Diaries of a Dancing Queen

Spoiler Alert! *This piece discusses themes and ideas presented in the Barbie Movie*

Yes, I used the F word. Funnily enough, it’s the more controversial F word in 2023.

Feminism as I understand it today, is defined as a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of all genders. This definition broadens the traditional limitations of a term that once reinforced a gender binary and now includes all marginalized genders with the hope of uniting groups that once fought for equality alone. The key to this all is the importance of promoting social equality for all people.

And the Barbie movie? Knocked it out of the park. It sparked an important conversation while also providing laughs, fantastic costumes, and a knockout cast.

The Barbie Movie introduces a world in which the men (or the Kens) are the ones who are seeking equality. What is the most important takeaway? That a world that has inequalities impacts everyone. The pressures that are put on all people in an unequal society don’t benefit anyone. It makes all of our mental health just that much worse.

Every Barbie is known for something, “President Barbie”, “Doctor Barbie”, Supreme Court Barbie”, “Pilot Barbie” and then there’s Stereotypical Barbie and Beach Ken.

Who are you when you’re just a Ken?

Most of us? We are stereotypical Barbie and Ken. We can’t all win Nobel prizes, we can’t all have sexy jobs. A lot of us are just trying to make it day-to-day. Wake up, eat breakfast, and stay alive.

So how can we all: men, women, and non-binary people lift each other up?

Here are three hot takes about life from just your average Barbie:

Compete For Fun Not For Keeps

We’ve established that I’m competitive. When it comes to Monopoly? I will take you for everything you have. But when it comes to life stuff? Who are the real winners? They aren’t the richest, the smartest, the prettiest people. They are happy people. Tearing other people down in the name of cutthroat competition rarely brings joy. Laugh with the people you love, make each second count. Work hard on the pickleball court – win a few games, then give your opponent a hug.

Someone Else’s Beauty Or Success Does Not Detract From Your Own

Beautiful people look nothing alike. Smart people don’t think in the same way. Brave people have rarely faced the same monsters.

Look At Life Like New

I recently set an intention in a yoga class to shift my perspective and experience each pose as though I were experiencing it for the first time. In recent months, the days have been blending together. Shallow productivity replaced the joy of getting something done. I turned off my emotions, put my head down, and worked on what I had to do. But teaching yoga, reminded me to look for fresh perspectives, to experience things I’ve done hundreds of times before as though it were the first time. How can you look at a process, an exercise, or a friendship in a new way and celebrate it for what it is when you remove all the expectations?

And above all what is my biggest takeaway from a summer of Barbie? I’m Kenough.