The Perfect Feminist Movie Does Not Exist: Screening the Barbie Buzz

Abstract Given the remarkable financial success of Greta Gerwig’s film, its perceived merits and shortcomings need to be examined in order to determine what caused the significant social media attention, which included both substantial praise and sharp criticism. Starting from an overview of the Barbie-doll’s evolution over the years and relying on the mixed reception enjoyed by the film Barbie (2023), this article provides an analysis of how its director incorporates the feminist ideology, evaluates its effectiveness in harnessing the empowering aspects of the feminist discourse, and attempts to pinpoint the specific type of feminism it embraces. The aim is to scrutinise the claim that this production is nothing more than the epitome of insidious faux feminism, shamelessly brandished by the media industry to disguise its commercial objectives whilst posing as harbingers of progressive social change.