I have a long personal history with Barbie. She’s a key part of my personality growing up. I had everything–the dolls, bags, boots, clothes, stationery, and everything else you can imagine. I watched all the animated films ad nauseum, I played with the dolls and let my imagination soar.
As I got older, however, culture shifted. Anything pink and feminine was considered ‘bad,’ which is why the insecure preteen in me decided to suppress that part altogether, including any ambition of becoming an artist since I was told it wasn’t a viable career option.
Now as an adult, however, I now unapologetically and possibly excessively use pink in all my work. Then came Barbie (2023) by Greta Gerwig, who happens to be one of my favorite directors, and hearing this line in the film just resonated so deeply with me.