The Gospel According to Barbie
A coming-of-age story
Can a 64-year-old woman come of age? Well, if she is made of plastic and lives in a pink dream world, yes she can.
I went to see Barbie by myself last week. My little hometown theatre didn’t have the “Barbie box,” but I still got a selfie next to the poster. I was surrounded by pink clad people, and as the nostalgic elements crossed the screen, I was not the only one pointing and shrieking (Who noticed the drumset?)!
The trailers for the movie, which started last year, were intentionally vague about the plot. Since the movie has come out and become the first film directed solely by a woman to make $1 billion, the plot has been revealed in reviews. For our purposes, suffice it to say, Barbie and Ken make a journey into “the real world” to fix Barbie’s flat feet and existential angst. What they discover is a world where women can not have it all, despite Barbie’s dream, and this propels Barbie, and eventually Ken, on a journey of self-discovery.
An incredible monologue by Gloria (played by America Ferrera) is making the rounds for very good reason, because it describes the paradoxes that women navigate every single day just to get by. It starts with, “It is literally impossible to be a woman… Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong.” You can read the full monologue here.
Barbie coming to terms with and overcoming the obstacles of being a woman in today’s world would be enough of a message, especially with that jaw-dropping monologue. The part that caught me, though, was her dialogue with a small, elderly woman. Ruth Handler is the real-life creator of the Barbie doll, and she plays a pivotal role in Barbie’s journey.
In a heaven-like scene, Barbie asks Ruth if she can do something. Ruth responds, “You don’t need my permission. I can’t control you any more than I could control my own daughter. I named you after her: Barbara. And I always hoped for you like I hoped for her. We mothers stand still, so our daughters can look back to see how far they have come.”
If I had been watching at home, I would have hit pause. Then rewind. Because what I heard in that moment was the voice of God, speaking to so many of our biblical ancestors—Adam and Eve, Sarah and Abraham, even Jesus. “You don’t need my permission. I can’t (or won’t, or choose not to) control you.” Because is free will ever free if we are not in complete control of our own will?
This does not make God absent from us. Far from it. In fact, the opposite. Just as Ruth is ever present with Barbie, God is ever present with us, not controlling our actions, or the choices of the person who gave us their parking spot. What does ever-present mean? It means God dwelling in our hearts and souls through love.
Growth and maturity, or “coming of age,” is an inevitable part of life. It marks moments in our lives when we are confronted with an obstacle and find the strength of character to maneuver it. Adam and Eve have a coming-of-age moment when they leave the Garden of Eden, forced to confront the world outside the garden and to make decisions that impact not only their growth and well-being, but the flourishing of all creatures and creation.
And just as God continued to live in humanity after the garden, They live in us and all creation today. God has never insisted on giving us permission. The permission lies in God’s enduring presence in our souls—that strengthening, comforting, passionate presence that propels us through life.
In this film, Barbie has become, yet again, a symbol of empowerment and maturity, not just for girls, but for everyone, fat or thin, man or woman, trans or cis, blonde and wavy or black and kinky. An empowered and mature faith means trusting in God’s love, mercy, and guidance that lives in our souls by nature of being part of creation.
