The hit movie, “Barbie,” was screened at Los Medanos College this past Thursday from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. for the audience to enjoy the film with free snacks and pink sparkled lemonade. A panel discussion about the influences of culture and identity followed the screening and was moderated by Professor Jen Saito and featured voices from Speech Professor Star Steers and English and Gender Studies Professors Jill Buettner and LD Green.
“We can love something and still critique it,” said Steers. “Being able to see parts where the film didn’t do the job doesn’t mean that I didn’t love it. Something like this becomes more valuable when we’re able to examine it.”
A lighthearted costume contest concluded the event with students decked out in iconic pink ensembles. Each showed off their outfit by stepping up to the front of the room sharing their outfit inspiration, and ending with a twirl. With two finalists picked by the panel judges, the final prize awarded the “weird Barbie” costume.
A collaborative effort by Professor Edward Haven, the philosophy club and Student Life brought this event together to share smiles, laughter and honest conversations with the campus community.
If it was a viewer’s first or third time watching the film, much of the audience loved “Barbie,” as the room was full of laughter and even a few tears.
“The event was spectacular, I loved seeing everyone dressed in pink for the occasion as well. It was as if my childhood dreams came true,” said Ashlyn Soriano Silva. “To watch ‘Barbie’ alongside my friends, and hearing the panel afterward was empowering, since the professors all shared thoughts that I hadn’t even considered as it opened up my mind to think deeper.”
The professors speaking in the panel each brought their individualistic perspectives to questions asked, as Buettner said the event was a great opportunity to “be together in the same room, especially after COVID, watch a movie and talk to each other,” adding “It’s really what education is all about.”
The conversations after the movie tackled strong themes of representation, body positivity, gender, generational dynamics and the balance of masculinity and femininity of the characters. Panelists enjoyed being part of the discussion as they were smiling and building off each others’ points.
When sharing their thoughts on the influence of the film, Green said, “It was just a joy ride, but also highly intelligent at the same time. Sometimes movies that are about sexism or misogyny or transphobia are heavy-handed and painful. For [Barbie] to be a joyful movie about those things, I thought was nice.”
Similar to the other panelists, Buettner believes the Barbie movie “struck a cultural nerve with a lot of people,” adding that sharing conversations with others was significant to “talk about power systems that affect us, to talk about media, to talk about culture, and it helps us become more conscious and aware.”
No matter if a film is dramatic or comedic when analyzed deeper, a movie can reveal more than what actors portray from a script. “The real world isn’t what I thought it was,” says Barbie. “It never is,” remarks Ruth Handler, “and isn’t that marvelous.”
