For some women in China, “Barbie” is more than just a movie — it’s also a litmus test for their partner’s views on feminism and patriarchy.
The movie has prompted intense social media discussion online, media outlets Sixth Tone and the China Project reported this week, prompting women to discuss their own dating experiences.
One user on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu — a photo-sharing site similar to Instagram that’s mostly used by Gen Z women — even shared a guide on Monday for how women can test their boyfriends based on their reaction to the film.
According to the guide, if a man shows hatred for “Barbie” and slams female directors after they leave the theatre, then this man is “stingy” and a “toxic chauvinist,” according to Insider’s translation of the post. Conversely, if a man understands even half of the movie’s themes, “then he is likely a normal guy with normal values and stable emotions,” the user wrote.
It may not line up with the theory of feminism, but it is how things have been working out in practice. That’s the whole problem, if your theory is flawed then it won’t produce the results you desire. The theory of feminism is built upon the very same patriarchy/matriarchy power struggle that Babylon was, and so it fails to account for the existence of people who don’t recognize that power dynamic. And bluntly, that power dynamic is famous for destroying nations, regardless of who “wins” it.