BARBIE: 2023 (Seen in a movie theatre) I never played with a Barbie--I had a baby doll--but my daughter did. In fact, my daughter encouraged us to go to the Barbie movie. We didn’t laugh as much as she did, but I must admit there was a lump in my throat at the end. When America Ferrera, as Gloria, launched into her impassioned speech about how women can’t win, I heard Gary laugh for the first time. I like the fact that the BBC London critic said, “I think has a lot to say about the modern world – both in terms of feminism and gender equality.” Written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, directed by Greta Gerwig, the movie’s box office reached a Billion dollars, a record for a movie directed by a woman. The film stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell (as the CEO of Mattel), Kate McKinnon, and America Ferrera. Margot Robbie is also a producer who saw huge potential in the Barbie movie. “The word itself is more globally recognized than practically everything else other than Coca-Cola,” Robbie said. The movie‘s story is simple: Barbie and Ken live in Barbie Land where everything is run by women, and everything is pink. But Barbie is having an existential crisis and she goes to Weird Barbie (a very funny Kate McKinnon) who tells her to go to "real life to resolve her crisis. Barbie and Ken go to real life and they see that everything is run by men. Ken discovers patriarchy and he is never the same—except at the end, of course. Musical numbers are plentiful and things get alright by the end of the movie. The swimsuit Robbie wears in the Dawn of Woman sequence is a replica of the one worn by the first Barbie doll in 1959. Over the course of the Perfect Day, Barbie changes clothes constantly. The progression—poodle skirt, disco look—amounts to a survey of Barbie fashion over time, says Jacqueline Durran, the film’s costume designer. Rolling Stones titled its review: “Barbie May Be the Most Subversive Blockbuster of the 21st Century. And it might be!  Chicago Reader critic said: “Greta Gerwig serves up a frothy confection of fashion and fun coupled with searing social critique of the iconic doll in the movie Barbie.” Mattel gave Gerwig total control of the script, and the script is what convinced Gosling to take the part. (He used his own singing in the musical numbers and he was good!) Robbie and Gosling earned their $12.5 million each for taking the role of Barbie and Ken. Both are terrific! We settled on a grade of B for our enjoyment of it, although Gary said “For what they were going for, they did an excellent job.” GRADE B

The best-selling Barbie doll is Totally Hair Barbie, released in 1992.

Totally Hair Barbie has sold more than 10 million dolls worldwide.