#MATTEL!!! SPEAK TO ME!!!

[thesilliestofgals]

#nonny's nonsense #ever after high #eah #I NEED ANSWERS AND I NEED ANSWERS NOW!!! #MATTEL!!! SPEAK TO ME!!! #just when we thought the situation was all cleared up THIS happens #WUHHHDHFHDHHDH #nonny's nonsense in tags

[omglaurashutup]

okay so this one, def came from my delulu mind, but barbie starts and all the barbies and kens have this flat skin, which was mentioned by someone from the crew (i don’t remember if it was margot or greta) that they all had this uniform, flat makeup, no flaws, no shadows, “perfect”, like the plastic dolls are.

but, at the end, the scene when ncuti ken says he just misses his friend barbie, and then emma barbie comes up, she has moles on her neck, the makeup is not perfect anymore. it’s normal, human. i think this speaks for itself.

again, i don’t think it’s canon bc i theorize a lot, but i think it’s a cute theory

#okay tell me what you think #my mind speaks too loud and i might be delusional as always #but i think this is cool #barbie #barbie theory #theory #barbie the movie #barbie movie #barbie 2023 #ncuti gatwa #emma mackey #margot robbie #greta gerwig #ryan gosling #mattel #omglaurashutup

[godadorgohome]

Can we see more Clancy Brown pwease, I feel like it's been ages since mine eyes beheld The Man

YOU KNOW WHAT. It's been a hot minute since we've had a Good Ol Fashioned Clancy Brown Day. Gotta bring that back. I'll queue up some posts.

IN THE MEANTIME. THESE ARE FOR U. and for me. because. holy shit. clancy.

#asks #ifridiot #clancy brown #SPEAKING of men i want to fucking breed me #thinking abt trixie mattel saying 'hot potent dad nut' and suffering

[petrovna-zamo]

#speaking of Barbie… #me trying to be meta #my contribution to the culture #this is late to the party but #Barbie is forever #I was trying to find times they were holding dolls #thank you barbie meme generator #not a caption queen lol #katya #katya zamo #katya zamolodchikova #trixie mattel #trixie and katya #t&k

[leafatlaw]

see my main problem with the Barbie (2023) movie is that it’s a little bit too, lacking, in imagination. Barbie to me has always been about outlandish drama and high concept storylines made up by kids with diy-ed Barbie’s and secondhand dreamhouses. My childhood was filled with exclusively “weird barbies” with badly cut hair and dollar store outfits. What I’m trying to say is that at its roots, Barbie is weird. If like how stereotypical Barbie changed by the power of those playing with her, then every Barbie in barblieland should be a whole lot weirder. There should be a shit ton of princess Barbies, dozens of fairy Barbie’s and a lot of Barbie’s with soap opera like dramas. Because that’s how people play with barbie, that’s who barbie is. And quite frankly there should be alot more Barbie’s who are mothers and wives, because that is primarily how I played with Barbie.

And don’t get me wrong, I know why none of this was included in the movie. Because Mattel and maybe even the writers don’t want to include the idea that Barbie is not always this amazing feminist ideal. And it isn’t. Barbie may have been the first girl toy that was not a baby but Barbie isn’t the reason we have these ideas of feminism. It’s because of how people played with Barbie. And I saw none of those people reflected in that film.

#Sorry I wya her the Barbie movie again and this was the result #Okay to put it plainly #Me and my sister have been lifelong Barbie fans #Grew up playing it with our cousins and and friends #we had dvds of most of the movies and watched Barbie life in the dream house long after we were the target audience #What I’m trying to say is: we walked inking that movie expecting to see soemthing of all of that reflected back #And we got nothing #I don’t know how the writers and director played with Barbie but our experiences were so widely different it’s unrecognizable #sparrow speaks #Sparrows soliloquy #barbie movie #barbie 2023 #that’s it #Mattel fight me #Augh it makes me so #Talk to me about it please #Also I hate this might delete l8r

