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#it is a PG-13 movie about barbies with barbies in it
oedipushansen · 9 months
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i havent seen it so tell me im wrong but like. from what ive seen and heard. the barbie movie is just. a regular movie
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coffeelovinggayidiot · 9 months
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Reading the reviews for the Barbie movie made me realise that It's kinda... weird that people are more concerned with young girls knowing what the patriarchy *IS* than how the patriarchy will affect those girls when they grow up
Like, so many of these reviews talk about how the movie (with was rated pg 13 btw) is "inappropriate for children" and how messed up it is that it's marketed to kids (it isn't), but no one seems to take a second and think about how the parts of the movie that are "inappropriate" are the same things that those young girls are going to (or already are) face in the real world
Why are we more concerned with girls learning about the misogyny in society than with the ways misogyny harms girls?
This movie isn't "anti-man properganda", it's multiple women expressing their stuggles, and how barbie both gave them an escape, an outlet, and yet inforced the society that created those struggles to begin with
And the fact that so many people will look at this movie, which is fundimentily about how any power inbalence and discrimination is harmful, and say that it's innapropriate because it shows the young girls being discriminated the ways in which this society *does treat them*, that worries me
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dashiellqvverty-backup · 10 months
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the thing about "barbie is a commercial!!!" is like. yeah. a commercial starring margot robbie. so i will be there opening day :)
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volcanokids · 9 months
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Maybe this is an ice cold take but can we not just ??? Watch a movie sometimes without insisting on politicizing it in EITHER direction ??? I genuinely don’t care if Barbie is too woke or if its too capitalistic and consumeristic or if its advertising or if it’s propaganda I really fucking don’t. What I DO care about is that I saw a very good funny movie with my partner and then we enjoyed it so much we went AGAIN with our friends so we could share the experience with them!!! And it was FUN!!!! Be critical about the media you engage with but also I feel like we forget that it’s okay to like. Not do that sometimes? About a silly funny movie. ANY silly funny movie. And I feel like 90% of the people complaining didn’t even actually watch it but still insist that you have to feel some way about it. Be critical of whatever you want but it doesn’t always have to be that way, and sometimes “the point” and the “real underlying message” is that u got to watch something campy and funny and giggle with ur friends about it for 2 hours. That’s what I did!!Maybe we should remember its soooo okay to go see a Silly Movie and then. stop thinking about it when you leave the theater. it’s okay to do that sometimes. imo.
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gothhabiba · 10 months
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The 2023 Barbie film is a commercial. I’m sure it will be fun, funny, delightful, and engaging. I will watch it, and I’ll probably even dress up to go to the theater. Barbie is also a film made by Mattel using their intellectual property to promote their brand. Not only is there no large public criticism of this reality, there seems to be no spoken awareness of it at all. I’m sure most people know that Barbie is a brand, and most people are smart enough to know this and enjoy the film without immediately driving to Target to buy a new Barbie doll. After all, advertising is everywhere, and in our media landscape of dubiously disclosed User Generated Content and advertorials, at least Barbie is transparently related to its creator. But to passively accept this reality is to celebrate not women or icons or auteurs, but corporations and the idea of advertising itself. Public discourse around Barbie does not re-contextualize the toy or the brand, but in fact serves the actual, higher purpose of Barbie™: to teach us to love branding, marketing, and being consumers.
[...] The casting of Gerwig’s Barbie film shows that anyone can be a Barbie regardless of size, race, age, sexuality. Barbie is framed as universal, as accessible; after all, a Barbie doll is an inexpensive purchase and Barbiehood is a mindset. Gerwig’s Barbie is a film for adults, not children (as evidenced by its PG-13 rating, Kubrick references, and soundtrack), and yet it manages to achieve the same goals as its source material: developing brand loyalty to Barbie™ and reinforcing consumerism-as-identity as a modern and necessarily empowering phenomenon. Take, for example, “Barbiecore,” an 80s-inspired trend whose aesthetic includes not only hot pink but the idea of shopping itself. This is not Marx’s theory on spending money for enjoyment, nor can it even be critically described as commodity fetishism, because the objects themselves bear less semiotic value compared to the act of consumption and the identity of “consumer.”
[...] Part of the brilliance of the Barbie brand is its emphasis on having fun; critiquing Barbie’s feminism is seen as a dated, 90s position and the critic as deserving of a dated, 90s epithet: feminist killjoy. It’s just a movie! It’s just a toy! Life is so exhausting, can’t we just have fun? I’ve written extensively about how “feeling good” is not an apolitical experience and how the most mundane pop culture deserves the most scrutiny, so I won’t reiterate it here. But it is genuinely concerning to see not only the celebration of objects and consumer goods, but the friendly embrace of corporations themselves and the concept of intellectual property, marketing, and advertising. Are we so culturally starved that insurance commercials are the things that satiate our artistic needs?
— Charlie Squire, “Mattel, Malibu Stacy, and the Dialectics of the Barbie Polemic.” evil female (Substack), 2023.
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I find it so funny that conservatives are just now freaking out about Barbie being "woke" because of the movie casting a trans Barbie and other queer actors, saying they're "forgetting their target audience of families and children".
Barbie has been "woke feminist" for years.
LGBTQ+ representation belongs in all movies, including family films.
Barbie isn't even a kids movie, it's rated PG-13 and there is one child in the main cast. Greta Gerwig made a Barbie movie for adults who remember playing with Barbie. The kids can go watch Barbie of Swan Lake.
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boba-beom · 2 months
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౨ৎ babydoll || CHOI BEOMGYU
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pairing: beomgyu x fem!reader
genre: drabble; fluff, smut
summary: you spend the evening of valentines day watching barbie with your sweet boyfriend until he makes a dirty joke. you may need to rewatch the last half of the movie again later.
wc: 2.2k
a/n: this is my 2/2 entry for @matchaxmatcha's valentine's event <3
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warnings under the cut!
warnings: pw little plot, established relationship, physical affection, they're just giggly :< beomgyu's silly and says a dirty joke, switch!service top!beomgyu, switch!leaning subby!reader, quick oral (fem!receiving), nipple play, intimate but messy sex, light biting, PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE, petnames; (baby, doll, princess, good girl, my girl, honey, my good boy, pretty boy, mommy, sweet cheeks), beomgyu takes a dirty picture, indirect breeding kink, not proofread >//<
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he dim lights from the lamp shades situated in each corner of the bedroom had set the mood for the rest of the evening—movie in bed with your beloved boyfriend who agreed to watch the barbie movie with you.
it was easy to get comfortable after a long day, as long as yours and beomgyu's skinship is present, then you'll get huddle together with ease in no time. you're positioned leaning your back against the headboard and he's between your legs—his head resting on your lower abdomen like his personal pillow and his broad shoulders under you legs while he watches intently.
that is, until he said something that caught you completely off guard.
"baby, wanna hear a joke?" you could hear the smug smirk on his voice through his tone.
"go on then."
you let him continue speaking while your fingers loosely played within the strands of his hair, watching his strands slip through as he turns his body around, propping his weight on his elbows and lifting his chin above your lower abdomen.
you notice the way his eyes dilate while looking up at you, making you just as intrigued to hear what he had to say. you just knew it was nowhere near pg-13.
his hands find their way to your hips from under your things, massaging his thumbs ever so lightly on the area. a soft smirk plays on his lips before he speaks.
"let's play dolls. i'll be Ken and you can be the box I cum in." his voice was deep and it lingers.
you'd usually slap his shoulder or playfully shove him off of the bed had it not been for your core throbbing just from the thought of being filled up by your beloved.
you never turned it down because you knew you wanted it just as bad. you're down if he's down.
"you're too smug about that one, honey." your breath quivers from the sensation of beomgyu's fingers lifting your baggy tee, exposing more of your skin on your tummy.
"it was good though, wasn't it?"
he looks up at you with puppy eyes, waiting for some form of a definite answer from you.
