Hello, everybody, it's a Barbenheimer Summer. Today. We're talking about a
review of the recent smash hit smash smash hit Barbie. We're talking about Greta.
The review Greta Gerwig film celebrates female empowerment but fall short on Biblical values
in The Christian Post by Leah Lee Marie Anne Klett, and it was published
on August third, twenty twenty three. This was the first review I've ever
read in a Christian publication, and I was expecting going in that they were
just going to rip this movie to shreds. But I thought the most more
or less that the reviewer gave it a fair shake. They had some good
things to say about about Barbie. But my my big issue with this is
this claim that it falls short of biblical morality and some of the criticisms she
levels are the I'm not sure who's a here or she that they the article
writer levels against the Barbie movie and it's it's biblical anti biblical message. Rob
What what were some of the issues you had with this review? Yeah,
so, like you, I'm proud to say this is the first time I've
ever read a movie was a Christian review. You know, I've never decided
to seek one of the doubt or if anyone sent me, when did I
ever get But I wasn't surprised at what the review was concerned with. Yeah,
it could have been worse, but I just jotted down some notes about
things that I found interesting that he said. The reviewers said that there were
quote several uses of the Lord's name in vain, God, damn it,
Jesus H. Christ. I noticed that Harry Neff, who was in the
film, was described as a man who identifies as trans as opposed to Harry
Neff a trans woman. Little dig there, that's rude. The film contrasted
the bild. He said, the film contrast a biblical idea that all are
created equal, and then he links to Genesis one twenty six. Does actually
linked there? So I opened it up. Well, there's a Genesis one
twenty six let us make mankind in our own image and our own likeness,
so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the
sky in the livestock. YadA, YadA, YadA. There's nothing about gender
equality there, just going to prove that Christians don't actually read the Bible ever,
So what do you think Helen. So I saw this movie. It
is a bomb and the soundtrack is the soundtrack slaps, so I always I
recommend if you have na seen this film, it's very fun. Oh bomb
is good. Yeah, the bomb is good. I'm not timer I'm talking
about like, this is the bomb. You're gonna make it super happy.
I had a lot of feelings. I cry, but I wear my emotions
on my sleeves, so I cry over everything. And what really struck me
about you know this review, is that I keep wondering how the streets okay,
Like like is this streets like really really okay? Because I have a
lot of concern because what I took away from this movie, Yes, the
message of the film about feminism is it's like hammered down, like there's no
cell. But on the flip side of that, I think that's a really
good message to send to teenage woman and people that identify as a woman as
a teenager, because they can understand how this exists as part of society,
about the patriarchy and how things work, and also understand that they do have
a choice on what type of person that are going to be, and it's
it's hammered into it's hammered into the film in the context, but I got
it. I was like, yeah, because it's I understand, you know
how sexism and patriarchy works in society. But to the fourteen fifteen year old
girl as sitting in the theater, she just thinks she's watching a movie and
Nat is carried over. And then this mofo is complaining that we're using the
Lord's name in vain. All right, I'm gonna say fuck God. By
the way, also that he kind of missed the point of the film,
and I'm like, well, you missed the point. This is a secular
film. They weren't even preaching. I didn't see any hint of a religion
at all this film. There was no churches, there was no Bibles,
there was nothing. It was the message that Greti growing wanted to bring home
was effective in this movie. And this guy's all but hurt because you know,
we know hoholding Christian values. It's like, but this movie isn't Maine
to uphold Christian values. I'm like, go watch Gossan Dad if you want
that. Anyway, Jimmy, what's your kind of what was your opinion on
this article? Yeah, I think that is a really good point you made.
It wasn't made for this purpose of upholding these values. In fact,
I think the Christian values are in stark contrast to what the movie was all
about. Right, Feminism, female empowerment, all good things. The Bible
does not give us that, And we have just yet another example of a
Christian misquoting the Bible and writing in writing this review. The second thing that
I wanted to say is that I think it's awfully convenient that this author or
this uh well, this caller author Klet references Genesis one twenty six instead of
Genesis two twenty one, which kind of makes the woman incredibly inferior to the
man. And actually we can get into this a little later, kind of
off topic, but interesting fun fact, Genesis chapter two was actually written before
chapter one, and they were switched. And there's a whole study about how
that happened if you look at kind of the style of writing and the way
that people understood the world, etcetera, etcetera. But I digress. She
carefully selected a quote that she can kind of use to manipulate to support her
point, and for what it's worth, I think the author of this article
was actually actually a lot softer than I expected for for somebody who was going
to write write an anti you know, feminist or a pro Christian message,
quoting specifically Ultimately, Barbie has plenty of positive and even redemptive moments that can
serve as a catalyst conversations about identity, worth and even gender roles. The
problem with that quote, of course, if I read that, if I
read that separate from the rest of the article, I would say, what
a great quote. However, I know that she's using it for other purposes
than my own, or then then somebody who really believed inequality and gender roles
would use the more so, having not seen the movie, I can I
can only agree in theory that the message of female empowerment was a good one.
