Breadwinner Barbie: When Women Rule the World

Photo by Criativa Pix Fotografia

It's the 21st century and you're still peering up at the glass ceiling hoping it will fracture. As it stands, it seems to remain fully intact. The men above you stroll around absent-mindedly, not bothering to look below. You wonder if they choose to be ignorant or if they're as clueless as they appear. Perhaps, it is a mixture of both. 

It’s a sad reality, given the fact that you’ve watched numerous women pave the path for where you are today. Working tirelessly for equal rights and opportunities. Yet, an invisible barrier lies before you and you cannot overcome it. You are constantly reminded of its presence yet many deny it is even there; an omnipresent entity not visible to the eye.

It is, however, visible in the unequal payment between you and your male coworkers. It is also visible in the statistics which state that you are less likely to progress into managerial positions. It’s visible, even if some refuse to acknowledge it! 

You are not given the same opportunities as your male counterparts and so you are not treated the same. You’re treated as lesser than, inferior even. It’s the sad truth that impacts every career decision you make. 

But…what if it wasn’t that way? Greta Gerwig might just have the answer. 

In the glitter and glamour of Barbie World, women can be anything. They can do anything! Men, on the other hand, are just…there. Women strut around in high heels and an array of pinks while men kind of just exist. Perhaps nothing puts this across more plainly than Ken’s incessant remarks about being Barbie’s boyfriend and Barbie’s seemingly nonchalant responses. Being Barbie’s boyfriend just doesn’t matter. Barbie is BARBIE and Ken is just…Ken. She is just like the girl bosses around her: iconic and independent. Being Ken’s girlfriend is near the bottom of her long list of attributes.

The glitzy splendor of Barbie world is a direct contrast to the “real world,” that we face. The glass ceiling is still there but women are the ones stomping their boots on the glass floor above the men. They are the ones denying men the opportunities. Yet, why wouldn’t they deny them? Men aren’t like the women, of course. They’re not like us. Can’t they just stay at home, take on this househusband role and stop whining? They should want to stay home with the little Barbies after all. It’s in their nature. In their biology should we say? What kind of man doesn’t want to become a father? A stay at home one at that? They should support the Barbies pursuing careers because they’re obviously too incompetent for them. They’re men! Men can’t do that! Men can’t become doctors, lawyers, or anything else. It’s just not right. What happened to the good ol’ days, eh? When people knew their place?

Don’t worry. I don’t really agree with all that. I don’t feel that way about men but I also don’t feel that way about women. After all, who said this was true about any gender? Why? How? Does my biology determine my brain power? Whether I’m supposed to assume a role within society? Or is it the system trying to fit me into a box again? The system we are all entwined in?

That’s the beauty of Barbie world. It’s Greta Gerwig’s subtle nod to the inequalities many of us face. It’s a liberal feminist’s way of saying that we deserve equal treatment no matter our gender. It’s not true that equality has already been achieved or that feminists are hating on men. No! It’s that this system makes no sense. It’s just that if the tables were turned and you removed yourself from the illusion, you start to question it too. No gender is superior. If women ruled the world, that wouldn’t be the best option either because men can also achieve so much. Anyone can when their talents are fostered. That’s why everyone should strive for equality for all.