"c'mon then, you gonna be my good boy? thought you wanted to cum in me." a mischievous smile gradually appears on your lips as you hold eye contact with the beautiful man between your legs.
the movie had been long forgotten, the volume turned down a little so you could hear how you would react to each other's lingering touches. subtle lights shifting and illuminating your face for him as the scenes behind him continue.
beomgyu had already pulled your shorts down your legs and threw it aside to land on a random spot on the floor. having your cunt bare in front of him had the both of you blushing, regardless how many times you've fucked.
"oh baby, your pussy's so pretty." he coos, swiping a thumb through your folds then retracting his thumb and watching the string of your arousal stretch until it disconnects.
you hear a moan in the back of beomgyu's throat. his eyes were glued onto the sight, ultimately fascinated every single time. he repeats the action a couple more times, brushing against your clit a little higher each time to spread your slick around your pearl, still maintaining his feathery touches.
"f-fuck, beom—" your breath hitches in your throat and your fingers toy with the top of the comforter. "it tickles."
beomgyu huffs, amused at the sight. "yeah? want more tickles baby?"
you nod your head, pouting your lips with your pupils blown out.
"wan' your tongue," you whine, "always makes me feel good."
that was something your boyfriend always loved to hear. he thrives off of pleasing you, wanting you to feel good. and you giving him the green light turned a switch in him to dive into your pussy like he's been starved.
you take your shirt off, head thrown back a little once his lips latch onto your puffy pussy, having your chest heave as his tongue works slowly on your clit. you feel his thumbs stretching your lower lips, lifting his head and you watch a dollop of spit onto your core, feeling it trickle from your clit to your hole.
you loved that beomgyu was messy with you, that's one thing you never get tired of. the sounds of his saliva mixed with your slick paired with the sensation of his tongue messily lapping up and repeating, spitting again until you're all lubed up with a mixture of both your bodily fluids.
"you taste too good, but imma fuck this pretty pussy until it's molded for my dick, hm?" beomgyu sits up with his lips and chin glistening from where the light hits his face,
after he's pulled his shorts off he's immediately fisting his shaft, the head of his penis passing as a matching accessory with his lips, glistening in the dim lighting.
"yes gyu, my pussy's only for you." you gasp when he prods your clit with the head of his cock, sliding it against you. the warmth made your head hazy, just wanting him to bury it deep inside you.
"you've been a good girl for me haven't you?" he coos, hovering above you as he planks his hand on the space by your shoulder.
"'m always a good girl, can you be a good boy and fuck me now?" you place your thumb and index finger beneath his chin, guiding him to your lips you give him a chaste kiss.
though beomgyu's fisting his dick, he slows down as it throbs in his palm from the pet name. as much as he loves his dominant side, all of that crashes when you coo and praise him.
he loves being your good boy.
"fuck, mommy, gonna make you feel so good." beomgyu whimpers.
his mouth latches onto your nipple, twirling his tongue around the hardened bud while your hand is cupping and squeezing the other. he lets go with an audible pop making the both of you giggle together until he trails up your chest with wet kisses, letting his teeth nip your sensitive skin by the crook of your neck.
"shit gyu," you shakily exhale.
he was too far gone with skimming his teeth over areas of your neck, nipping and lightly sucking those areas for you to admire the marks when you look into the mirror in the morning.
"don't worry princess, just admiring your body before I fill you up." his voice a little gruff by your neck and he kisses your lips, biting your bottom lip for your tongue to meet his. you could taste remnants of your arousal on his tongue and it has you smiling.
you love how filthy your boyfriend is, lucky that you were able to spend valentine's evening with the man you call the love of your life. it took you so long for him to open up to you, in terms of getting comfortable with your sex life.
once he found out how much of a freak you are in bed, he never held back in making you feel so good, giving you that princess treatment because you deserve it.
beomgyu sits back on his knees again, back to slowly stroking his dick, aligning the head with your sweet hole that's been squeezing nothing for the past few minutes.
"wan' you deep inside me beommie." the call of his nickname has him plunging deep into your pussy, sliding in nicely after doing a good job slicking you up.
"fuck, so wet and warm f'me," he goes back to littering kisses by your neck. "you alright?"
his pants were contributing to how wet he was making you, the lewd sound of his hips slapping the back of your thighs had your eyes rolling back.
"can feel you deep inside me, shit." you wrap your arms around his neck, bringing him close to kiss him.
"'m making you feel good, doll?" he mumbles by yours lips before capturing your lips and swallowing your moans.
"mhm, harder gyu." you moan against his lips, "making me feel so good."
another praise, another rush of adrenaline has him thrusting harder and picking up the speed and drilling into you until the sound was consistent. he had your whole body jolting upwards while he had a hold on your hip and the other behind your neck.
"ugh princess, you're clenching me already?" he teases, pinching your hip lightly.
he makes you laugh then it morphs into a moan when he bucks his hips particularly harder at a random point.
"you feel so good inside me baby, oh– just wanna be full of your cum."
that almost tips your lover over the edge. you turn your head so you could kiss the area just by the corner of his jaw, behind his ear. you reciprocate the skinship kisses, leading a trail along the column of his neck and nipping and sucking here and there. it'd be a shame to not leave a single mark on his beautiful skin.
"keep talking to me like that," he moans, throwing his head back with is dampened bangs sticking on his forehead.
"mm, my sweet, sweet baby's gonna give me his big load, isn't that right?" you coo directly in his ear, teeth ever so lightly grazing on the shell of his ear.
"yes, yes, yes~ gonna fill you up 'till you're leaking throughout the night." his whimpers sends chills down your spine, words cannot describe how obsessed you are when he switches.
"yeah? you close?"
he nods desperately, doing his best as he pistons you without faltering.
"do it, cum in me like you said baby. my pretty boy's gonna give me his big load." you egg on his orgasm, and it only took your praises and sweet talk to push him over the edge.
you could feel his cock pumping his thick seed inside you, refusing to still his hips and make you cum too. he shudders as he continues to thrust into you, knowing that he'd hit your precious sweet spot when he heard you gasp and your moan cut off in your throat.
beomgyu's back to kissing your neck and shoulders, this time more tenderly, but still sloppy and wet. he'd look at you for a second, admiring the way you're glistening in the dim light.
"god, you're so perfect aren't you, pretty girl?" he's fallen in love with you again. and he'll continue to love you regardless.
"fuckkk, beommie, gonna cum, gonnna cum!"
you whine, feeling the tight sensation in your stomach about to snap. beomgyu's overstimulated and your pussy clenches down on him tighter than before, milking his dick with his second load that night,
"shit baby, 'm right there with you. that's my girl."
both of your moans are in perfect harmony, his arms wrapping around your torso with no space left between your sweaty bodies. heard in the room were ragged breaths as he slows down, noticing the way your legs shake from his shallow thrusts.
"dick's so good it almost had me crying." you brush your hair away from your face, wiping one eye dramatically.
"then maybe next time I should fuck you harder until you're sobbing, how about that?" beomgyu has a stupid smirk on his face, but you love it so much.
"you already know, sweet cheeks."
you pull him down to you again, hand at the back of his neck as you give each other a tender kiss, separating with an audible smack.
the sensation of beomgyu sliding his softening dick out made you shiver, watching the way he reaches over to the bedside table for his phone.
"wanna keep this as a memory," he says, opening up his camera app and switching on the flash. "gonna keep this in my wallet and look at you when I'm having a hard day."
you hear the camera shots, and he takes pictures with his tongue sticking out slightly, concentrating on getting the best angle to see your bare body, legs wide and his cum mixed with your fluid leaking from your cunt.
his words made you blush, though this wasn't the first time you and beomgyu have taken filthy pictures together, this one had more meaning held with it.
"the picture's temporary, baby, but just know I'll be here to make your hard day even better." you manage to sit up, despite the ache between your legs, and wrap your arms around his torso to give him a side hug while you both examine the photos together.