[merriclo]

went to see the barbie movie a few days ago and hm. weird

#spoilers for the tags and also a slight little rant #for a movie all about girls and woman it sure was all about men #and made a pregnant woman the butt of the joke just bc she was pregnant #and there’s a whole segment at the beginning where a barbie is all ‘my emotions make me stronger =)’ and then later barbie just gives up #and sobs on the ground #a character calls barbie ‘white savior barbie’ after she did literally nothing to be called a white savior #and later that same character goes ‘that’s cultural appropriation’ when her DAD tries to learn spanish bc her MOTHER SPEAKS SPANISH. #their whole patriarchy plot was weird and dumb and preachy and poorly executed #and overall he plot was just.. messy ig?? idk it was a weird experience #it also felt like mattel giving themselves a pat on the back for diversity that they (to my knowledge) do not have #and everything with the kens was odd and weird and unnecessary #it was so preachy and then it turned around and did the exact opposite thing #i thought this movie was going to be about how barbie is an intergenerational experience for so many woman #and that she brings together so many woman no matter their differences #and it was almost that. esp at the beginning #and then it turned into a weird hypocritical messy story that really had no memorable message or theme #and bro ken was so badly written. everything was badly written but especially ken. #anyways there was a wonderful scene where barbie told an old lady that she was beautiful and she replied with ‘i know’ #which would be lovely if the main reason Barbie was on her quest wasn’t because she was getting cellulite and on the path to becoming ‘ugly’ #uhhhshfjks yeah bad movie. lots of weird messy things. #this is more than a slight little rant oopsies #my bad i’m opinionated #this isn’t even the half of it too lmao #negativity #rant #ranting #allan and weird barbie were great tho #and the acting costumes set effects cinematography etc. were outstanding #it’s just the writing that was Fucked #there were absolutely good things but so much of it was just. hm. idk i can’t rlly explain in just he tumblr tags that well lmaoo

[enbymattel]

POV you are the feet of a G3 monster high doll

#enby speaks #why do they always have HOLES #always in the same spot #this is the third g3 doll ive gotten with holes in her feet mattel is gonna fucking blacklist me with the emails i keep on sending #dolls #mattel #monster high #mh

[okiidokii]

HAVE YOU SEEN SKULLTIMATE SECRETS 2 DRAC AND FRANKIE EVERYONE STOP WHAT YOUR DOING AND LOOK AT THEM RIGHT NOW

#for the rest im happy clawdeen has a different color scheme and hair style #but think her fashion is like bad (why did they bring back the YA book cover wolf from G1 that was arguably G1 Clawdeen's worst look 😭) #Don't like cleo but heavily appreciate the turban #and adore Lagoona's color scheme but the outfit isn't doing much for me #Monster High #Monster High G3 #monster high leaks #my post #my spoilers #Also my least favorite thing about the line is the stoles #Like happy Mattel didn't use a fur sculpt for once but it's such a lazy way to incorporate fur in a winter-themed line #Speaking of winter why is Mattel dropping this in July

[marzipanandminutiae]

where is the 90s American Girl doll who volunteers at her local museum because she's obsessed with AG

her name is Alyssa and her favorite outfit is the little [insert museum era here] dress her single, gay-coded aunt made her for living history events. the dress has wild inaccuracies and is made of quilting cotton, natch, but she loves it anyway

in the Learns a Lesson book, she discovers that the town's favorite historical Girlboss used child labor in her economy-revitalizing Widget Factory and has to decide whether she'll speak up about this at The Big Heritage Festival even though people wouldn't like it. she does, obviously

this would do numbers with female historians, archivists, museum professionals, etc. who got their start reading AG books and/or playing with the dolls (back when they didn't suck) and who now have kids

Mattel, hire me

#american girl #also hire some quality control; yikes

[thesilliestofgals]

#nonny's nonsense #ever after high #eah #still not over this btw #TO QUOTE MYSELF: HUH. WHAT. WHAHUH?!?!?? #TWO SONGS??? RELEASED IN THE SPAN OF **TWO WEEKS???** #MATTEL. MATTEL SPEAK TO ME. WHAT ARE YOU DOING. #Unlike last time this song hasn't been released on Apple Music yet... curiouser and curiouser!! #nonny's nonsense in tags

