cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/2911882
For some women in China, “Barbie” is more than just a movie — it’s also a litmus test for their partner’s views on feminism and patriarchy.
The movie has prompted intense social media discussion online, media outlets Sixth Tone and the China Project reported this week, prompting women to discuss their own dating experiences.
One user on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu — a photo-sharing site similar to Instagram that’s mostly used by Gen Z women — even shared a guide on Monday for how women can test their boyfriends based on their reaction to the film.
According to the guide, if a man shows hatred for “Barbie” and slams female directors after they leave the theatre, then this man is “stingy” and a “toxic chauvinist,” according to Insider’s translation of the post. Conversely, if a man understands even half of the movie’s themes, “then he is likely a normal guy with normal values and stable emotions,” the user wrote.
It means that deep down he may wants to wear pink and play with Barbie, but he hasn’t been able to reconcile that latent desire in a healthy way because of his deeply traumatic upbringing. So his Barbie play is destructive and full of violence. After all he did purchase the dolls and he did play with them. This little boy is dealing with a lot of self hate that he will likely project on to the world around him. So we should first view his play through that lens. His every accusation will be an admission. He’s probably still a straight cis male, but his worldview won’t allow him to accept that he can be all those things and still like dolls and bright colors. With any luck he’s close to cracking and accepting himself and (eventually) the world for what it is without hate. Unfortunately, he is very dangerous to those around him and will double down on the pointless hate until he sorts that shit out. Or maybe this is all a lie some of us need to tell ourselves so that this prolapsing asshole’s firehouse of vitriol doesn’t infect us and spread through our own souls like the brain eating amoebas common in the waters of his home state.