"I love you princess, I love coming home to you every day." beomgyu says softly, putting down his phone to hold your face and kiss your temple.
"I love you too gyu," you briefly squeeze him, "but I'm gonna have to rewatch barbie again, properly."
"I wanna know what happens too." he pouts, almost looking offended you didn't include him.
"no baby, I won't concentrate and you'll end up fucking me again." you imitate his pout and whiny tone.
he chuckles, biting back a grin. "yeah, but you'd love that."
you join him, nudging him and mirroring his grin that he's holding back.
"always. always gonna love that."
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taglist: @ahnneyong @wccycc @lizdevorak @fairybin @laylasbunbunny @acaiasahi @itaehynz @cha0thicpisces @fairybinie @yunkiwii @prodsh00ky @https-yeonjun @lovejoshua @aprilisque @ja4hyvn @bb-eilish @ericyjun @luvsoobs @yeonyeonyeonjun @junniieesbby @kyrkitten @day6andetcetera @dainsleif-when-playable @txt-yaomi @soobinsman (send an ask to be part of the taglist, here's the taglist sheet for reference)
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pray4saint · 9 months
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i currently fixated on the ‘i hate everyone but you’ trope with jschlatt… or like a situationship with him
asshole (with a soft spot)
masterlist & descrip. pg-13. 13+. use of 'y/n'. established relationship silly situationship.
a/n. wrote this as established relationship but edited it afterwards to be more situationship-like
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he will be yelling at chat and then if you happen to walk into his office he quiets right down during stream so you're comfortable
when you're in a big facetime call and he's cussing everyone out he'll say 'but not you baby y/n' at the end to make his point clear
you friends being soooo confused when you tell him he's a big softie because he barely ever says a word to them and even when he does the words come out cold, detached and unkind
ted texting you that schlatt left their call in a bad mood and you just text him back 'wdym?? he's making popcorn and we're gonna watch a movie' – context for this; you were hanging out at his place and he had to take a call about rescheduling for filming the podcast
this one is self-indulgent; tells his friends he's not going to see barbie movie but if you ask to go he'll tag along happily
him muttering 'i miss y/n' at the most random of times, even if he's alone, he just says it aloud
your place is where schlatt gets an uber to drop him off after he's knocked back a few too many – bonus if he turns into a blubbering mess about this person he really liked
chat noticing he gets really excited when he looks at his phone sometimes and him just yelling at them to shut the fuck up because it's none of their business
will purposely not go to hangouts if you're not there
less obvious situationship ;; he'll text someone else in the group and ask if you're going and he tries not to make it obvious that your decision impacted his
more obvious situationship ;; he'll text you separately and ask if you're going and then immediately respond to the group chat based on what you told him
death glaring anyone who looks at reader in public even if they're not even really looking at you
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pray4saint© do not copy, translate or repost my work without my express permission.
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bobgoesw00t · 2 months
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It happened...the one movie I really, TRULY cared about when it came to this year's Oscars (two if you include Barbie winning Best Original Song), How Do You Live/The Boy and the Heron FUCKING WON BEST ANIMATED FEATURE!!!!!
Not only did it, against all odds, beat out the front runner, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse but it did so with VERY little fanfare from the audience. Of the nominees, it was Across The Spider-Verse that got the most applause from the room, so when Hayao Miyazaki won his SECOND Oscar (and possibly his last), the lack of cheers from the audience was music to my ears. They REALLY wanted Across The Spider-Verse to win, but all the haters and whiners can SUCK IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!
Not only is this the SECOND Oscar Miyazaki has gotten, but it's also the SECOND anime movie to win the award, the second 2D film to ever win it, and it's also the first PG-13 animated film to win. If this was indeed Miyazaki's final film, it's safe to say he went out WITH A FUCKING BANG and made his mark on America once again.
Congrats once again to How Do You Live/The Boy and the Heron for winning not only the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature but also the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. With the additions of being the first PG-13 animated film to win, the second anime movie, and the second 2D animated film being some sprinkles on top.
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pettyprocrastination · 9 months
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I haven't seen the barbie movie yet but I think a lot of the "hot takes" about it could be nullified by having realistic expectations for what a two hour film with a pg 13 rating about a literal doll will actually contain thematically speaking
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raplinesmoon · 9 months
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Just Jin (KSJ x F!Reader)
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pairing: Barbie!reader x Ken!Seokjin genres/au/rating: angst (with a happy ending!), fluff, Barbie au, break-up au, PG-13 summary: After a trip to the real world, you and Jin both come to a realization that will change your lives forever.
warnings: break-ups, sadness, existential crisis, mentions of doctor's appointments
word count: 1.5k
a/n: I'm still working on mafia!Hoseok but listen my brain has been wired since I came out of the Barbie movie earlier today. It legitimately changed me as a person, and I felt inspired to create this bc I think Jin gives off such Ken energy. This is based on but also slightly altered from the Barbie movie, and as such, it will contain massive spoilers for the movie, so read at your own risk (go see the movie tho)! Anyways this was just a fun, goofy indulgent drabble that made my heart warm, and I hope you enjoy!
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Tip-toeing through the dream house, you try to ignore the sensation of your feet cramping. After learning the wonders of being flat-footed, standing on your heels was no joke. No wonder women in the real world complained about wearing stilettos all the time. But right now wasn’t about the pain women felt to conform to societal expectations of beauty. There were centuries to go before those outdated notions of what it meant to be a successful woman were squashed. Right now, there was something more pressing you had to deal with.
Things had changed since you left. The dream house seemed more like a nightmare, its pristine pink walls besmirched with posters of sports icons and various forms of taxidermy. You frown to yourself. This wasn’t the house you’d known. The life you’d lived before with Jin seemed nothing more than a distant memory, both of you tainted by your experiences in the real world.
Jin. Speaking of him, you knew you had to find him. When you’d learned from the others that he’d gone off the rails, worry clouded your mind. Not just for him, but for all the others – Namjoon, Yoongi, Hoseok, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook too. They were all so impressionable, more fragile than they let on. It scared you to think of the state you might find him in right now. And that’s when you hear it.
The sound is muffled, but you can barely make it out against the quiet that nightfall brings. It’s a choked sob, guttural and raw in its devastation. And it’s coming from your bedroom. Ignoring the newfound feeling of your heart clutching in your chest, you square up your shoulders, ready to face what lay ahead. And then you head upstairs.
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The door creaks as it opens, and you flinch, hoping the sound won’t give away your entry into the room. But there’s no response. Feeling braver, you push it wider and gasp at the state of everything. For all the horses and saloon decorations Jin had implemented downstairs, the upstairs of your dream house is pristine. Exactly untouched the same way you’d left it. The pearls on your lampstand glisten in the moonlight, the walls are free of garish posters, and the same plush pink and purple sheets adorn your bed. And in the middle of it, Jin lies facedown, unmoving.
Freezing, you take him in, noticing how small he looks right now, curled up into himself. Jin had always been larger than life – his windshield wiper laugh echoing down the entire beach, his dad jokes catching the admiration of everyone around him, a smile plastered onto his stupidly handsome face with those perfectly pouty lips. He’s wearing the same sleeveless denim outfit you’re always used to seeing him in, unlike the other boys, who’d bought into new and more trendy fashions. 
If he feels the bed dip when you sit next to him, he doesn’t show it. You finally reach for him, pressing a gentle hand to his shoulder.
“Jin?” you whisper softly. “It’s me.”
He doesn’t move. Your heart sinks, knowing how difficult this was for both of you. But you needed to do this.
“Can we please talk?
That’s what gets him to rise, silky black hair disheveled and eyes rimmed with the red of his tears.
“What could you possibly want to talk about?” he croaks out, sniffling into his sleeve. “Everything is ruined.”