And you know, no Christians should be surprised that Christian messaging was not
included in it. It would defeat the purpose of trying to empower young girls
and people who are trying to be comfortable with the identity that they identify with.
So Aaron, Uh, how do you feel about all that you want
to grow? Growing up Christian and being Christian most of my life? A
frequent phrase that was uttered at church of Reek was be in the world but
not of the world. And I think the intent of the review is to
help people that are reading it, Christians that are reading it to know is
this an okay movie for me to go see or is it going to lead
me more towards being in the world instead of or of the world instead of
in the world. And I think her analysis, their analysis of the anti
Biblical stands as the movie takes it's just her work, their mourning the potential
viewers that you know, this this might be a dangerous movie for you to
go see. It might put ideas in your head, and it might make
you more of the world instead of away from the world. And it's an
interesting One of the more interesting parts about the movie is is I think she's
kind of right on one level that uh she says. They say, though
Barie tries to empower and uplift women, it often does so at the expense
of men. And I think she's right. I think they're right because and
I think, but I think that's that's very much on purpose because as I
was going, as I was sitting there in the movie, I was having
an experience as a man seeing a movie where every single man was helpless,
hapless, insecure, dumb doing stupid things. No character was defined by other
people, and it was wasn't until after the movie where I thought I realized,
oh wait a second, that's the experience women have going to see most
movies and TV shows and media that are being consumed. This is an interesting
feeling that I'm feeling. Uh, maybe I should tribute a little more empathetic
and seek out media that is a little more empowering to everybody and not just
not just men. Aaron Kingy Beach though, Ky Beach, I cannot beach.
You can't. You can't beach Beach's career choices and spoilers. One of
my big beefs with the with the review is that it seems to just assume
that the Bible is just this paragon of gender equality, absolutely and it is
not. Rob What do you have to say about that? Yeah, yeah,
I was actually going to talk a little bit about that if I had.
Sometimes I'm glad get through it to me. Yeah. It says that
the film stresses this is the reviewer. The films us is that women must
take control and dominate others to our inn respect, Contrasting with the biblical notion
of mutual respect between men and women. I don't know where that is in
the Bible. Again, I don't think Christians read the Aren't I supposed to
be silent in church? Yeah, you're not supposed to teach anybody. Also,
sorry, everybody, I'm talking. I apologize, cover feed, cover
feed. The last thing that I wrote down was the critic the film credit
claims at the film places a strong focus on that idea of self reliance and
individualistic pursuit of happiness in contrast to the prioritization of community and family values in
the Bible. But so that would seem to be like the film's actually in
line with MAGA and libertarian values to me, you know, not not worrying
about the community. I refused to get vaccinated and help spread the help stop
the spread of COVID through my community because of freedom. Freedom. So I
didn't get that part at all. One of the things that like when I
watched this movie, it was one of those because I did recognize the fact
that the men were kind of a side peace, you know, like a
trophy husband, you know, an afterthought, And they've actually changed in the
marketing where Ken was actually Barbie's friend than her boyfriend to make it more like,
because that would explain it more why he's not such an active role in
her life. And I think that in the mythology of Barbie that works.
But the whole idea is that you know, they didn't have choice, they
don't have choice of career, they don't you know, they're they're a side
peace and even like, and I don't want to live in that world,
Like listen, I want more equality, you know, for a woman and
people that identifies woman, but I want I want a quality not only for
that, but I want equality for everybody. And he has this concern where
men were treated as second class citizens, and it's like, yeah, that's
the point. And also Ryan Gosling's character falls into this pag triarchy, you
know ideas, which is something that we have to take a mirror two and
go is this healthy for men? No, it's not, It's not healthy.
And that was the whole point because Gretig Growing was like, let's talk
about the problem the good stuff and the bad stuff when it comes to feminism
and how patriarchy also infects feminism and why we need to have these conversations and
if you don't have that nuance on you're going to miss it. And also
too, I want to point out that Harry Neff Neff is a trans woman,
that was just a barbie. Nobody pointed out she was trans. She
was just there. She was one of the barbies, and nobody hered,
which is what we want is that yep, it doesn't matter, you're part
of the community. So I thought that was also really good for representation and
that we just accept people from who they are, which was another message of
the film. So I thought that was really really important because as a feminist,
yeah, I already know a lot of the stuff, but the thing
I took aways like young people need to hear this, and like, Aaron,
I really appreciate that. You're like, oh, oh, oh,
oh, this is the mess. Okay, now I get it, you
know, because there there's something haven't gotten met. I know what happens.
People know. I've told me that it happens and what their experiences are.
