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Women in China are telling each other to bring their boyfriends to see 'Barbie' — and to use it as a litmus test for their thoughts on feminism and patriarchy (www.insider.com)
submitted 3 years ago by [M] to c/mensliberation@lemmy.ca
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cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/2911882

For some women in China, "Barbie" is more than just a movie — it's also a litmus test for their partner's views on feminism and patriarchy.

The movie has prompted intense social media discussion online, media outlets Sixth Tone and the China Project reported this week, prompting women to discuss their own dating experiences.

One user on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu — a photo-sharing site similar to Instagram that's mostly used by Gen Z women — even shared a guide on Monday for how women can test their boyfriends based on their reaction to the film.

According to the guide, if a man shows hatred for "Barbie" and slams female directors after they leave the theatre, then this man is "stingy" and a "toxic chauvinist," according to Insider's translation of the post. Conversely, if a man understands even half of the movie's themes, "then he is likely a normal guy with normal values and stable emotions," the user wrote.

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[–] 12 points 3 years ago (6 children)

"I'm going to test my BF every week to see if he's the perfect man, instead of sharing my beliefs with him and talking it out"

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  • [–] [S] 24 points 3 years ago*

    I'll be honest I have absolutely no idea what gender dynamics are like in China but there may be a safety component there. A cursory google yields this study. Which lists patriarchal beliefs as a significant risk factor for domestic violence.

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  • [–] 20 points 3 years ago

    My friend, the first thing you need to know about shitty people is that they tend not to be open about how shitty they are. If you share your beliefs with someone manipulative, they will usually hid their real opinions from you.

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  • [–] 13 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    While I'll agree with you that this should not be needed in a long term relationship, as you should have already been able to have open conversations about your hopefully shared core values, but I'd say using it as a weeder for an early relationship or first date situation isn't a bad idea. It allows you to start the conversation naturally.

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  • [–] 8 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    And early in the relationship, the guy is likely just gonna go "uh huh, I totally get that." When a topic like that is brought up overtly, while with a movie you could at see if he took the feminist elements seriously or thought that it was just girls being silly.

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  • [–] 12 points 3 years ago (2 children)

    No one is testing it on their partner every week.

    Some men in the dating world will do anything to get a date, including claiming to be a feminist because being treated like a person appeals to women these days. An actual feminist will watch the movie and understand it's themes of how the patriarchy hurts everyone, including Ken. Someone who is misogynist in feminist clothing will watch it and say the movie is just bashing men.

    Watching the movie together will out these people.

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  • [+] -1 points 3 years ago* (1 child)
    [removed by mod]
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  • [–] 8 points 3 years ago

    It's not as simple as portraying them as stupid. It's portraying these men as victims of the patriarchy. Often times they are overconfident to their own detriment due to the circumstances they grew up in. It's not about how 'men are stupid', it's about how men in power were conditioned to dismiss women at their own expense. The movie shows how by taking a moment to learn and empathize with women's struggles, they come to learn that healthy masculinity isn't defined by how they are views by women's it's by how they view themselves. This is what Ken does at the end. He escapes the kencel pit and learns to value himself for who he is and his own interest instead of relying on female attention to define his worth.

    None of this is something that the men did because they are 'stupid'. It's because of patriarchal conditioning, something that all of us are subjected to in this day and age.

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