The same guilty feeling bubbles up in your chest, knowing part of him is right. Everything had been ruined. But not in the way you’d expected. When you and Seokjin had entered the real world, you’d been unprepared to have your lives change forever. No matter how much you tried to pretend that things could just go back to the same way they’d been before, they couldn’t. And both of you knew it.
“I’m sorry Jin,” you let out a sob of your own. “I never meant for things to turn out this way.”
Jin hardens at your sobs, straightening up, the sadness on his face morphing into a mask of fury.
“You’re sorry? You’re sorry?!” he bellows. “Sorry doesn’t cut it! This was supposed to be our dream house, ___! That's why I went through all the stupid decorations and the revamp! You think I like saloons? No! But this was supposed to be our dream! Us, together! It’s always been ___ and Jin. I don’t know how to be anything without you! I don’t want anything to change. I love you!”
You embrace his trembling body, pulling it in close to yours.
“I love you too Jin. I always have, and I always will. But I’m not sure that love is enough anymore.”
Jin pulls away from you, and you watch his eyes widen in surprise, giving you the strength to go on.
“When we were out there, something changed. I realized that while what we had was perfect, it’s okay to not be perfect all the time. Not everything is a dream come true. Sometimes things don’t turn out the way you want them to, and that’s life. A-and I want to experience life Jin. I’m sick of just smiling all the time. I want to cry, I want to scream, I want to laugh. And I want that for you too.”
“All I’ve ever wanted was you,” Jin breathes out softly. “It feels like I failed you.”
“Hey,” you reach out to him, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. “You didn’t fail me, or anyone else, okay? You’re enough. Maybe it’s time for us to stop being ___ and Jin. And to be just ___. And just Jin.”
He looks up at you, stars in his eyes, and you can see the sadness intertwined with hopefulness. “You really think we can find something better out there? Something that makes leaving this all behind worth it?”
You take his hand in yours.
“I know we can. And we will. But we can’t do it together. At least not right now.”
A tiny smile breaks out onto his face. “But maybe someday?”
You hesitate, not wanting to believe in false hope only to turn out devastated in the end. But Jin needed something to believe in. And so did you.
“Maybe someday, when we both have found out what makes us happy, what our reason is to live, we’ll find love again. We both deserve it.”
And Jin crumples for a second time in your arms that night, only this time it’s not from devastation. It’s the kindness in your voice that has him desperately believing that you could be right. That maybe someday both of you would figure out what these strange and complex emotions were - joy, happiness, fun. And real love. True love. They were, after all, what being a human was all about.
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You thank the taxi driver, hopping out of the vehicle. Flexing your feet, you remark at how comfortable the new pink slides feel on them, your heels no longer arched and uncomfortably cramping. The sales associate had called them Birkenstocks, and you make a mental note to go back and buy a few other colors. 
The building is tall, sleek and modern not unlike the scary headquarters of some rich corporation that seeks to swindle the money of innocent consumers. But today, you’re not scared to go inside this building. You’re excited.
The excitement follows you up the elevator, a smile on your face. Hearing the ding! for your floor, you make your way out, when you’re stopped by the old woman next to you.
“You have a beautiful smile, dear.”
That only makes it grow wider.
“Thank you, you look beautiful too.”
You don’t know why, but the serene and dazed look on her face stays with you as you enter the glass doors to the office.
Making your way to the front desk, you practice the carefully rehearsed lines in your head. When you reach it, the receptionist is tapping away at the keyboard. 
“Hi!” You say brightly. “My name is ___ ____. I’m here for my gynecologist appointment!”
The receptionist finally peers out from behind the screen and you suck in a breath. Something about him seems so familiar. Broad shoulders, pouty lips, dark hair. But in your entire human life, you never recalled seeing him before. The weird sense of deja vu continues when he opens his mouth to speak.
“Nice to meet you, ___, and welcome to Bangtan Center for Women’s Health. My name is Ken Seokjin and I’ll be happy to help you get checked in today!”
You don’t know why you flush at his words, but you fidget with your fingers behind your back, hoping he can’t see you.
“Great Mr. Ken! It’s my first time here, so I’m kind of nervous.”
“Just call me Jin,” he smiles. “I’m happy to help out.”
He pauses for a moment, ears turning red, before continuing on:
“Say, you look really familiar. Have we met somewhere before?”
“I was wondering the same thing,” you grin, before faltering. “But I don’t think so.”
“Well in that case, it’s nice to meet you again.” He reaches out over the counter, offering his hand, and you don't hesitate before enveloping it in yours, shivering at its warmth.
“Nice to meet you as well, just Jin.”
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a/n pt. 2:  I realize this kind of deviated from the movie and some of its themes, but I had to make it work with their relationship hehe. As always, any comments or feedback are much appreciated, but I appreciate you all anyway. Lots of love, Isi &lt;3
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flightfoot · 9 months
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So I watched the Barbie movie. It was a lot of fun, very campy, but I'm actually a bit mixed on the messaging. Overall though, I think it's a good movie and I'm betting it'll be a classic.
So something I want to address because I've heard it said before: Barbie is not a kid's movie. It's a movie some kids will enjoy, but it ain't aimed at them, it's aimed at adults in the context of them having been kids in the past. The movie's rated PG-13, it talks about a lot of social issues and has a lot of innuendo which will fly right over children's heads, and the characters you're supposed to relate to are all adults - something which I found very notable, with Gloria in particular.
Gloria's the part of the movie that I enjoyed the most. I'd heard NOTHING about her before watching the movie, despite not really trying to avoid spoilers. The whole patriarchy thing with Ken and its overthrow? Saw a lot about that. But not much about Gloria.
I loved the subversion the movie pulled off, with showing those flashbacks to Barbie of Gloria and her daughter, and making the audience think that it was her DAUGHTER who needed help since well, isn't that normally how these movies go?
Only to have it be Gloria instead, for HER to be the one with anxiety and thoughts of death and whose life wasn't quite working out the way she hoped, who was struggling but still doing her best and felt like, while she was a mom, she was being characterized as MORE than just that.
The campy elements were fun, and I loved how Barbieland functioned like how kids play with the dolls, it was a neat aspect of the worldbuilding.
Just in general the world was really campy and fun, and I think that's what younger children will be able to really enjoy about the movie.
As for the whole patriarchy plotline... eh. That I'm pretty mixed on.
Like, I think it did a nice job laying out the power of representation, how it feels to see people like yourself everywhere in diverse, powerful positions, like seeing Ken's reaction to actually seeing men hold power, be respected, be looked up to. To feel like he was enough, just for who he was.
But the part with the Kens taking over and making everything a patriarchy with all the Barbies being brainwashed and turned into accessories for them... I didn't think that worked as well? Especially with them all just forgetting who they were. It didn't really feel like it was addressing how patriarchy actually worked, it was really shallow.
I did appreciate that the more outcast characters, the ones who never really fit into Barbie Land or Kendom, being immune to the brainwashing, since they were on the outskirts of both.
I also thought the resolution didn't really show how to deal with patriarchy all that well? Like I've seen people on tumblr talking about how the movie showed how patriarchy doesn't even really benefit men, but the Kens honestly appeared to be having a great time until the Barbies purposely pitted them against each other - and even then they ended up coming together. I mean, Ken cries at the end and talks about how he wasn't really interested in Patriarchy that much after finding out that it wasn't about horses and that the fridges were too small and that running things was too much work, but it felt like sour grapes more than anything, there wasn't really lead-up to that. It was very Tell, Don't Show.
That message was ALSO greatly undercut by Barbieland becoming a Matriarchy again with just a little hint of more consideration for the Kens, maybe. So like, is it only supposed to be patriarchy that's harmful to everyone, or is matriarchy just special? Like is matriarchy ALSO something that sucks for the women under it?
I think that while the whole messaging about how patriarchal societies function was muddled, the messaging about being yourself, loving yourself, and you being enough just by virtue of who you are was much stronger. I really liked the whole message about Ken needing to learn who he is without Barbie, that's he's Kenough on his own, that's he doesn't need to be defined by his relationship with her. And Stereotypical Barbie learning that even though she may not be one of the barbies with a particular job, she's still enough, she can still do things, she doesn't need to wait for someone else.