But it's something to hear people have their experience and then to experience it yourself
and you're just like, oh, so you had the opposite reaction Aaron that
Bill Maher had. I don't know if you so I texted this and the
chapter basically said, there was no point in making this movie because it's a
hashtag zombie lie and that's to find that something that never actually happened or did
happen, but it is not true yet. So he's basically saying, this
is such an old tripe. Why are we still talking about this? Well,
like I said when we were discussing, when we talked about this,
is that he's turned into your weird uncle that thinks everything is woke and that
he just wants a woman to make him a sandwich. And that's what he's
turned into. Anyway, Jim, did did you have any other opinions on
this? Yeah? I think I had some that I didn't I didn't really
have originally, so I'm a little maybe embarrassed, but I I completely missed
some of the points that you guys brought up, Like, you know,
that was the point of the movie. Well, I didn't see the movie
either, so I guess I guess I I get a past that. Yeah,
yeah, well so so my daughter tells me. But you know,
I think that was you know, that's a really good point, Like it's
a rob's point, you know, showing like yeah, this is this is
kind of what women go through or and Aaron made a similar point, and
so expanding a little bit on on what you just mentioned about those quotes from
from Bill Moore, I I don't think that this is over. I don't
think that this is a thing of the past at all. I think,
uh, I think I see a lot. I think, you know,
as as somebody who's in the military. I'm in a male dominated, a
male dominated industry, and I think that it's gotten better over time. But
I came into a military that was very more like traditional and and and I've
heard people say things about, oh, I don't I shouldn't have to,
you know, listen to a woman. And I always felt really uncomfortable about
that. You know, I came I came into a military that was h
don't ask, don't tell. And now I have, you know, trans
transgender troops that work in my office, and so I just feel really lucky.
But I'm so happy to see that these these conversations are having an impact,
uh, and that you know, maybe this movie will have an impact.
And when we talk about gender roles, you know, I think it's
really important for boys and men to understand that they don't actually have to be
part of the patriarchy, like you need to be able to do some of
these more uh these actions that are associated a lot with feminine qualities, you
know, like it's okay to cry, it's okay to talk to somebody,
It's okay, uh you know, to to you know, kind of step
back and let let a woman lead you, you know, and those are
also important messages have a lot of value that I really didn't think of,
you know, kind of coming into doing this taping tonight. But uh,
I think I'm leaving with you know. And of course I didn't need to
have this conversation to believe that, but I think our conversation just kind of
made me want to reiterate, uh that those points. Yeah, it's it's
a crazy good movie. It works on multiple levels. You can you think
it's just about you know, feminism in the patriarchy, but there's a whole
level you can dig down to it. And we look at it. It's
a Barbie movie about a toy, but it has nothing to do with Barbie's
a toilet. You look at the Transformers movies, you know, those are
movies about transformers and action and what the transformers are all about this is is
a Michael Bay movie, Aaron and but this is a this is a movie
that's about Barbie, but it's not about Barbie, and it's It's been a
crazy hit. This movie is reaching and touching people, and it's made over
a billion, almost one point two billion dollars. It's the first solo female
directed UH movie to earn over a billion dollars. And one of the issues
I have in the review is the reviewer calls the movie polarizing, and I
just have to flat out disagree. This is not a polarizing movie. It's
just on a on the quality of being a movie. It's got eighty percent
on Rotten Tomatoes, eighty three percent fan score. That is not a polarizing
movie. Damn this. This reviewer may want it to be polarizing. They
may may want to say that it's polarizing to drive clicks, but as being
overwhelming overwhelmingly positively received, it has an amazing message. UH work. You
know we were talking. We're here to talk mostly about the review and the
Christian message that people how christian is view it. But I almost wish we
could have a seton where we talked about the Barbie movie and the different levels
it's at and the different message that it's saying, because it's it's not a
piece of fluff. It's smartly written, it's well produced, it's well acted.
It's just it's just got a lot, a lot going for it.
I was not sure I was going to see this movie because I was waiting
for the mashup. I've seen YouTube videos with Barbenheimer and so you don't have
to see Oppenheimer and Barbie. You can just see one movie with the both
up. Sure you've seen us. So, but maybe I'll just go see
Barbie because it sounds like it's a good movie. I hope, I hope
I'm not overhyping it. But I enjoyed it. Well, you just like
your review was better than the article we're discussing for sure. Well, and
I do appreciate he did the I mean she did in the article pointed out
the really positive messages. But again, why are you tying this to religion?
This is not a religious message at all, Like if you want to
watch religious your religious movies, because if you have a hammer, everything is
a nail and you know that. Yeah, well, and that's the kind
of thing. Yeah, but that's the metaphor we're using because millions, millions
of girls play with barbies growing up, and they were from all different sorts
of background, different sort of backgrounds, And that's the message of the film
that you can meet from a different background and you can sell found empowerment and
know yourself, but it shouldn't be at the expense of other people, you
know, and that's the real message of it. And also too, I
am enough, I'm ken I'm ken enough, I am I'm okay, like
Aaron knows my reference. You two that are not on this panel, not
no Mania reference. But if you want to check out more what's going on
with the nonprofits and maybe more barbaried reviews or other silly things we talked about,
please click above you and do the things