[jesters-stuffs]

Little PSA for the g3 monster high doll collectors out there:

If you are able to/can afford to, seal the paint on your dolls' bodies !! Multiple dolls, including Twyla, Frankie, Lagoona, and Torialei (lmk if I missed any) have extra painted on details on their body like Frankie's stitches, Toralei's stripes, ect., and Mattel, being the oh-so-kind and caring company they are, no longer seal these extra details properly like they once did on g1 dolls. For people who only display their dolls, that's not really a problem, but for people like me who like to handle their dolls, you'll notice that these details rub off *very* easily (literally just by rubbing too hard with your fingers !!).

The best way to combat this is by sealing the details in yourself. Any matte sealant spray will do, just make sure you test it on something first to make sure it gives you the desired look and texture. Follow the instructions on the can, wear proper protective gear (gloves, mask/respirator, ect.), spray only in a well-ventilated area, and make sure to cover anything you don't want sprayed (like the hair) with a cloth or saran wrap. Be safe !! Leave the dolls out to dry for as long as your can instructs you to, and enjoy your dolls :]

Speaking of Mattel being a shitty company, now that I have your attention...

Here is a charity started by Leena, Amanda, and Loren Asad, with the goal of providing people who menstrate in Gaza with feminine hygiene kits. The access to these products being taken away has and will continue to be detrimental to the health of many Gazan's. Any and all donations to the cause are appreciated, and if you have the ability to, I implore you to donate. Thank you.

#free palestine #free gaza #palestine #monster high #monster high g3 #dolls #doll collector #doll #mattel supports zionism

[cerenemuxse]

Happy Halloween! 🎃 I give you Bunny Edward! 🐰

oh wow, i actually did something for halloween :0 shooketh (/s /j)

ok but in all seriousness, i wanted Edward dressed as an animal after watching Thomas' Animal Friends (Season 24), so I did it myself. >:3 Used the design he would have in present day so he's got his piercings! Really happy with how this came out. I went with something simplistic, reminiscent of the James and Edward screenshot redraw I did a while ago. Still love that one, despite some proportion issues.

The bunny costume is a play-on of multiple things:

For starters, the breed he's dressed as is the Smoke Pearl rabbit, which is native to Scotland. (CHONK)

In Mattel's interpretation of the steam engines as zodiac signs, Edward was labeled as a Cancer (like me! :D). You know who else is a Cancer? Usagi Tsukino. What does her name translate to? Rabbit of the Moon. SPEAKING OF! I was originally going to replicate the motion of this pose (with Edward as an engine)...

...but it didn't work out. Sketches were done on paper, which were really messy. Managed to make it work though. 👍👍👍

"Bunny" is Edward's nickname that was initially given to him by his crews during his time on the FR. James reuses the nickname when they start dating but by that point, he doesn't know that Bunny was one of Edward's previous nicknames. The reason why Edward was called Bunny in the first place by both parties was because he has the tendency to twitch his nose subconsciously when he gets upset.

also guess who figured out that Krita has layer styles like Photoshop does? meeeeee <3333 (access to Photoshop is limited to schoolwork. not ideal for drawing, imo but great for graphic design)

#my art #ttte edward #engines of sudrian rails (shipverse) by muxse #engines of sudrian rails by muxse #happy halloween 🎃

[chappelroan]

GET TO KNOW ME ♡ Favorite Drag Queens ↳ Trixie Mattel

"With Trixie, people like that I look like this fabricated painted creation, but all my comedy and my songs come from a place of reality. It's like the man behind the curtain - it's the crying clown - that's what works for people with Trixie. It's the dichotomy of someone looking like a toy but then, you know, speaking and singing like a real boy."

