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.
You got me. I totally missed the part where Kens trick Barbies into quitting their jobs and fetching beers, Barbies rescue Barbies from Kens, Barbies rescue Kens from Kens, then explain to the audience, "This whole time, you felt bad for Ken, but it was the most transparently veiled simile for how women are treated in society, so don't feel bad for Ken having no purpose or agency in Barbieland. Feel guilty about women in the real world."
Let's put this together. What's wrong with women? Men are unfair to women (Will Farrel) and the patriarchy (America Ferrera) and objectify women (construction workers) and set unfair expectations (by running the company making Barbie) etc and it's literally all men. What's wrong with men? Men. Men are the problem because they only care about beer and horses and suppressing women and can't do anything right, especially running Barbieland. This movie is dumb. I mean, it's either unimaginably sexist or dumb. I choose to believe it's stupidity that caused the filmmakers to lack any type of self reflection.