The Ken plotline though is, again, a bit undercut by the ending. Because yeah, the Kens can try to learn who they are, to support each other... but they still just kind of exist in Barbie land. Like, do any of them even have a house? Learning to just be themselves, to support each other, without defining themselves by Barbie is all well and good to say, but when the world is run by Barbies and completely dominated by Barbies' interests and Kens ARE just treated like accessories, it doesn't really help much with the whole "marginalized and disrespected by society" problem.
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lightlycareless · 8 months
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Au where y/n takes her daughter to go see the barbie movie 🥺🥺🥺
Heya anon!
I'm sorry I took a while to respond, but I never forgot about this ask!
I gotta say, I was happy when I got it; I was in the middle of a trip I didn't enjoy very much, so it gave me something to look forward to when I got back home! So thank you so much for this and your patience!! 🥺❤️❤️❤️
As always, here is thy chapter warnings: pure fluff, a bit of... innuendos but like slightly, almost invisible, it's Y/N and Naoya being gross with one another, like a true couple lol. And some of the topics that the Barbie movie talks about.
Without any further ado, happy reading!
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It took me a while to decide whether Y/N would take her daughter to watch the Barbie movie or not, considering its PG-13 (I’m going with the idea that she’s not a teenager yet, maybe around 7-8?) and it has some topics that someone that young might not understand or become frightened by them you know? At least that’s what I thought when trying to put myself in the situation if I had a kid that would want to see the movie.
But after going through that dilemma, I’ve finally decided that Y/N would definitely take her daughter to see it, but only once she checked some things first of course!!
Let’s set a bit of context first.
I’m assuming you must know what my fixation, or major one at least, is so imma say Y/N and Naoya met during college, fell in love, got married, and after a while (not so much, they wanted a family ASAP) and had a lovely daughter named Naomi 😊
Naoya is the “breadwinner” per se, the one that works most of the time to provide his family with a good lifestyle, and that he certainly did. He initially bought a small apartment when it was still just the two of you, because in your own words, “with him at the office, and yours in your, there’s no need for that many rooms.”
That immediately changed when your pregnancy was announced. If anything, it seemed there were not enough rooms now.
“Our baby needs a room to play with her toys. But what if she wants to draw, or paint?”
“We’ll set up a room for that, that way she won’t dirty her toys.”
“And if she wants to play with her plushies? I’m afraid she’ll get hurt by the soft-hard contrast of each other!”
“We can’t take any risks; I’ll order a plush upholstered room just for that—”
“No, all the rooms! What if she accidentally trips and hits herself?!”
Of course, they didn’t follow through with that, because after sharing their plans with fellow relatives, they were quickly talked out of it. Saying that it wasn’t for the good of the baby to grow up so sheltered, and their wallets. Something that Naoya didn’t really pay attention to, eventually convinced otherwise when suggested that instead of spending money on that, it could be saved in literally anything else.
Cue the expensive, never-ending gifts from Naoya. Whatever his girls wanted, they would get—he’s the next CEO to his family’s company, it would be stupid to act like he wasn’t!
Because he’s so doting in one aspect, he’s a bit reserved in the other, at least outwardly… and a bit inwardly too since this is all new territory for him—He didn’t grow up in a loving household where words and displays of affection would be done, but Naoya is really trying his best.
He still cares for you and Naomi, of course, he just lets money do the talking for him.
But worry not, where he lacks, that’s where you step in!
Taking the role of “stay at home mom” once announced your pregnancy, you’re the one that ends up all the time with Naomi, showering her affection, reminding her how much she’s loved by the two, as well as keeping Naoya up to date when he’s away.
Wherever Naomi went, pictures needed to be taken: either posing near the ducks of her favorite garden, showing off her new acquisition (you always bought something for her, whether she asked for it or not) or just enjoying a scoop of ice cream in a hot day, or when picking her up when school—didn’t matter, it had to be shared, and Naoya appreciated all of those pictures, keeping them in a dedicated album for him to look back on to when he’s feeling particularly down, although he always ends up a bit regretful because he wishes he could be there in person.
Because of your closeness to her, you’re the first person she runs to tell of her day, or whatever crosses her mind, thus Barbie comes into your life.
Outside of the craze that seemed to taint every living thing with pink, your closeness with her is what led you to learn that Naomi wants to see the Barbie movie, which you were more than happy to oblige to as you usually did, until of course, this became the first exception.
You always liked going to the movies with her because it usually meant an amazing day out altogether. It was either going to the park first, getting something to eat later, and watching a movie at the end of the day; or anything else really, whatever Naomi felt like doing—it didn’t really matter, because going out with her was enough for you.
In fact, as soon as Naomi came to you, with her big adorable golden eyes and her even cuter smile to tell you how she wanted to see Barbie —which you were waiting for, really, it’s what everyone has been talking about after all— you immediately pulled out your phone to buy tickets… but upon seeing the rating, you stopped.
It was the first time you’d have to tell her a maybe, instead of the decisive yes she was accustomed to, making her frown and pout out of confusion.
“Oh, it’s nothing! It’s just that I remembered I had some things already planned with my friends, but I’ll let you know when we can go, ok?” you smile, gently ruffling her hair before pulling her into a tight hug and peppering her cheeks with endless kisses, only ceasing when she whined you to stop.
You’d let her be soon after, while you… well, continued to debate whether to take her to the movie or not.
After all, the whole world seemed to be in on it: the dressing in pink, greeting each other Barbie, or Ken, blasting the classic song from Aqua and singing along to it… it was only natural that your cute daughter wanted to be on it too, hell, you even the parents of her classmates being on it too!!
As days went on, and you still had to make a decision, guilt began to settle inside you for having unwittingly made Naomi feel excluded.
You attempted to mend this by changing her school supplies to all pink, decorating her hair with pink accessories—clips, ribbons, diadems, you call it, she has it— or styling her uniform with whatever was allowed to be pink. Her school actually bent the rules to comply to the children’s wants, after being… “persuaded” by the parents to do so—talk about the privileges of being in a private institution!
It didn’t take long after that before Naoya was deeply intrigued by her daughter’s newest obsession; first it was some show she watched when she was younger, then it was zebras, and now, the color pink.
Ever the one to ignore things he considered mainstream, more so when they extended beyond his realm of interest, this caught him completely off guard; even getting the point of believing he was going mad because once he saw his daughter obsess with the color, he began to see it everywhere.
It was in Naomi’s school supplies, her clothes, even bedroom, everywhere he glanced, pink was in. Sure, by that point he was really intrigued to know the reason behind this craze, but it still wasn’t enough for him to ask.
If that’s what his baby wanted to be happy, then he’ll oblige. He wasn’t like those parents that didn’t have money to subsidy their children’s interests, so he was for sure not going to act like one.
His curiosity would only get the best of him one night when laying beside you in bed.
Naoya had other plans in mind for the night, which were quickly foiled upon seeing you hyper focused on nothing but your phone, scrolling through endless and endless pages of stores, social media, and articles, all relating to the cause behind his wonder: Barbie.
“What are you doing, Y/N?” he’d finally relent after minutes and minutes of being ignored, resting his head over your shoulder and draping an arm over your waist. “Surely your phone can’t be much more interesting that me.”
“No, of course not” You smirk, getting into a more comfortable position so he could see what you were looking at. “But I have to this first, or I won’t be able to sleep!”
“Is that what’s keeping you up at night?” you sigh.
“It’s Naomi—she wants to see the movie, but I don’t know if it’s the right thing.”
“What’s this?” he smirks “You? Telling her no? That’s a first.”
“And it hurts me to do it!” You pout, he kisses your cheek.
“Then what’s stopping you?”
“Because the movie is actually much deeper than I thought, and I don’t know if our pumpkin is ready for that.”
