Truly I couldn't ask for a better person to analyse this phenomenon. Your points about corporate constraint put into words what I was thinking while watching Barbie. It's a paradox, with its attempts to be weird and artsy in places and critique the societal and corporate context in which it exists, all while ultimately, still being a product. It can't ever be truly subversive, because its wings are clipped by its own existence as a Mattel production. It playfully pokes at itself, but I can't help but feel a little bit... Conned? It's like a Che Guevara T-shirt of a movie. It's not without value, obviously, and its message is clear, but there's something sinister and contradictory about it.
Glad to see more content from you! You're still one of my favorite creators on UA-cam! Side note: I really love the subtle blue animation letter shadowing of your logo throughout the video.
I liked barbenhemier because all of it felt very true and evotive of our current era. While the polairity is intriguing, I think there is something within the hyperbolic girl-coded aesthetics of the barbie movie, as well as it's neoliberalist feminist messaging (which btw seems to be the only acceptable feminism shown on screen post trump, simular to the phenom of "post feminism" with a dash of "omg yes girls can be tough like boys" populairized in media during the bush era) that does build upon Oppenheimer's narative. Perhaps the Atomic Bomb is Capitalism
Could you elaborate on what you define as "neoliberalist feminism"? Terms like that have become so token and overused that I don't know what you mean by that. If, by that term, you're referring to the type of feminism that goes, "men suck, and should be subservient to women" (which is what I'm worried you mean), I'd say you're wrong about labeling the Barbie movie that way. It's as much a critique on feminism itself as it is on the patriarchy. And it delves into mens' issues with a level of maturity that surprised me. Although they walk these messages back in the end a little bit (because, I think, they were afraid of shaking the status quo _too_ much), it still feels like a net positive for both men and women.
@@bugjamsthey are a probably talking about the whole ”we need more female ceos!” style feminism, zero political analysis or change. Kind of like how some americans thought US ended racism by having Obama as a president.
Love your analysis, but I need to point out: anti-capitalism is not always necessary, plain and simple. There's only so much you can cram into a movie's run time, and even the most strict Marxist would reluctantly admit it (even if only to retort "Ha! So are saying they CHOSE to not talk about class war!"). That said, I would say it's a lot more unforgivable in Oppenheimer, given that Barbie is a movie about women's issues which also persists in various socialist societies, indigenous nations and Europe before capitalism, while Oppenheimer wants to talk about the whole life of a leftist that created the bomb. Besides, I am yet to hear of anyone, other than insane conservatives, that went to watch this movie actually thinking it would inspire revolution.
I couldn't help but laugh at the end of the video where you casually drop a figurative nuke on the audience by recommending Threads. Anyone who goes into that thing unprepared is going to find the whole rest of their week taken up by dwelling on how harrowing it is!
I'll admit that I elected to avoid watching either of these movies, but my reasoning for it is essentially highlighted in this video. After Barbie and Oppenheimer reached audiences, there was all kinds of discourse. They were attached to politics and dissected as provocative thought pieces that either "succeeded" or "failed" to deliver a compelling message. My problem with this lies in the fact that we can't necessarily trust either film to deliver these messages. Barbie was attacked for being "feminist propaganda" and Oppenheimer was attacked for its supposed left-leaning narrative, but both of them failed to grip the reins and fully deliver on their concepts. Part of me feels that, even if they did lean in a particular direction narratively, they both could've been more interesting based on what they truly TRIED to say, not what they COULD'VE said.
Same here. I don't doubt that Barbie is a well executed film with winks and nods for all ages, nor that Oppenheimer is a visually and mostly factually accurate biographical film. It's just that I feel that any true exploratio of the cultural significane of Barbie would be so radical and offensive, that it would make the film unwatchable. In the same vein with Oppenheimer, showing the true human cost of nuclear weapons would make it essentially another Holocaust film while the reality and endemic hypocrisy (in relation to Stalin) of the pre-war socialist movement and it's merciless crushing in the 50's would just make the whole thing *extremely* depressing to watch. So basically the fact that people have been enjoying both films totally puts me off them, although I'd probably skip them even if they were "real" simply to protect my mental health. Also Nolan's movies are usually too long and make me lose all emotional attachment to the characters, so there's that too.
Barbie was still really good in that it rightfully attacked how stupid the patriarchy is. It harms both men and women. People who were upset with Barbie for the reasons you stated really gave away just how much they hate women.
@@mosstrades in a surprise to everyone I am amicable to your sincerity and complement you on your insight. I let you know I'll be touching grass and reflecting on how I could be a better version of myself. In the end I'm hopeful that we helped @nightmaremastercalss with engagement in his comment section.
