Can we talk about Barbie?

I never played with Barbies growing up. Well, thats not quite true. I did play with Barbies, but never at my own house. I asked my mom when I got older why we never had them—and she told me she didn’t think little girls should play with dolls that had boobs. 😂

Anyway—one of my best friends had Peaches-n-Cream Barbie, and she was MAGNIFICENT.

Her dress was peach and sparkly and everything a ball gown should be. She had earrings that stuck in the sides of her head, and even a ring that stuck in her finger! GAH! I loved that Barbie soooo much. I played with her every time I went to my friend’s house. This friend also had the Barbie Dreamhouse, the car, and everything else that made Barbie—well, perfect.

I loved Barbie.

So when I first saw the Barbie movie preview, I could hardly wait for the movie! I hoped it would be as great as I imagined.

And it was! I’m not sure I’ve ever laughed as hard as I did throughout that movie. I loved the insignificance of Ken (read: not of men in real life, but in a little girl’s Barbie World, Ken is really only necessary for the wedding and maybe a date or two), the portrayal of weird Barbie (every house with Barbies had a weird one), and even the inclusion of failed dolls like Allan and pregnant Barbie. I especially loved the contrast between the real world and Barbie World. It was on point.

Unfortunately, there was a Google ad right before the movie began, and it made my blood boil.

Do you remember it?

The woman in the commercial is dressed all in pink and acts, frankly, like a total idiot. The point of the ad to to show how helpful the google app can be—and the best way to do this is to make the actress stupid? She’s ridiculous in the way she speaks and walks, and when google advises her to water the potted plant, she picks up the whole thing and drops it in the pool. 🙄 She also cannot pronounce lens used in a plural sense. Ugh.

Come on.

Who is identifying with that character? No woman I know sees (or should see) herself in this ad. In my world, it was a complete flop. I have no time or energy for such a disparaging portrayal of a woman. It makes me sick.

Is this really how Google views women in general? According to their ad, the answer is yes.

GROSS.

Here’s the truth: we don’t live in an era where women are second-class in any regard. If you don’t believe that yet, you can borrow my belief until you do. And then teach your girls. Loving the color pink doesn’t mean you are also confused and moronic. Loving Barbie doesn’t mean you are trite, or stupid, or shallow. To little girls, Barbie was a doll that represented possibilities—and they were endless. It’s why I absolutely loved her, and why I let my girls play with Barbies, boobs and all. (Sorry, Mom.😜)

Catch up, Google.