Garima Gautam’s Post

WOTD → Is Barbie feminist? Watching the #Barbie movie left me wondering. Thinking on it it's quite complex... 🧵 (1/8) On one hand, Barbie's exaggerated proportions and hyper-focus on beauty have been criticized as perpetuating unrealistic standards that can negatively impact girls' self-image and sense of worth. (2/8) Some research also suggests Barbie's frequent depiction in more stereotypically feminine roles, like dependent housewife, fails to showcase women's full potential and ambitions. (3/8) But Mattel, the doll's maker, addressed concerns with campaigns like "You Can Be Anything" to present Barbies in diverse careers and empower girls' dreams. Owning or enjoying Barbie dolls doesn't necessarily define beliefs or limits. (4/8) Some feminist scholars argue girls can still find Barbie empowering if they control the doll's narratives and see it as a symbol of independence and imagination rather than beauty alone. The doll's meaning really depends on individual interpretation and style of play. (5/8) In summary, while past Barbie portrayals have faced valid criticism, the doll itself is a complex symbol that is neither inherently feminist nor non-feminist. (6/8) Both its presentation and a child's engagement with it impact whether it aligns more with or goes against feminist ideals of empowerment, agency and expanding views of women's roles. (7/8) Ultimately, it depends on the context of how is Barbie presented, marketed, and played with. With the right parental guidance, Barbie can be a tool of empowerment, expanding a girl's self-perception. (8/8) Here's the wonders link to explore more! https://lnkd.in/eGYpXgvA?

This is what mother-daughter activities typically look like in our family. Girls of 10 and 4 x 10 enjoying time together in the dojo 🥋 or bouldering 🧗♀️ . When I was 10, I never cared for Barbie . On the contrary even, it was the female image I wanted to distance myself from. But after doing this great research piece for Mattel, Inc. three decades later, I just ordered my 10-year-old her first Barbie dolls. Barbie has previously faced criticism for perpetuating narrow gender and beauty standards among young girls and I definitely was one of those critics. 👠 As a girl I felt the doll confronted me with gender stereotypes and societal biases, limiting my choices. Later, as a mum of a girl (and also a boy), I realized how today still girls are held back from reaching their full potential and that toys like Barbie have a role to play in that too.   So as a girl, as a mother, and as a research professional, I was more than enthusiastic to learn about the DREAM GAP project by Mattel, standing up to champion the boundless potential of girls around the world. 👧 And about the role Human8 got to play in that as a research partner: https://shorturl.at/lwBEN Through cultural insight and semiotic research across six different global markets 🌐, Human8 embarked on a mission to understand the unique challenges that young girls face. This in-depth exploration allowed us to gain a better understanding of how ‘affirmative influencers’ showed up for young girls in the emergent cultural context and how they were empowering young girls to challenge and overcome constraining gender stereotypes. 👨🚀   Where I used to ban Barbie out of my house, I may start to embrace her as a fellow role model for my daugther. I hope she’ll like her dolls when she unwraps them at Christmas… 🎁 And I bet she’ll braid or cut those long hairs straight away. If those hairs go the wrong way dear Barbie, you may fall or get punched in the face. But when you fall, stand up tall and go again!   #Human8 #DoWhatMatters #PositiveChange #girlpower

I've been caught up in the buzz surrounding the new Barbie movie (yeah, I know, who'd have thought? 😄) and it made me think - Barbie has come a long way, hasn't she? Not too long ago, she was this single representation of what girls should aspire to be - and it was a pretty narrow box. Today, Barbie stands for so much more: diversity, inclusivity, possibility! And you know what? It made me think about us, the women in our industry. There was a time when we thought we had to fit into a certain type. We were supposed to be tough, not too girly, almost like we had to prove we could give as good as we got. It felt like we were supposed to be more like the boys to be accepted. Just like Barbie, our industry is no longer a one-size-fits-all kinda thing. We're seeing that you can be yourself - whether that's girly, tomboyish, or anything in between - and still fit right in. You don't have to shed your femininity to be accepted, develop and thrive, you can be completely YOU! The cool thing is that we're not just talking about surface-level stuff, this change is real and deep. Workplaces are adapting, becoming more inclusive, and making space for everyone to feel like they belong. Remember, your uniqueness is your strength. So let's keep breaking barriers, redefining norms, and make our industry as diverse, inclusive and vibrant as we are! #DEI #uniqueness #strength