Despite being called out as likely reading into films too much, I still hold Barbie in some fair regards in terms of its political messaging given the current climate as a piece of underhanded invitation or maybe guerilla agitprop. In particular the sense in which the events of the later half of the film imply an inverse on the real world as well as the (I assume) intentionally unfulfilling ending on the political front. While I do absolutely believe that most people will not think much of the film, if something this big of an IP can highlight enough contradictions and then leave certain aspects of the conflict unresolved or unfulfilling, then I have some loose sense of confidence that the trade off is worth it in light of a more people beginning to think critically at how our societies function. That is putting aside the ever present nihilism in my mind that the dominant ideology can just as easily push all of this into the memory-hole, or huge propaganda farms can force a negative gut-reaction as the IPs vapid place in vapid cultural wedges continues to roll on. I hope that this film has helped anyone think critically about both women and men under patriarchy and of the ways in which its enforced, but I'm also confident its nothing strong to get hopeful over.
my thing is that often when we are in leftist spaces, we can kinda forget that there are a vast amount of people who haven't been introduced to leftists concepts, or have only seen them as "scary communist ooga booga". if i go to work and announce that i'm an anarchist, i'd likely get more than a few weird looks. if i introduce, like, beginner's leftist concepts to people, that's a better way to get them thinking. i feel feminism is the same way here. there are older women who would benefit from a feminism 101 movie in the same way a little girl would. of course, barbie is constrained by corporate oversight, as mr stockdale says, but i can't blame that on the film. creatives have to fight to get the littlest amount of representation or message of any kind in their works.
For a more anecdotal and tangent illustration of the value of today's Hollywood productions and mindless consumable films, please see the stock for AMC theaters. Today they retain only 7% of the value of their stock over a decade. The decay of the theaters physically correlates to the slapdash and obtuse motives behind what is left of american cinematography. time for a complete independent takeover of corporate garbage.
Criticism of Barbie by conservatives (mostly straight white men) told me everything I need to know that anything to do with showing that girls and women can be independent, confident, people really makes them mad. And it told me it would be a great movie and it is. Making fun of the patriarchy really upsets people like them.
Truly I couldn't ask for a better person to analyse this phenomenon. Your points about corporate constraint put into words what I was thinking while watching Barbie. It's a paradox, with its attempts to be weird and artsy in places and critique the societal and corporate context in which it exists, all while ultimately, still being a product. It can't ever be truly subversive, because its wings are clipped by its own existence as a Mattel production. It playfully pokes at itself, but I can't help but feel a little bit... Conned? It's like a Che Guevara T-shirt of a movie. It's not without value, obviously, and its message is clear, but there's something sinister and contradictory about it.
this is exactly like when Doom and Animal Crossing came out on the same day and people drew a ton of pictures of Isabelle with a shotgun
I really want to see sequals to both. Same release date. Same directors. But they swap scripts.
threads absolutely deserves its own breakdown. Watched it last year and it still sticks with me.
I too have noticed this. This might be part of the reason the same tropes have been rehashed and featured _ad nauseam_ for decades.
Glad to see more content from you! You're still one of my favorite creators on UA-cam!
Side note: I really love the subtle blue animation letter shadowing of your logo throughout the video.
Oppenheimer's speech was utilized to great effect in Valle Verde...
I liked barbenhemier because all of it felt very true and evotive of our current era. While the polairity is intriguing, I think there is something within the hyperbolic girl-coded aesthetics of the barbie movie, as well as it's neoliberalist feminist messaging (which btw seems to be the only acceptable feminism shown on screen post trump, simular to the phenom of "post feminism" with a dash of "omg yes girls can be tough like boys" populairized in media during the bush era) that does build upon Oppenheimer's narative. Perhaps the Atomic Bomb is Capitalism
Could you elaborate on what you define as "neoliberalist feminism"? Terms like that have become so token and overused that I don't know what you mean by that.
If, by that term, you're referring to the type of feminism that goes, "men suck, and should be subservient to women" (which is what I'm worried you mean), I'd say you're wrong about labeling the Barbie movie that way. It's as much a critique on feminism itself as it is on the patriarchy. And it delves into mens' issues with a level of maturity that surprised me. Although they walk these messages back in the end a little bit (because, I think, they were afraid of shaking the status quo _too_ much), it still feels like a net positive for both men and women.
@@bugjamsthey are a probably talking about the whole ”we need more female ceos!” style feminism, zero political analysis or change. Kind of like how some americans thought US ended racism by having Obama as a president.
Love your analysis, but I need to point out: anti-capitalism is not always necessary, plain and simple. There's only so much you can cram into a movie's run time, and even the most strict Marxist would reluctantly admit it (even if only to retort "Ha! So are saying they CHOSE to not talk about class war!"). That said, I would say it's a lot more unforgivable in Oppenheimer, given that Barbie is a movie about women's issues which also persists in various socialist societies, indigenous nations and Europe before capitalism, while Oppenheimer wants to talk about the whole life of a leftist that created the bomb.
Besides, I am yet to hear of anyone, other than insane conservatives, that went to watch this movie actually thinking it would inspire revolution.
Excellent, well researched video 👍
This is the Last UA-cam Video.
I couldn't help but laugh at the end of the video where you casually drop a figurative nuke on the audience by recommending Threads. Anyone who goes into that thing unprepared is going to find the whole rest of their week taken up by dwelling on how harrowing it is!
