Reading time: two minutes

The new Barbie film is making headlines across the globe as the blockbuster movie of summer 2023. The first Barbie doll was released in 1959 and is seen by many to be one of the most iconic dolls in history… so why's being called Barbie in any capacity so controversial?

Previous to the release of the recent Greta Gerwig Barbie film, to be called Barbie in a professional or casual capacity could often be seen as derogatory due to the negative connotation society holds of a Barbie doll. 

A stereotypical Barbie doll is a tall, blonde, thin, young lady who's often discussed and presented to be shallow, lacking intelligence and substance, materialistic and overly feminine by the media and individuals in society. Therefore, to be related to a Barbie doll within your work or day-to-day life was often a backhanded compliment which could be interpreted to be either endearing or offensive dependending on context. 

When I discussed this issue with one of my colleagues who's a solicitor, she stated that during advocacy she was once told to ‘go for it Barbie’ when the opposition didn't agree with her negotiation techniques… obviously they intended to gain a negative reaction to this.

However, with the release of the new film, the use of the term Barbie is now evolving to become more of a term of empowerment within social media, the press and therefore society. The Barbie franchise is adjusting to cultural climates, expanding its range of dolls to encourage inclusivity and ensure that women (and Kens!) can see a Barbie with their chosen career.

There are now dolls with a diverse range of jobs such as doctors, lawyers, teachers, astronauts, fashion designers, flight attendants, registered nurses, college graduates, vets, navy officers, air force cadets, police officers, army medics, firefighters, dentists – the list goes on. This ensures to enable people to look at the internal values of a Barbie such as being intelligent, strong-minded and an all-round girl boss. 

This, I thought, was reflected at a recent networking event I attended at which an array of different female professionals (aka girl bosses) attended. Each one of them greeted every person with kindness and empowerment…it was AMAZING. Notably, during a conversation while being congratulated on career progression, someone was enthusiastically called a ‘lawyer Barbie’ Yes… you read that right… A LAWYER BARBIE!

It's crazy to think that this term has taken a drastic change in meaning to become not only a term of endearment, but also a term relating to recognising a woman's intelligence and career. Not only does the film depict each woman no matter who they are as being a Barbie, but it also emphasises the importance of valuing different careers.