#trixie mattel #rpdredit #trixiematteledit #lgbtqdaily #trixiekatyagifs #gtkm #*

[strideofpride]

Okay I can't stop thinking about the Barbie ending. Cause like as absolutely hilarious it was (the whole theater howled) it also is the perfect button for the theme of the movie, coming out of girlhood into womanhood. (this is going to be a very cis reading because, well, Greta is cis and was clearly drawing on her own cis experiences - terfs do not interact)

The first thing Barbie experiences in the real world is being catcalled and objectified, which reminds me a lot of a passage from Tina Fey's book. She talks about how she went to this women's conference when she was working on Mean Girls and they were asked how they knew they were becoming a woman. And pretty much every single one said it was when some dude said something gross to them out of a passing car. It's such a universal experience to get catcalled at 13-14-15 year's old, when your body is only just developing. And that's what Barbie also experiences first.

Then there's the scene where the Mattel men (and they're all men of course) try to put her back in the box. The shot of her hands being strapped down was so unsettling to me and I think that was Greta's intention. Maybe this is a huge reach but it almost felt like it was a metaphor for sexual assault. And I don't think it's a universal experience to be sexual assaulted, especially as a teenager, but I do think it's unfortunately still pretty common.

Then she gets back to Barbieland and has to confront the patriarchy head on, has to learn how to deal in this world catered towards men, has to learn how to develop a sense of self even though she's become depressed by the state of things. Depressed by the fact that she's changing and she doesn't know how to stop it. The "I'm not pretty anymore" moment is played for laughs cause the narrator rightfully calls out that this is an insane line to come out of Margot Robbie's mouth. But I think it speaks to going through puberty, to not feeling like you're at home in your own body anymore (hell this is the same scene where we see the Growing Up Skipper doll, a doll who's breasts can grow and shrink at her human's will - talk about body horror).

And because this is a movie centered on the hero's journey, Barbie and friends are able to get the patriarchy out of Barbieland and work towards a more equal future, but the real next step in Barbie's individual journey is seeing her creator (and this is where the gender swapped Adam/Eve myth of creation stuff really comes into full force but that's a whole other post altogether) who in a lot of ways is just Barbie's mother ("mothers stand still so daughters can look back and see how far they come" !!!!!). It's her mother figure that gets Barbie through that transition from girlhood into womanhood, who assures her that while things might not be perfect, it's still worth experiencing. (And of course there's the theme of mortality as well, that what makes the human experience special is that it's not infinite)

So that final button of Barbie going to the gynecologist for the first time is actually just the completion of her arc. I saw some people being like "I thought she was going to a job interview!" and I think that was absolutely an intentional misdirect, but I don't think her going to a job interview would've hit as hard. (For a lot of reasons, but the main one is it's a very capitalistic idea that you become an adult when you start to generate your own wealth) It had to be her going to the gynecologist, something only adults usually experience, not children. She's no longer a girl anymore, she is a woman.

#terfs do not interact #barbie spoilers #barbie

[cicadaknight]

okay i have more (critical) barbie thoughts under the cut.

i really did enjoy it overall. it was fun, cheeky, surreal. i loved the experience of watching it in an energetic theater. i even cried a couple times. but i’m baffled at how powerful it was for so many people when it fell so flat for me. honestly, maybe what i’m feeling is just because i’m trans and it didn’t resonate as strongly with my experience of womanhood or masculinity.

i keep coming across people using gloria’s monologue to dismiss criticism by saying “anyone saying barbie isn’t feminist enough are doing the exact thing gloria pointed out! women have to be perfect but it’s just never good enough!” Y’ALL. having issues with a high-budget, corporate funded movie that has the same milquetoast girl-power messaging you’d find in teen mags from the early 2000s… is not the same as oppressing women under patriarchy. you can critique media and still resonate with aspects of it. good grief.

another response i’ve seen to critiques (specifically of gloria’s monologue) is that the movie’s messages are meant for barbie herself! not for the audience! it had to be super tame and generic because otherwise barbie wouldn’t have understood! all those speeches and ideas are aimed solely at barbie who is learning about all of this for the first time! it’s not for you if you already get it! what?????? that’s not how media works and you know it.