I'll admit that I elected to avoid watching either of these movies, but my reasoning for it is essentially highlighted in this video. After Barbie and Oppenheimer reached audiences, there was all kinds of discourse. They were attached to politics and dissected as provocative thought pieces that either "succeeded" or "failed" to deliver a compelling message.
My problem with this lies in the fact that we can't necessarily trust either film to deliver these messages. Barbie was attacked for being "feminist propaganda" and Oppenheimer was attacked for its supposed left-leaning narrative, but both of them failed to grip the reins and fully deliver on their concepts. Part of me feels that, even if they did lean in a particular direction narratively, they both could've been more interesting based on what they truly TRIED to say, not what they COULD'VE said.
Same here. I don't doubt that Barbie is a well executed film with winks and nods for all ages, nor that Oppenheimer is a visually and mostly factually accurate biographical film. It's just that I feel that any true exploratio of the cultural significane of Barbie would be so radical and offensive, that it would make the film unwatchable.
In the same vein with Oppenheimer, showing the true human cost of nuclear weapons would make it essentially another Holocaust film while the reality and endemic hypocrisy (in relation to Stalin) of the pre-war socialist movement and it's merciless crushing in the 50's would just make the whole thing *extremely* depressing to watch.
So basically the fact that people have been enjoying both films totally puts me off them, although I'd probably skip them even if they were "real" simply to protect my mental health.
Also Nolan's movies are usually too long and make me lose all emotional attachment to the characters, so there's that too.
Barbie was still really good in that it rightfully attacked how stupid the patriarchy is. It harms both men and women. People who were upset with Barbie for the reasons you stated really gave away just how much they hate women.
@@Emma88178 I haven't seen it but I'm def against the patriarchy.
Controversial comment
Outraged reply!
@@Dorian_sapiens that's outrageous, I think you need to go touch grass and think about life.
@@mosstrades in a surprise to everyone I am amicable to your sincerity and complement you on your insight. I let you know I'll be touching grass and reflecting on how I could be a better version of myself. In the end I'm hopeful that we helped @nightmaremastercalss with engagement in his comment section.
excellent script as always !
Despite being called out as likely reading into films too much, I still hold Barbie in some fair regards in terms of its political messaging given the current climate as a piece of underhanded invitation or maybe guerilla agitprop. In particular the sense in which the events of the later half of the film imply an inverse on the real world as well as the (I assume) intentionally unfulfilling ending on the political front.
While I do absolutely believe that most people will not think much of the film, if something this big of an IP can highlight enough contradictions and then leave certain aspects of the conflict unresolved or unfulfilling, then I have some loose sense of confidence that the trade off is worth it in light of a more people beginning to think critically at how our societies function.
That is putting aside the ever present nihilism in my mind that the dominant ideology can just as easily push all of this into the memory-hole, or huge propaganda farms can force a negative gut-reaction as the IPs vapid place in vapid cultural wedges continues to roll on. I hope that this film has helped anyone think critically about both women and men under patriarchy and of the ways in which its enforced, but I'm also confident its nothing strong to get hopeful over.
How to say nothing in 3 paragraphs.
Patriarchy? Man, where have you been for the last 100 years?
@@OrchinX watch out, this mfer is counting your paragraphs 😢
@@OrchinXAh yes 1923 when we transitioned to the matriarchal regime
my thing is that often when we are in leftist spaces, we can kinda forget that there are a vast amount of people who haven't been introduced to leftists concepts, or have only seen them as "scary communist ooga booga". if i go to work and announce that i'm an anarchist, i'd likely get more than a few weird looks. if i introduce, like, beginner's leftist concepts to people, that's a better way to get them thinking.
i feel feminism is the same way here. there are older women who would benefit from a feminism 101 movie in the same way a little girl would. of course, barbie is constrained by corporate oversight, as mr stockdale says, but i can't blame that on the film. creatives have to fight to get the littlest amount of representation or message of any kind in their works.
@@OrchinX Your hairdo is proof enough that the patriarchy exists, and that men can get away with more atrocities than women.
This video is very interesting, but the comment section might be even more fascinating. So many different takes...
For a more anecdotal and tangent illustration of the value of today's Hollywood productions and mindless consumable films, please see the stock for AMC theaters. Today they retain only 7% of the value of their stock over a decade. The decay of the theaters physically correlates to the slapdash and obtuse motives behind what is left of american cinematography. time for a complete independent takeover of corporate garbage.
Europeans know what Wallmart is but not what Applebees is.
they're lucky in that way
Commie, will you analyse "Asteroid City" (movie) ?
Loved that movie. Best Wes Anderson movie I've seen in a long time. Not sure how much I have to say about it though.
@@NightmareMasterclass Well, you can always disect it and talk abouth themes. a 20 minute video wouldn't be much of a problem in my opinion
Criticism of Barbie by conservatives (mostly straight white men) told me everything I need to know that anything to do with showing that girls and women can be independent, confident, people really makes them mad. And it told me it would be a great movie and it is. Making fun of the patriarchy really upsets people like them.
Nolan is painfully overrated