“What the hell can a movie about dolls talk about?” he scoffs, voicing the same thought you had when seeing the rating.
“Very interesting topics, actually.” you explain, and he raises his eyebrows. “Social topics”
“Oh”
“Yeah, and I don’t know if she’s ready for them yet” you sigh again, before turning off your phone and putting it to the side, finally allowing you to snuggle against Naoya, who didn’t hesitate to move in a way that allowed your head to rest on his chest.
“I don’t recall ever worrying about those things when I was her age, but I guess it can only go two ways” you say.
“Which are…?”
“She either learns from this or is horrified by it!” you shrill “And I don’t want to scare her! If only could know what kind of reaction she’ll have beforehand!!”
“Why don’t you watch the movie first before deciding whether to take her or not?” he suggests, and at that moment, like the sun breaking the horizon, a new opportunity opens before you.  
“That’s it! That’s exactly what I could do! And once I see it with my own eyes, I can debate whether it’s suitable for her or not” you look up to him, eyes glistening with excitement. “How about it, hm? Shall we go to the movies, like we used to back in the day?”
Naoya hesitates, for he doesn’t want to be seen watching that movie, but your pleading eyes, the same one Naomi uses when she wants something, as well as the cause behind it, gets through him, and soon finds himself complying to your demands—not like he didn’t do so anyways, but truly, you and his daughter have him wrapped around their finger.
“Alright” he murmurs with a pout. “I Guess I could clear up my schedule and go.”
You giggle, admiring how he loves to play hard to get, as if he wouldn’t drop everything for his family.
It’s quite charming, cute even, and you feel so lucky that only you can see that side of him. Although you wished he’d be a bit more open with Naomi…
“I knew I could trust you to clear up my mind” you smile, snuggling further against him. “My dear husband.”
“I’m glad I was of help, but…” he begins slowly, one of his hands sliding further and further down your body. “I know another way to clear up your mind, I can show you if you’d like.”
You bite your lower lip, face flustered as you around, wrapping your arms around his shoulders.
“Well, we can’t be too sure.”
You end up buying tickets for a showing two the days after, the day Naoya took off to go with you—it’s one of the perks of being so high up the chain in his job, he doesn’t need to give explanations or why he’s not going to work, he can just do it and that’s it.
Doesn’t mean his co-workers won’t inquire about it, more so when his day off was in the most random of dates.
Knowing this, the two end up going to a theater of his choosing, far away from the ones he considered busy, but still up to his standards, and of course, with extra cautionary steps to avoid being followed by his pesky relatives, and subsequently recognized.
“Naoya, honey, this is too much.” You’d say when walking towards the entrance, hand-in-hand with your husband. “Don’t you think we’re… attracting too much attention like this?”
Naoya wanted to go undercover, discreetly as possible so as to avoid suspicions, although his definition of discreet greatly varied from one another.
While you decided to wear a pair of jeans, and a comfortable pink hoodie (gotta follow the trend)… Naoya decided to go full on… well, he looked good, that’s all you’re going to say.
“What? Just because we’re going undercover doesn’t mean we’re going to do it… like that” he says, referring to an unsuspecting movie-goer and their… seemingly underdressed appearance. You gently elbowed him. He groans.
“Don’t be rude” you scold. “Besides, we’re standing out too much.”
You tried to be solidary to his appearance by wearing a pair of black shades, but now that you compare yourself to literally everyone else, it looks like you’re both part of the Men in Black.
“Then what do you suggest?” he asks, rubbing his arm where it still hurts.
“Lose the glasses” you suggest with a pout. “We look like total weirdos going into a building with them…”
“Hey, you agreed to it.”
“I mean, that was before we got here. It’s not my fault I just realized how silly we look” you say, swiftly taking off your glasses and placing them on their respective case before putting them away. “There, much better—besides, you’re too handsome to be hiding behind them!”
“That’s what it was, eh?” Naoya smirks, taking off his glasses; you grab them. “You just wanted to see me.”
You blush.
“And what about it?” you look away. “It’s been a while since we’ve gone out on a date just the two of us… not that I mind going out with Naomi, but… you know… it’s not the same.”
He sighs, giving you a smile before pulling your hand to his lips and kissing it. “I promise to go out more with you—just the two of us.”
Your heart flutters.
“I’d like that.”
After promises were made, you and Naoya go ahead to check in, deciding to buy popcorn and a drink—at first your husband said he didn’t want anything, saying something about a diet or so, but after getting a taste he succumbed to them immediately.
Once finding your seats and getting comfortable, the movie finally begins.
There isn’t much commentary to give at the beginning, outside of laughing at some of the silly scenes (mainly on your part, Naoya just scoffs) and how suddenly dark it gets from time to time. But outside of that, you and Naoya seem to think of the movie as… well, adequate for their daughter, nothing extraordinary, it certainly has the silliness she enjoys, making them wonder why it even got that PG-13 rating…
Until, of course, “real world” part; that’s when you and Naoya understand why many people thought this movie might be inappropriate for younger children.
There’s a lot of topics most kids don’t even fathom yet, ones that need the appropriate guidance of a caring adult, so they know how to handle them when they reach certain maturity.
It doesn’t take long before you and Naoya began to envision how confused Naomi was going to be upon seeing Barbie getting catcalled, kicked out of her house, the sudden change of behavior from the rest of the Barbie’s, and overall, the dilemma Ken has regarding his relationship with her.
But most importantly, the main point of the movie: existential crisis.
While Naomi would most definitely not understand that, or any of the past points, you and Naoya would feel the movie to be hitting “a bit too close to home” having been forced to reflect on these issues in the past as the young adults they were, either for their own individualism, careers, or their future as a couple…
Soon, they no longer worried how this would affect Naomi, but rather, how it spoke to them.
And by the time screening ended, lights turned on abruptly and revealing your and Naoya’s response to it: teary eyed, soaked cheeks, and speechless.
Your husband was quick to cover his face, putting his glasses on before anyone else got to see him in that state, whilst cursing how “there’s no respect nowadays” as he dried the tears on his cheek. You, on the other hand, simply wiped the tears out of your face, careless if anyone else saw you like that because first, it was a darn good movie, so yeah, you cried because of it. And secondly, you weren’t the only one crying in that room so who cares…
It's only until they get into the car that they realize one of the messages of the movie, at least the one they could relate to the most: their baby girl was growing.
In a few years, she’d be a teenager, bringing along all the struggles that come with such age, and then, a woman. One that will have to face the world on her own—because even if they will always be there to support her, there are some battles only she could take.
No one ever said raising a child was easy, less in a society as harsh as the one they lived in, but even with all their fears, it was something both still looked forward to. To create memories together, guide her through this difficult thing called life, and see Naomi grow into the wonderful person she was bound to become.
Getting the overwhelming need to see their daughter, you and Naoya skipped the rest of their plans and headed straight back home, where Naomi was eagerly waiting for them alongside her nanny.
The child was undeniably happy to see her parents back home, always did, but at this moment she couldn’t be anything but surprised when Naoya was the first one to rush to her, picking her up in her arms and giving her the tightest hug he could without hurting her.
“What’s wrong, papa?” Naomi would eventually ask upon feeling his hug go uncharacteristically longer than it usually does, as if him hugging her wasn’t weird on its own.
“Uh—nothing.” Naoya would say, doing his best to hide the tears in his eyes and the tremble in his voice. “Can’t I hug my princess?”
And while she’s never one to deny affection, Naomi can’t stop herself from looking at you perplexedly, as if seeking the answers of her confusion from you.
But you only reassure her with a smile, walking towards them and joining their hug. It’s then that Naomi concedes to simply accept her parent’s doting, nuzzling against Naoya as she reciprocates the hug, as much as her small arms could.
“How about we go out to eat?” Naoya suggests, looking at her with a smile. “We can go anywhere you want, pumpkin.”