The fact that a few fragile male egos found it offensive, which was sponsored by a capitalism-patriarchy machine of the modern world, makes me love this friendly fire! 💕 Yesterday, I took a trip down memory lane and watched the #Barbie movie. As a #marketer and a #woman, I found myself viewing the film from two distinct perspectives. 1️⃣ As a marketer, I was fascinated by the sheer scale of the #marketingcampaign. Warner Bros. Entertainment pulled out all the stops, from a real-life #BarbieDreamhouse on Airbnb to a bright fuchsia Xbox Game Studios Publishing. The marketing department's efforts, estimated to cost around $150 million, have certainly paid off. But beyond the numbers, what struck me was the film's ability to electrify the culture, turning pink into the color of the movie and sparking a Barbie-core movement. 2️⃣ As a woman, I found the film's take on #feminism intriguing, if not entirely satisfying. The film has been hailed as a #feministmanifesto, with Barbie herself embodying emancipatory aspirations around gender justice. However, the film's vision of feminism is limited and doesn't apply to most women, for whom the world is grim, not pink. The film's focus on individualism and the 'girl boss' narrative overlooks the larger economic and racial structures that shape our choices. What I loved was that Ken truly illustrated the position of some women in the modern world. What I didn't like was the avoidance of tackling challenging issues, such as the sexuality of Barbie with disabilities. In conclusion, Barbie is an average-quality film with average-quality creative marketing ideas, but with enormous budgets and media coverage. And while it may not be a masterpiece of cinema, it has certainly sparked conversations about marketing, feminism, and the intersection of the two.

As we prepare for the kids to go back to school I have been reflecting on the summer holidays. 🌞 A couple of weeks ago I took my 8 year old daughter to see the new Barbie movie at the cinema. Of course she insisted that we both wore pink. 💕 I couldn’t have been less interested in seeing this film BUT this is what we do for our children, right? As a dad that is raising strong girls (and boys) I want the concept of the glass ceiling to not exist in their worlds. I have always had a mindset in life, that you can achieve anything you set out to. I remember as a child being mocked by adults for having self belief and determination like it was cocky, arrogant and inappropriate. Of course, I never want my children to be obnoxious but I definitely want them to see no barriers to achieving their dreams. This doesn’t mean building them up, so that when they don’t achieve every single goal, they are crushed due to a lack of resilience and expectation. It’s not about entitlement either. It’s about hard work, self worth, determination, belief, equal opportunities and not being constrained by historical social norms. The Barbie film does a brilliant job of showing us just what it has been/is like being a woman where the world has been designed by men, for men. It also shows our daughters that they are equal in every way and it also shows us all how miserable men might be if the world was exclusively designed by women, for women. Barbie reinforces a message that I learnt a long time ago - it is that we are all stronger, healthier and more successful when women are in the room and their voices are heard and acted upon in equal measure. Have you seen Barbie yet? If so, what did you get out of it? #culturematters #changeleadership #digitalleadership

I shared earlier how I used to play Barbie with my neighbor. I bet I wasn't the only guy who did this. What about all the other men who used to be Ken? Why the silence now? Just because we played the role of being friend zoned in a game, doesn't mean that is how we grew up to act. Barbie was all about her world. Ken was just another handbag. A fashion accessory no more important than anything else. Without more than friendship, the dynamics of power got really strange. More of a reflection of what white men in power thought women would like. Isn't it weird that most of Mattel's board are men? Why aren't women writing this story? In the past men treated women worse than Ferengi. Ferengi didn't believe in women's rights and kept the women jobless and home naked. If we had not been founded by Puritans we would have had the same. Why can I say that we treated them worse? Ferengi doesn't believe in violence and didn't kill and abuse women like men have in the past. They are guilty but not as guilty as human men are. Barbie said that women could do whatever they wanted and it was their world. Yes, it is a woman's world as long as they follow men's rules. Gender ideas and wars are stupid. We are all individuals and the most helpful way to treat each other is that way. Waging political war on half of the human population is just dumb and a waste of time. As Ken, we didn't have any part in the Barbie world decisions. You are literally just along for the ride. This is part of why I found playing Barbie so boring. When there is no opposition, doing things your own way is no fun. Now do men have to dominate, be in control and be the man all the time? No. We can also be submissive, see women as mentors/leaders, and have strong women help us. Being flexible and open-minded in life has led to the greatest happiness I have ever had. To paraphrase that old song "Let's hear for the Kens, you know you gotta understand."