#26 The spiritual longing of Barbie

On being a disciple and the human condition

Copyright: Mattel

If you had asked me which film everyone would talk about in the Summer of 2023, I never would have guessed it would be about a doll created back in 1959.

Following the massive global box office success of Barbie (over half a billion dollars and counting), I have heard there are more movies on their way based on nostalgic toys, including Hot Wheels, Masters of The Universe, Polly Pocket, and, believe it or not, there's even an Action Heist movie coming based on the card game UNO!

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Mattel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is upon us.

Barbie is a film that has divided opinions, having been described as everything from "a riotous, candy-coloured feminist fable" to "an existential crisis wrapped in a hot pink bow" or even "the most anti-male film ever made." That's a lot for a silly adventure based on a plastic toy!

Even the film trailer seems to acknowledge the inevitable division it would cause:

"If you love Barbie, this movie is for you," says the headline.

Immediately followed by...

"If you hate Barbie, this movie is for you."

Beyond the important topics being discussed online around empowering women, what equality really means, and whether the film is actually any good or just over-hyped, I have quietly been asking myself a deeper question:

Why are so many people showing up? Why are the cinemas so packed, with people from all walks of life, even on a Tuesday night?

One answer may point to a well-executed marketing campaign, which includes everything from pink Xboxes to a life-size doll's house you can book via Airbnb in Malibu! Another reason may be the rise of the social media hashtag #barbenheimer, which became an Internet sensation, linking two films at the opposite ends of the cinematic spectrum that happened to be released on the same day.

It could also be the simple desire to have a bit of post-pandemic fun, go with the flow, and be together. We all want to be part of ‘something’ even if that something is connecting over a plastic doll. As one reviewer notes:

“Wearing pink became a way of acknowledging their connection to the movie. My wife just came back from taking my 86-year-old mother-in-law to the movie. She was sending me pictures of a sea of pink in the theatre. It’s a way of being part of this really wonderful collective experience. Variety Magazine

Copyright: Mattel

What if we are witnessing a collective moment that points to a deeper human longing?

Do you ever wonder why so many people are rushing to see Barbie instead of seeking to find Jesus? Perhaps this is because there is a gap between the perceived relevance of Christianity versus the easy accessibility of pop-culture.

In my upcoming book Parallel Faith I talk about how we can use water cooler moments in entertainment to help people make connections to the gospel by talking about the deeper meaning behind them.  Using familiar icons, characters, or story beats can open up conversations about universal themes such as:

• Where do I find lasting peace and satisfaction?

• What is the purpose of life?

• How do I find my significance?

• Where do I place my security and hope?

• How do I find happiness?

Exploring these hooks can help us start conversations about how we might find lasting solutions in Christ through the gospel.

Copyright: Mattel

The spiritual longing for identity and purpose

One synopsis of the movie refers to how “Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.” Barbie is on an existential quest to discover not only who she is but why she is here. Turns out we are too.

“Do you guys ever think about dying?” Barbie asks during one of her parties, followed by a stunned silence from the previously jovial crowd.

The reason the main character Stereotypical Barbie, played by Margot Robbie, leaves Barbie World is due to having ‘sudden irrepressible thoughts of death’. Her growing sense of mortality is the start of a journey towards meaning.

As this Premier Christianity Article puts it: 

Barbie is a film that rightly raises questions about our very existence, and helpfully asks us to really think about why we are here and what our purpose is.

In her song What was I made for? written to accompany the film, Billie Eilish is hinting at something deeper going on in the human soul:

I used to know but I’m not sure now

What I was made for

What was I made for?

Takin’ a drive, I was an ideal

Looked so alive, turns out, I’m not real

Just something you paid for

What was I made for?

In the music video Billie is seated at a child’s desk, she opens a Barbie-themed suitcase, and tries to arrange a set of small dolls' clothes on a tiny rack as the world around her begins to shake whilst the rain falls and wind rages.

I actually found watching Billie Eilish trying to contain her small, perfectly ordered world, amid everything falling apart around her, a perfect parable for the human condition. It is a good illustration of a prophetically poetic piece of art that one could use to start a meaningful conversation.

The lyrics of the song remind me of a video I made a few year’s ago as part of a set of Kleer Series films. One particular clip showed different items being constructed out of Lego - a house, a giraffe, a tree, a car, and finally a person.

The headline simply read “everything that is made, requires a maker.”

What if we ventured beyond “What was I made for?” and began to ask “Who actually made me?” Suddenly the gospel comes into the frame.

Are you and I just a cocktail of chemicals that was randomly mixed together to make us human beings? Are we like a computer that switched itself on after accidentally building itself from microchips that appeared from nowhere? Or are we connected to something deeper?  Kleerseries.com

This is just one example of how we can deconstruct the themes of the latest box office blow up and point to the good news. There are countless more whispering to us from pop-culture every single day. Whilst nostalgia for old-fashioned toys is a powerful emotional driver that makes us look back to bygone days, the hope of the gospel gives us something to look forward to for our future. And it is this hope that we need to continually make relevant to a world that so desperately wants something a little less plastic and a lot more real.

A note from Dave

If you liked this article then you will love my new book Parallel Faith which is out in September. There is a whole chapter on how to start spiritual conversations using pop-culture references.

You can Pre-order it today from your favourite bookseller. For the best deal in the UK (as of July 2023) I recommend Eden Books as it is comes with FREE delivery.