barbie in the movie that had a pet of any kind, a little pooping dog. Weird Barbie was the outcast, the odd Barbie out. No one invited her to parties or girls night out. She lived apart from the other dolls in her own little world that suited her.
We all recognize a character like her. She's the shaman of the tribe. She's the mysterious witch that lives on the fringes of society. Everyone avoids her--until crap hits the fan. Then everybody is all in. When the chips are down and you're royally screwed, you'll make the trek to see the outcast. Why? Because the real life counterparts of Weird Barbie knew things. They possessed special knowledge that no one else had or cared to get for one reason or another. They had the answer to whatever ailed you. Weird Barbie was no different.
We all recognize a character like her. She's the shaman of the tribe. She's the mysterious witch that lives on the fringes of society.
The moment Margot Robbie's Barbie character had a rude awakening, she was encouraged to go see Weird Barbie, because this doll had the answers. And Kate McKinnon didn't fail to deliver. She was adept at diagnosing the situation and coming up with the steps that Stereotypical Barbie had to take in order to solve the problem. Let's not overlook the fact that she could play hardball if needed. When Margot Robbie picks the high heel, Kate McKinnon finally ends up giving her a flat out no, along with the bit of humor added that she only made it look like there was a choice involved.
As we all know, there are times when we really don't have a choice in a matter, unless you turn a blind eye and push through the situation. We need a strong person, no matter how weird, to set us straight, tell us what's up, and what we need to do to fix it. Weird Barbie filled this roll beautifully. She came across as accomplished, smart, tough, and a true problem-solver. When she was called on again to help fight the Kens, she pulled through, succinctly stating what the true problem was, the mentality behind it, and the steps to solve the problem.
Weird Barbie was an iconic character, and the only one to me that smacked of the "Real World." She knew the characteristics making up both sides, Barbie Land and The Real World. She knew how a rift between reality and fiction can cause problems (or perhaps fiction is closer to reality than we want to admit).
She knew that sometimes you have to face people you don't want to in order to set things aright. What I also liked about Weird Barbie was her accessories. I loved her map of Barbie Land.
I love how she used the little paper fortune teller thingy we used to make when we were little girls in grade school. You know the kind, using a sheet of notebook paper, folding it just so, and writing yes, no, maybe, and other various answers under those flaps and panels. I loved how hers was plasticky and colorful (the ones we made when I was young were plain old white. Not even a pretty pink or yellow!). I also thought the use of the glitter snow globe was clever too.
In this movie, Weird Barbie didn't cast spells of the witchy kind, but she used her divination or diagnostic tools like the best shaman or a witch might do. She had them there at her disposal and didn't hesitate to seek out or divine the best answers, which were on the money. The most touching part is when the other Barbies apologized for calling her weird behind her back and to her face, and her answer was, "Hey, I own it."
That's what was nice about Weird Barbie. She was authentic, and though she lived in a plastic world, she lived and breathed reality in her own special way. She embraced who she was. She used the tools at her disposal, and she came through with shining colors when she was needed. Friendly and willing to help.
For those of us on a mystical, magickal, or occult path, we are ostracized by others, told we're doing wrong and going to suffer the consequences. We hide in secret while we use our divination tools or other magickal accoutrements. We feel weird and misunderstood. We don't have anyone getting tough with us, unless we're lucky enough to have others like us who understand. Unlike Weird Barbie, who seemed to have all the right answers, we don't. We just keep plugging away at strengthening our psychic body and doing the rituals we feel are the right ones to do for whatever situation we find ourselves in at the moment.
Sometimes we may question why we do what we do or how we every got to where we are, and we wonder if there will ever be a day when we will be fully accepted. The great example we can take away from Weird Barbie is to continue full speed ahead, don't look back, don't doubt yourself, and most of all, "own it!"