What 'Barbie' and female representation means for us By Janie Walenda It's odd when the most successful film of the year is the most controversial. However, "Barbie" has earned close to $1.5 billion, sparkling in glittery pink and sparking waves of outrage. Christians could easily dismiss the "Barbie" film immediately. At first glance, it seems to embrace every idea about gender that stands opposite to Christian values. These fears are not necessarily unfounded. The film embraces every feminist buzzword and plot trope it possibly can. And in a world with many conflicting ideologies, we have to be cautious about what we allow to affect our worldview. We never want any film or piece of media to be the lens through which we see the world. But sometimes media can be a window into the lives of other people, giving us new perspectives. Film can express emotions and experiences in a way that's hard for us to put into words. The "Barbie" film put in words and on-screen many of the experiences and emotions that I have had as I grew up, and also gave me a perspective on the experiences the young men around me have faced. More importantly, it has opened up several conversations about these experiences. The film highlights the problems of viewing either gender only through the lens of their relationship with one other. Erin Shaw, assistant professor of Women's Ministry, appreciated the 14 CED.RS Photographs by Avonlea Brown insights of the film in this area. "[It] did a good job of portraying some of the ills of matriarchy and patriarchy, when truly we're meant to be complementary." A more underrated element of the film is its subtle celebration of motherhood. "Barbie" portrays motherdaughter relationships as something beautiful and valuable, even in the messiness. Hollywood's representation of motherhood is often rocky, and Shaw highlighted several Hollywood tropes she views with caution: "Anytime where we see women demeaning husbands or demeaning motherhood or reJectIng their responsibilities to find themselves." But of course, Hollywood is a secular institution, expecting it to completely conform to Christian values is foolish. That's a nugget of wisdom from my dad that I've held onto, and something that Shaw reiterated. "It's hard for Hollywood to get Biblical womanhood right because they're coming from a different worldview," Shaw said. While "Barbie" may illustrate and celebrate some truths about womanhood, the solution portrayed in the film ultimately falls flat for Christians. "Their solution is selfdefinition apart from your maker [which] doesn't work because we have been made by a Creator God," Shaw said. So if we know that Hollywood films like "Barbie" will never have a Biblical portrayal of womanhood, why should we care? What should a Christian's relationship with representation in the film be? Do we join the crowd that rolls their eyes at every attempt to push representation on the big screen or those who cling to it as a lifeline? As is often true in the Christian life, we are called to respond differently. In my experience with media, there are two different kinds of female representation. Films like "Barbie" and
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