Women in China are telling each other to bring their boyfriends to see 'Barbie' — and to use it as a litmus test for their thoughts on feminism and patriarchy

For some women in China, “Barbie” is more than just a movie — it’s also a litmus test for their partner’s views on feminism and patriarchy.

The movie has prompted intense social media discussion online, media outlets Sixth Tone and the China Project reported this week, prompting women to discuss their own dating experiences.

One user on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu — a photo-sharing site similar to Instagram that’s mostly used by Gen Z women — even shared a guide on Monday for how women can test their boyfriends based on their reaction to the film.

According to the guide, if a man shows hatred for “Barbie” and slams female directors after they leave the theatre, then this man is “stingy” and a “toxic chauvinist,” according to Insider’s translation of the post. Conversely, if a man understands even half of the movie’s themes, “then he is likely a normal guy with normal values and stable emotions,” the user wrote.

doggle,

Women in the US are doing that too.

I guess it works, to a point. If your man throws a Shapiro-esque fit over this movie he probably isn’t great to be around the rest of the time.

HawlSera,

I am genuinely amazed this movie wasn’t banned in China

MrApples,
@MrApples@lemmy.ca avatar

Well they included the nine-dash line in the movies silly map (I believe Vietnam banned the movie because of this) and there’s no zombies or Winnie the Pooh references so all good as far as the CCP goes.

HawlSera,

9 dash line?

SimplyAName,

It’s a line China drew in the south china sea and claim its theirs for historical reason if I remember correctly.

Pissed off a load of other countries as it claimed some of their ocean defined by international law

Wikipedia link: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine-dash_line

PersnickityPenguin,

twitter.com/rzhongnotes/…/1675936014135619584?s=2…

How the fuck can anyone take this seriously is my question. This is not a geopolitical map.

Arotrios,
@Arotrios@kbin.social avatar

I have to admit, Barbie becoming a Chinese feminist icon was not on my 2023 bingo card. Anyone taking bets on when we're gonna get a kpop version of this classic?

SuddenDownpour,

The Simpsons predicted it.

boredtortoise,

Barbie starting the revolution in China? Hopefully other countries as well. Good timeline.

emidio,

China is already communist

nix,
@nix@merv.news avatar

No it’s not lol

Their political leaders are billionaires, the workers don’t own any means of production, there’s terrible workers rights, etc.

whatsarefoogee,

That’s how communism always ends up. When you hand over majority of the power to the state, it won’t be keen on giving it back.

That’s like saying the US is not capitalist because we don’t have a true free market and better products/services don’t always rise to the top.

These simply aren’t things that can practically happen, just like the workers owning the means of production.

Lanthanae,
@Lanthanae@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

That doesn’t make any sense though. Communism isn’t when you “give power to the state.” It’s a word used to describe a specific economic system that China does not have. The word that best describes what I think you’re getting at is “authoritarian.” Words mean things, and if a thing doesn’t fit the definition of a word, then it isn’t that word.

BombOmOm,

Which communist state didn’t end up authoritarian?

Lanthanae,
@Lanthanae@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Homie, which states have ever actually implemented communism? Calling yourself “Communist” means about as much as North Korea calling themselves a" Democratic People’s Republic" if you don’t actually implement it’s ideas.

Additionally, all attempts at democracy, and all instances of capitalism, have resulted in tyranny, because it’s just really hard to build a society that doesn’t do that no matter what governmental system and economic system you set out to establish.

Even places like New Zealand or the Nordic countries which are much closer to a social democracy are tyrannical insofar as they participate, propagate, and benefit from a global network of capitalism that is only possible through the exploitation of hundreds millions, if not billions of people. Outsourcing your tyranny and exploitation to other places on the planet is still tyranny.and exploitation: it just has better PR.

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