She’s everything: reactions to and perceptions of the Barbie (2023) movie as subversive and disparagement humor

Abstract Our study examined individuals’ reactions to and perceptions of the Barbie (2023) movie as subversive (e.g., targeting the United States patriarchal structure) versus disparaging (e.g., perpetuating negative perceptions of men/women). More specifically, we examined how various attitudes (e.g., ambivalent sexism, adherence to traditional gender roles, feminist attitudes) related to individuals’ decision to see Barbie , their expectations for and enjoyment of the movie, and their perceptions of its use of subversive humor for social commentary. Participants ( N = 446, 71 % women, 79 % heterosexual, 78 % White, 65 % first-year students, M age = 19.40, SD = 3.25) were recruited from undergraduate courses from several Midwestern universities and completed a survey via Qualtrics. In line with our Selective Exposure Hypothesis , individuals with more egalitarian gender beliefs (e.g., higher levels of feminism, lower levels of sexism) were more likely to have seen Barbie . Similarly, in line with our Motivated Cognition Hypothesis , individuals with more egalitarian gender beliefs had more positive perceptions of Barbie , its messages, and intentions. Our findings further suggest that individuals who disagreed with Barbie ’s message may have avoided viewing the movie, and if they did not avoid it, they may have resisted its message. This research furthers our understanding of subversive humor in relation to gender issues by examining how it was perceived in Barbie, one of the most significant pop culture events of the 2020s thus far.