also, the idea that it’s meant to be palatable for a “wider audience” so it couldn’t have included intersectionality without losing people. translation: “wider audience” means white suburbia? white men? cishet people? where the most “representation” they can tolerate is a 3 second clip of a voiceless barbie in a wheelchair dancing? or a black president barbie who mostly says one liners and disappears? a wider audience being the same audience every blockbuster is catered towards?

i’m just spit balling here, but i don’t think it would have been impossible to introduce some unironic nuances like:

america’s latinx character experiencing sexism differently from stereotypical barbie?

maybe not using mount rushmore repeatedly to symbolize who’s in power?

avoiding comparing bringing patriarchy to barbieland to indigenous genocide?

a harsher perspective on mattel’s role in all this? where the outcome isn’t just will farrell’s character griping that he doesn’t even want to be in charge, he just wants to be tickled? (wtf was that lmao)

making a more obvious statement that patriarchy isn’t just a symptom of men stumbling across power and relishing it but that it’s rooted in violent white supremacy and capitalism? i’m positive there’s a way to address that without going full blown academic feminist theory mode.

having the black, fat, and disabled characters speak more than 5 collective minutes? (but at least they had screentime at all, right? ✨representation✨)

explicitly queer characters instead of “weird barbie” and allan being coded as the outsiders to an otherwise regimented cishet universe?

but all those ideas are irrelevant, right? because the movie was just SOOO self aware and layered in irony and if i was smart enough and hadn’t missed the point, i’d know the writers were in on it all.

#barbie spoilers #barbie #barbie criticism #h #okay one last vent #it’s wild to me that people are like ‘no one picks apart movies made by men like this! it’s because everyone hates women!’ #creative work made by women is often more heavily scrutinized than work by men #so i think it's necessary to keep that idea of undue scrutiny in mind as we consume media #but at the same time it's not a reason to just avoid engaging with women's work critically #am i losing it? #i’m losing it #also specifically with movies like barbie #if they're going to very openly and specifically address patriarchy and misogyny to make a statement about them #would it not make sense that those themes would be at the front and center of criticism?

[thinkanamelater]

I didn't like the Barbie Movie. Here are (some of) the reasons why:

(Keep in mind, these are all my opinions, etc etc)

First and foremost, it felt performative as fuck. Like sure it address sexism, beauty standards, consummerism; with a tone that ranges from "sarcastic" to "genuine". But to me, every time it felt like they were reciting a lesson. When the teen (I don't remember her name) "tells it like it is", she might has well have been reading off a list of buzzwords.

Then, the tone. Oh my god. The tone. It never landed, for me. The line between self-awareness and parody and vulnerability were too blurry, and ended up feeling like a confusing mess of intentions.

Moving on, the pace. More than fast-paced, I felt it was hurried. Characters and references and jokes were thrown around over and over, at all times, barely allowing it to land. You know the scene when Ken takes a walk in the real world alone, and is bombarded by patriarchy propaganda? That's how the entire movie felt for me.

(Speaking of patriarchy. Oh my god. They said the word so many times, it felt less and less important every time.)

And I feel like the reason it felt so hurried and so busy is that they tried to do so many things, they half-assed everything. They made a frankenstein of satire and nostalgia and girlhood and patriarchy and toxic masculinity and self esteem and finding one's worth and relationships and and and.

Then there were smaller things that I disliked. Weird Barbie's sexual comments about Ken was so out of the blue and uncomfortable. The scene with Ruth at the end dragged on forever. Most of the scenes with the Mattel executives added nothing to the story.

I think what I most enjoyed was Allan's character. He was fun and sweet and did interesting stuff. And I did laugh at a couple jokes, of course. But over all, I was bored.

I didn't expect the movie to be a feminist masterpiece. I didn't expect it to have a deep plot or the most fleshed out characters or dramatic undertones.

I just expected it to be entertaining and nice to look at, and still felt dissapointed.

If your experience was any different from mine, if it resonated with you and you had a good time, I'm genuinely glad for you! This is my experience and these are my thoughts, and I wanted to share them.

Lastly, this youtube video gives an interesting, well articulated analysis! "The plastic feminism of Barbie" from the channel verilybitchie

#barbie #barbie criticism #long post