Te Plasticity of President Barbie Colorblind Erasure and Misogynoir in Representational Diversity
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.
Publication Information
Flood, Michelle Laura (2025). "Te Plasticity of President Barbie Colorblind Erasure and Misogynoir in Representational Diversity." Women's Leadership in Popular Culture .
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Comments
Book chapter published in Women's Leadership in Popular Culture (Bloomsbury Academic)
ISBN: 978-1666965063