Irony’s not dead — but it is for sale. And by the look of this summer’s mega film, it’s the suits, with a knowing wink, who are in the market. How else to explain Hollywood megastars and a feted director making a film about a child’s doll with blonde hair that’s most famous for being a reductive vision of womanhood?
The Barbie movie is everywhere. It’s so hot right now. You can’t move for seeing Margot Robbie dolled up in garish outfits (otherwise known as BarbieCore) or Ryan Gosling looking rather pleased with himself in the role of Ken. Greta Gerwig, the director of Lady Bird and Little Women, is the feminist auteur behind the lens. This A-list trio have given respectable cover to the film (which has had a long and sometimes unhappy production since 2009).
