Amputee barbie in a stereotypical world

If you haven't already watched - The Barbie Movie - you might be surprised to learn that it touches on how deeply ingrained stereotypes create insecurities for women. Amputee Barbie isn't the only one feeling that society holds so many conflicting standards upon her. Even Stereotypical Barbie struggles with finding her identity in a world full of impossible expectations and unconscious bias. Although the amputee experience is quite unique, the female experience is not, and to say that it is full of gaslighting, objectification, narcissism, and dismissal, is an understatement. Let's just put it this way, even Ryan Gosling wasn't cute enough to get away with the wild levels of disrespect played out in Kendom.

Not knowing what to expect other than some very thoughtfully coordinated outfits and enthusiastic dance moves, I put on my brightest pink top, met up with my Mom, and stood in line for some over-salted yet tasty popcorn before making our way to a theatre full of equally excited moviegoers who were dressed like extras for the film. The outfits, both on and off-screen, were indeed meticulously on-brand, and the dance routines were impressive. But I didn't expect the amount of genuine emotion the storyline would evoke. The movie was less about bringing to life the dolls you played with as a kid and more about the reality of gender bias and how living in a world where any one gender is more powerful than the next throws everything off and creates a discriminatory environment.

I am not Stereotypical Barbie. I am disabled, cancer- survivor, emotionally and physically scared but still standing Barbie, yet I understand just how she felt as she entered the world we live in because, for that moment in time, we were both women living somewhere where the majority of decisions are made sitting around the Mojo Dojo Casa House table (If you know, you know). Although it was refreshing to see the way things were done in Barbieland, where women are in power and every night was Girl's Night, by the end of the movie, you're left realizing that the sweet spot is somewhere in between. Somewhere where everyone has a voice, including the Disabled Barbies and Kens. But it certainly doesn't hurt to throw some pink paint on that Malibu Dream House and break out into a dance mob on the beach.