Her eyes twinkle, for it’s no secret she’d been waiting for the perfect moment to suggest this place—not like she needed to, but she likes to organize her dates. You and Naoya chuckle, kissing her on the cheek, each on one side, a gesture that makes her blush out of embarrassment.
It’s safe to say that after careful consideration, both decided to take Naomi to watch Barbie, dressed up in the cutest, pinkest, most adorable outfit you could put together—with you and Naoya to match along, although more discreetly in your husband’s part, he still doesn’t get the pink trend, less when he was suddenly called Ken.
And as expected, the movie was a total success to Naomi, although there were moments where she’d look confused, but those were nothing compared to the ones where she’d laugh out loud.
Overall, it was a movie she greatly enjoyed, even with the confusions that came along: ones that both you and Naoya were prepared for, having long understood this could be the perfect opportunity to introduce to her.
She’ll understand half of it, perhaps even less than that, but it didn’t matter, for both were ready to support and guide her through every step, like the good parents they swore to be the moment her existence was announced—and that’ll never change. Even after the Barbie craze ends, when Naomi grows and no longer lives with them, they’ll never stop loving and supporting her.
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Extra:
“How was your week—” Ranta freezes mid-greeting when something… peculiar catches his sight.
“What?” Naoya asks, not bothering to glance up from the paperwork he’s supposed to finish before the day ends.
“Is that—is that a pink tie?” he says, taking a closer look at the pastel pink garment contrasting against his black suit.
“Got a problem with it?” Naoya sternly responds. One subtle gesture is sufficient to have Ranta immediately retract.
“No, of course not!” he shrieks, nervously waving his hands. “It’s just— it’s just different. It looks good on you though!”
“I know” your husband groans, eyes still intently looking onto his desk… before eventually lifting his gaze towards Ranta, cheeks slightly flustered. “…I just got it; do you think Naomi will like it?”
“Huh?” Ranta blinks, Naoya frowns. “Oh, I mean, yes! I’m sure she’ll appreciate it!”
It’s a sentence that makes a smile break through Naoya’s lips as he glances back down to his work, satisfied.
“I’m glad” He match to see the look on his baby’s face once back home, after all, he just bought a bunch of clothes to match with her.
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A/N: not me making Naoya cry and cover it up with his shades lol. Ah, he's truly devoted to his family.
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daloy-politsey · 9 months
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Did people complain about Transformers and Star Wars being PG-13 the way they’re complaining about the Barbie movie, or is it expected that products targeted to boys are going to have violence in them?
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projectcatzo · 9 months
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Okay, now that everyone can shut up about the Barbie movie and Oppenheimer, can we get back to focusing on the real movie of the summer--MEG 2: THE TRENCH??????? (in theaters August 4, rated PG-13)
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xoxardnekoxo · 9 months
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Movie Review: The Barbie Movie
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WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
Somehow I managed to see the live action Barbie movie on opening weekend! It took a couple of days, but I made it!
Who isn't familiar with the most iconic fashion doll of all time? Without Barbie, there would be no fashion dolls. Since her introduction in 1959, the one-sixth scale doll has taken over the world with more than 200 careers and at least twice as many fashions and accessories.
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But enough about that. Let's get to it. This is a movie review, not a doll review.
The teaser trailer turned out to be the opening of the whole movie, and I love it. Yes, there have always been dolls for little girls to play with. But until 1959, when Barbie entered the plastic world, the only dolls girls had were baby dolls or paper dolls. So basically dolls were a way of preparing girls for a future of motherhood and housekeeping. Okay, that's fine, if that's what you truly want.
So we see all the girls playing with their dolls and suddenly this Godzilla-like doll just pops up out of nowhere, prompting the girls to throw and smash their baby dolls in favor of this new toy. Then we get to a transition scene showing various women in Barbie attire - and they're all actual clothes that have existed over the decades! They even threw in one of the new Fashionista wheelchairs in there and one of the most recent vet fashion packs. When this movie comes out for purchase, I'm totally taking notes of what all outfits I see.
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Enter Barbie Land. We've seen a lot of it in the trailers, but I'm still super amazed at the set design. Major props to those guys! They literally designed and built Barbie-size houses and created a layout/cul-de-sac of them in order to recreate them in life size. And there's literally dollhouses! Every Barbie home has a back wall and maybe a side wall or two. The front is always open, so every Barbie can see into every other Barbie's house at all times. Just like a real dollhouse! And inside those houses are various plastic pieces of furniture and decor, along with some stickers. Yep, there are food items in the fridge that are actually stickers, and the stove is also a sticker. Heart-shaped waffles, a slide that spirals down into a pool at floor level with painted water, stationary ocean waves, etc. It's literally a real-life plastic world. I love that! Barbie movies and shows in the past portray Barbie as though she were a real person, and of course her house reflects that. This movie is saying Barbie is a doll and is treating her as such.
The houses also have no stairs in them, so the dolls magically float from floor to floor in their homes, just like how girls move them between rooms. And getting dressed entails seeing an outfit already planned out and magically appearing on the Barbie. Brilliant!
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So this all sounds like a cute movie, right? Well, it is, but keep in mind - this movie is rated PG-13 for "suggestive content." When I first heard that, I was like, what..... Not that it bothers me, but this is a movie about the number-one fashion doll in history, and fashion dolls are catered more to young children than anyone. So I was wondering what in the world this suggestive content would be. I would soon find out.
During the narrator's introductions, we meet Barbie's very first friend, Midge. Who, sadly, is no longer even in the Mattel lineup after being discontinued in 2004. You all know the story, right? Midge and Allan (later Alan) got married in 1990 or so, and in 2002, they were reintroduced with their three-year-old son, Ryan, and their infant daughter, Nikki (yes, that was her name - it just came later). Well, Midge came with a magnetic detachable pregnant belly that little Nikki was inside. People flipped at the thought of kids playing with a pregnant doll, saying it encouraged teenage pregnant. (Yeah, okay, sure.) So Mattel re-released her later with Nikki and no belly. That story was mentioned in the movie. Other recalled/cancelled/controversial dolls also made an appearance in the movie, including the infamous Earring Magic King and Sugar's Daddy Ken, along with Growing Up Skipper, Teen Talk Barbie, and Video Camera Barbie. So the movie is educational too! :D
Anyway, we're soon introduced to Ken, who's literally introduced as only being happy when he's noticed by Barbie. After all, he was created just to be her boyfriend. So Barbie's at the beach with all the other Barbies, and everyone is vying for Barbie's attention, including other Kens. So the main Ken decides to show off his surfing skills, only to bang right into the stationary wave and embarrassingly fly back into the sand. This starts a verbal squabble between him and another Ken about "beaching off." Yeah, they're talking about beaching each other off, saying things like "You can't even beach yourself off, I'll beach you off any day," etc. Yeah, say it fast enough, and it totally sounds like something else. There's part of your suggestive content right there. Then Barbie jumps in with, "No one is beaching anyone off!"
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Then it's a disco party at the Dreamhouse. Well, one of them, since they're all Dreamhouses. Everything is all fine and dandy, dolls are dancing around in perfect sync, etc., until suddenly Barbie says, "Do you ever think about dying?" But she quickly rectifies this and the party continues. Then she and Ken are outside and Ken asks if he can stay at Barbie's house for the night, to which she asks why. "Because we're boyfriend and girlfriend." "What would we do?" "I honestly don't know." We all know what the implication was...
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But it's Girl's Night... as it is every night, so Ken has to leave. "It's Barbie's Dreamhouse, not Ken's Dreamhouse." Ouch.
So, that whole death question thing? It prompts some less than satisfying events, including Barbie waking up with morning breath, having a cold shower (in a house with no water, mind you), a burnt waffle, and - gasp! - flat feet.
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Yep, she no longer stands on her toes! Not sure why that was such a huge issue because dozens of Barbies have been made with flat feet, even back in the 90s (including Hot Skatin' Barbie, who makes an appearance later).
