Richard Hogan: There's lots to relate to in the Barbie film — for all of us

Ryan Gosling as Ken and Margot Robbie as Barbie in the latter's feature-film spectacular

Hi Barbie. Hi Ken. Nothing has sparked quite as much discussion in the Hogan house as the new Barbie movie.

I have to admit, I was looking forward to seeing it. The American social media star and woke provocateur, Ben Shapiro’s absolute hatred of the movie assured me I would like it. It’s funny to think that a movie about a doll could wedge its way into the middle of the Right versus Left debate that has gripped America so intensely in recent times. Shapiro described it as a "flaming piece of dog shit piled atop an entire dumpster on fire". Not your usual critique on Rotten Tomatoes.

What was it about that little pink doll that stirred such strong feelings from that middle-aged man?

Well, I think he wasn’t happy with the portrayal of men in the movie.

So, bag of goodies in hand, pink T-Shirt on, all the girls dressed in pink, we all headed off to see if it was worth all the hype. It didn’t disappoint. It’s just good fun with a serious message running at its core. Margot Robbie is great, and Ryan Gosling is hilarious as Ken, whose only real talent in life is, ‘beach’. The cameos, too, from products that were discontinued are hilarious. Not to mention, depressed Barbie. Most of the jokes didn’t land with the younger children, but the visuals were enough to keep them engaged for the entire movie.

Being the father to three girls, gives you such an insider's perspective on the lived experience of being a girl. We all need to work at removing period shame from our society. It should be something we celebrate, not make our daughters, sisters, and mothers feel like they have something shameful to hide. There has been a societal stigma around periods for far too long and we must start talking to children about them in school and what an incredible gift they are, and the magic women are endowed with, giving birth to life.

America Ferrera, Margot Robbie, Alexandra Shipp, and Ariana Greenblatt in Barbie

But I also see how intrusive it can be in a girl’s life and how they have to plan around it. Not something I ever had a perspective on growing up in a house with all boys.

Being the father of three daughters, I am very intentional about helping them to think positively about being girls and later women. I think we have been surrounded by very negative messaging, that has been destructive for girls. I don’t want them to think they are victims of an oppressive power structure that will ultimately destroy them or prevent them from achieving in life. I don’t want them to view society as being run by a maniacal patriarchy hell-bent on keeping them down. I want them to believe in their power. Because I know if girls believe the game is rigged against them before they ever start to play it, they won’t need any system out there holding them back, they will do it to themselves. That is the rhizomatic roots of internalised prejudice and gives rise to self-limiting beliefs.

So, when I asked the girls at the end of the movie, "what was the message?". My eldest daughter said: "Girls can do anything." Now, they are the thoughts I want floating around in my daughter's mind. Not 'men are terrible, and women are great'. All this ‘them and us’ narrative has not helped girls think positively about the future. There is no ‘them and us’, there is only us.

There was a serious moment in the movie when Gloria Barbie delivered a monologue on how hard it is to be a woman: "You have to be thin, but not too thin… you’re supposed to love being a mother… you have to be a career woman, but always looking out for other people… You’re supposed to stay pretty for men but not too pretty that you tempt other men… you have to never get old… never show off and everything is your fault." Pretty good insight into what it’s like to be a woman. As we sat there watching it, I could see my eldest daughter smiling and looking at me with a bit of sass in her raised eyebrow. She felt a kinship with the sisterhood.

Ken plays guitar at Barbie

There was also one very funny moment in the movie when Ken tells Barbie to sit and listen intently for four hours while he plays the same song on his guitar over and over again to her. My wife gave me a knowing wink — that was her in the early days of our relationship, apparently.

We need more movies like Barbie that provoke us from our malaise. Whether you agree with the sentiment or not, or the depiction of men, movies like this create some interesting debate. The movie made a comment on hierarchy, and how it always moves towards oppression.

In Barbie world, women rule, while men are objectified and struggle to find meaning. In the real world, women are objectified and struggle to find meaning. How we perceive each other and how we treat each other, was an important insight in the movie. But ultimately, Ken was certainly put in his box.