Jack Poso Calls Barbie Movie Birth Of A Nation For Women

X/@JackPosobiec

The Internet was immediately stirred into welter with all controversies after political commentator Poso made his controversial comparison of Barbie vs. The Birth Of A Nation, calling the film a cultural milestone with regard to women’s issues intermediate with equally important ideological weight. The explosive tweet generated considerable support and opposition, indicating deep fractures in regard to the film’s feminist message.

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The Birth of A Nation largely invites that infamy as a film production that managed to enter virgin territory in industrial filmmaking but, in doing so, promulgated racist stereotypes and exalted the Ku Klux Klan. Poso seems to argue that, similarly, Barbie represents an equally important but problematic moment in the cultural consciousness, this time along the lines of gender instead of race. The tweet itself does not go into further clarifications to indicate whether Poso views this as a good or bad thing.

Opponents-to-this-originated-a-reply-so-fast: Jesse J stated that the movie was hypocritical propaganda against women, considering it was based on a toyline that already stereotyped physical images.

Another user had a somewhat different criticism of the film. Miriam M held that the film offered a “simplistic solution to complex problems,” and the solution was essentially women complaining. Responses like these speak to how the feminist themes in the film are fodder for larger cultural debates.

In a strange twist, some conservatives admitted to liking much of the movie despite its message, sowing doubt about the purity of these endorsements. The user chant4stic, in a rather different vein, maintained that the film denounces second-wave feminism by portraying the Barbies as villains of their own narrative. Therefore, the counter-narrative is that the film critiques rather than celebrates the perfectionist Barbie worldview.

The discussion went weirdly off course after that, with comparisons to Inglorious Basterds and Wonder Woman, cementing the status of a political inkblot for the men and women behind it. Part of the discussion crossed over into Ryan Gosling’s Oscar win, with some questioning whether his performance should have been recognized in such a divisive movie.

What makes the exchange all the more fascinating is that it is a reflection of the ongoing culture wars fought through pop culture. With its pastel version of feminism and gross dollar signs, the Barbie movie has become an unlikely battleground for conflicting visions of gender and societal values. The incendiary metaphor proposed by Poso is surely going to provide more fuel to already raging conversations on how even a toxic plastic doll can stir serious ideological battles.

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As online iterations of this discussion would point out, entertainment is certainly not just entertainment anymore. Every blockbuster gets weighed through the litmus test of its politico-cultural roots, and Barbie is far too gargantuan a cultural footprint to ever set aside. It could very well be a topic for empowerment or propaganda, depending on which side of the fence you are. One thing is for certain: we’ve already been spending years quadrilingual over this pink phenomenon.