So when Barbie explains this to the other Barbies, they tell her she has to go see Weird Barbie, aka the Barbie who was played with too roughly. Kudos for this design lol, Kate McKinnon is portrayed as a doll with a dress covered in Crayon stains, cut/burned-off hair, marker scribbles on her face, always doing the splits, etc. She also owns the dog Tanner, another discontinued Mattel product of a dog that would eat a treat and then poop it out (it was recalled due to magnets getting swallowed by kids). She explains to Barbie that something must be happening with the girl who is playing with her in the Real World, and so she must travel there to see what the problem is to make everything go back to normal - and to not get cellulite!!! Yep, Weird Barbie points out that there is now cellulite on Barbie's thighs, and she's like:
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Yep, it's real. Run. So anyway, Barbie then gets in her undersized Corvette (yep, even the Barbie car in the movie is under-scaled compared to real life cars - the windshield is shorter than her head lol) and heads for the Real World with a stowaway Ken in tow. When they get to California (where Mattel's headquarters are), they're both wearing their Hot Skatin' outfits from the mid-90s. That was some great nostalgia.
Skating through LA looking like, well, a couple of dolls, people start staring at the two, and Barbie is getting cat-called. Ken is too, by some guys LOL. When they come up to a group of construction guys, they say sexist remarks and Barbie literally says, "It sounds like you're saying a double entendre, but I don't have a vagina, and he doesn't have a penis." Yeah, Barbie literally said the words vagina and penis.
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Eventually the two decide to maybe ditch their skating outfits, so instead don some matching western attire. Yeah, they just happen to find a random shop with a pink western women's outfit and a matching one for guys.
Barbie is searching for the girl responsible for the weird things happening to her in Barbie Land, so Ken goes off on his own and discovers that, in the Real World, men hold all the power and are more than accessories, unlike in Barbie Land. He sees male cops on horses, male presidents on dollar bills, male doctors, etc. He grabs a bunch of books and reads up on this, and he's heading to meet back up with Barbie to tell her about this, except she's been found by Mattel execs (who are aware of two dolls that escaped Barbie Land - much like a baby-sitting Skipper many years ago) and escorted to HQ. So Ken returns to Barbie Land with his newfound information.
Barbie eventually escapes the Mattel suits (led by Will Ferrell, who is playing, in my opinion, his only decent role in a film ever) and is rescued by the girl she was looking for. Well, the girl's mother - it was her mother who prompted the events, not the girl. In any event, the three of them head back to Barbie Land and discover it to be completely taken over by the Kens. Yep, Ken turned Barbie Land into a patriarchy. That word is even used multiple times.
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The Barbies are now cheerleaders cheering for the Kens, serving them drinks (yep, beer included), etc. The Dreamhouses have become Mojo Dojo Casa Houses, and none of the Barbies are in charge anymore. So no Barbie president, doctor, scientist, etc. Turns out Ken was having an existential crisis. He then tells Barbie that it's Boy's Night at his house, and it's Boy's Night every night.
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So this causes Barbie to spiral into a feeling of failure and depression. Oh, and as all of this is happening in Barbie Land, it trickles into the real world. So Ken's masculine houses and cars start popping up in stores, as does a commercial for Depressed Barbie.
Weird Barbie brings Barbie and the humans to her place, where we're introduced to the other aforementioned outcast dolls. We even get a live-action demonstration of Growing Up Skipper (turn her arm and her breasts grow).
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Then the mother gives an inspirational speech that pretty much snaps all the Barbies out of their brainwashed funk. Now, why did they allow all the Kens to take over to begin with? Well, as the mother explained, it was like a virus - the Barbies had no defense over such a thing because it wasn't fathomed to ever even happen. But anyway, one by one, the Barbies return to their former selves and remember who they were. The Kens have planned a vote to change the Barbie Land constitution, so the Barbies band together to basically set the Kens against each other in order to take back Barbie Land. Yep, a movie about a plastic doll turned into a governmental conflict.
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The main Ken and the other "beach off" Ken are pretty much rivals in this movie, so each one leads a group of Kens into an all-out brawl. And by brawl I mean they're throwing plastic arrows at each other, bashing each other with tennis rackets, etc. We even see some on hobby horses charging into battle.
Somehow, that winds up in a musical number and then they realize it was voting day. Yeah, too late. They show back up to the cul-de-sac (there is a Monty Python reference here, as they're totally fake-riding horses and making clacking sounds) where the Dreamhouses have been restored to their former glory. Ken is like, "Do these houses look a little more... dreamy?" President Barbie comes down the stairs and says, "That's because they're Dreamhouses, motherf*****." Yep, just like that. They bleep out the second half of that word, but we all know what she meant.
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So then Barbie and Ken need to resolve their issues. Ken loves Barbie, but she only sees him as a friend. And Ken says he isn't sure what his role is, only that he was created to be Barbie's boyfriend. "It's always Barbie and Ken, never just Ken." So Barbie tells him that he needs to discover who he is without her. Then the Mattel suits walk in and get ready to close off the portal between the two worlds, when Barbie says she doesn't know what her ending is. And then we're treated to a meeting with Ruth Handler, the creator of Barbie herself. (Not the real person, obviously, but still a great tribute.) Ruth designed Barbie to not have an ending. She's always changing and evolving. That's the point.
But Barbie says she doesn't feel like Barbie anymore. So Ruth takes her to a private area and talks to her, and Barbie basically asks if she can become a human. Why, I don't know. She's a perfect doll in a perfect world, and the human world is a mess. We all know it. That's why we have dolls!!! But yeah, so, Barbie, the number one fashion doll in the world, becomes a human. She takes the name of Ruth's daughter, Barbara (true story, as that's who Barbie was named after), and meets up with the mom and daughter again. The movie literally ends with Barbie (Barbara Handler) saying, "I'm here to see my gynecologist."
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Yep, that's the end. Then we get to see pictures of actual dolls featured in the movie (not all of them, but most of them), including the controversial ones. That was a nice touch for anyone unfamiliar with the history.
So, will there be a sequel? Obviously they left it open for one. That's the norm for movies these days. My thoughts? I wasn't entirely sure what I was expecting, but I had kept hearing that the movie has a lot of messages catered toward the government and society as a whole. For instance, when Barbie meets the girl she thought she was there for, the girl tells her that, despite what she believes and what she was created to be, Barbie is a doll that represents a backwards feminist movement and unrealistic body proportions. Basically everything Barbie haters say about her. Mattel knows this is said about their biggest product, and they put it in the movie LOL. Then the whole patriarchy thing, and the feeling of not knowing yourself. It's all there. It's not just a movie about a doll.
So, overall, I did enjoy the movie, but there were some things we could have gone without. The whole vagina/penis thing? How does Barbie even know what those words are, honestly LOL. Noticeably absent were her sisters - we did see Growing Up Skipper, but that's it. And she was one of the discontinued dolls. Allan is in the movie, and there's only one of him as opposed to multiple Kens. He even says that all Ken's clothes fit him, because that's literally what was on the doll box in real life. That was funny. As for the musical numbers, I found them unnecessary. They didn't add anything to the story - only runtime. But I absolutely love the set design and all the clothes, especially the real ones that were created before this movie existed. I think Margot Robbie was a great choice for Barbie. I remember when this was first leaked years ago, there were rumors about Amy Schumer playing Barbie. OMG that would have been a disaster. I can NOT see her playing Barbie. She's just... not Barbie. LOL. And though I wasn't on board with Ryan Gosling playing Ken at first, as he just seemed too old, it actually wasn't bad. And it wasn't going to deter me from seeing the movie.
Overall, I'll give the movie 8/10. Wasn't perfect but I did enjoy it. If there is a sequel, I'm sure I'll see it too!
P.S. No, the song Barbie Girl isn't in the movie. I don't think Mattel is a fan of it because it supposedly makes fun of the doll, or so I read. LOL
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