How did Gloria help the Barbies?
The movie “Barbie” offers us a surrealist canvas of a plastic utopia ruled by a pantheon of Barbie dolls of varying careers and personalities. Amid this rainbow coalition, however, one character stands out as a nexus of conventional reality and the fantastical world of Barbieland: Gloria, the Mattel employee and mother to Sasha, Barbie’s owner in the “real” world.
In one pivotal scene, Gloria is seen empowering the Barbies to reclaim Barbieland from the usurping Kens. On a cursory glance, this might seem to be a classic scene of uprising against an oppressive regime, the unassuming underdogs – the Barbies – spearheaded by a figurehead, Gloria. However, I would like to propose an unorthodox reading of this scenario that veers away from the expected narratives. Could Gloria’s rallying of the Barbies be a manifestation of her own unfulfilled aspirations in her professional and personal life?
To delve into this question, let's compare Gloria's predicament to an interesting parallel from popular culture – the Disney classic, “The Little Mermaid.” While Ariel, the mermaid, yearned to explore the world beyond her aquatic confines, Gloria, too, is ensnared in her own metaphorical ‘sea’, her potential confined within the structural and societal walls of the corporate world and the perceived limitations of motherhood. Just like Ariel who saw the human world as an escape and a new realm of possibility, Gloria's intervention in Barbieland could be her own subconscious effort to break free, to exert an influence she can't wield in her actual life.
The societal expectations imposed on Gloria – to be a dutiful mother, a compliant employee – echo the sea witch Ursula's manipulation of Ariel's dreams. Ursula lured Ariel with promises of a 'better life,' capitalizing on her discontent and curiosity. Gloria’s capitulation to societal norms and her struggle to balance her professional and personal obligations reflect a similar undercurrent of manipulation, albeit one not spearheaded by an ominous sea witch but instead by the insidious pressures of societal gender norms.
Further, let's consider the symbolic power of the dolls in Gloria's life. The Barbie doll – a global icon and a popular symbol of femininity – can be seen as a direct parallel to Gloria’s own journey of self-discovery and agency. Think back to the 2013 animated film, "The LEGO Movie," where ordinary LEGO figurine Emmet embarks on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment to become "The Special," the prophesied leader who can save the LEGO realm. Like Emmet, Gloria’s interaction with the dolls, and her role in their uprising, signifies a journey towards empowerment and fulfillment, stepping outside the pre-constructed and constricted narratives of her life.
Gloria's role in the Barbie revolution can therefore be viewed as a manifestation of her hidden aspirations. By enabling the Barbies to retake their world, Gloria is reclaiming her own, challenging the limitations imposed upon her, and asserting her potential for leadership, innovation, and change. She is the catalyst that propels Barbie and her friends on their journey towards empowerment, but in doing so, Gloria too is on a journey, a transformation that allows her to rewrite her own narrative, one in which she is not confined to the roles imposed upon her.
And so, the Barbies' uprising against the Kens, far from being just a whimsical plot point in a movie about animated dolls, is symbolic of Gloria's own quiet rebellion against the constraints of her life. It tells a story of a woman reaching beyond the barriers of her world to inspire change in another, echoing with the universal human quest for agency, fulfillment, and a sense of purpose. By viewing Gloria’s empowerment of the Barbies through this unconventional lens, we can grasp the rich symbolism and profound messages that lie beneath the movie’s plastic surface.
