The Plasticity of President Barbie: Colorblind Erasure and Misogynoir in Representational Diversity

Authors

• Michelle Laura Flood, St. John Fisher UniversityFollow

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

11-13-2025

Abstract

In lieu of an abstract here is the first paragraph:

When Greta Gerwig’s Barbie took the world by storm in the summer of 2023, pink-tinted empowerment simultaneously thrilled and angered international audiences. Moviegoers around the globe clamored to theaters, often dressed in Barbie-inspired garb, to see how Gerwig would tackle the behemoth that is translating the sixty-year-old doll’s legacy to the big screen. Grossing over $1.38 billion at the global box office, the film is considered a feminist triumph, not only for its female director but also for millions of women around the world who felt represented on the big screen (Euronews, 2023). Gerwig’s decision to hire a diverse cast that included women of different races, ethnicities, sexualities, abilities, and gender expressions seemed like a feminist victory. However, the film's reliance on a baseline understanding of feminist politics (i.e., “Feminism 101”) resulted in the centering of white femininity and capitalist-tinged visions of empowerment.

Comments

Book chapter published in Women's Leadership in Popular Culture (Bloomsbury Academic).

ISBN: 978-1666965063

Publication Information

Flood, Michelle L. "The Plasticity of President Barbie Colorblind Erasure and Misogynoir in Representational Diversity." Women's Leadership in Popular Culture, edited by Tracy Everbach, Gwendelyn S. Nisbett, and Newly Paul, Bloomsbury Academic, 2025, pp. 203-222.