Barbie at Her Core

Like many precocious middle schoolers in the old days of 2017, I would spend a lot of free time reading questionable fanfiction on Wattpad. Now, I don’t remember the name (or I actively chose to block it out) but there were a few pieces in which the writers would make a female character seem like she “was not like other girls” by having her wear a T-shirt with the words “Death to Barbie”. As a child reading that, I was shocked. Why would anyone want Barbie to die? Why did this person hate her so much? What is so wrong with her? 

Now, it seems like nobody can get enough of Barbie. After photos of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling dressed as Barbie and Ken for Greta Gerwig’s much-anticipated movie were released, guys, gals, and nonbinary pals switched out their usual color palettes for the doll’s signature hot pink. The trailers for the movie showcased Barbieland, a campy-looking playhouse-esque world where even the oval office is pink. Twitter feeds are flooded with “she’s everything, he’s just Ken” memes. Margot Robbie will henceforth be seen as Barbie herself. Everything we hated about Barbie, her pink clothes and made-up look, are now what we love about her. But why did we hate her so much in the first place? 

The  first trailer for the movie depicts little girls haphazardly playing with baby dolls until a giant Barbie (Robbie) steps into the scene. After seeing this tall, beautiful new figure, the little girls go feral and smash those baby dolls to bits. As adorable and kind of silly as this scene appears, it’s actually based on some truth. Before Barbie, little girls were typically pushed to play with baby or toddler dolls. These dolls were something that the girls could pretend were their own children and take care of them. Basically, it was “practice” for motherhood and the trailer shows these girls, who must only be around 4-6 years old, already as tired, bored mothers mechanically rocking baby dolls to sleep. In an article from Insider, Susan Shapiro writes “Ruth Handler realized that many little girls simply didn’t want to play ‘mommy’”. Unlike the baby dolls whose play was limited to maternal duties, Barbie could be dressed up, drive her own car, and go places by herself. Baby dolls required little girls to be mothers, but Barbie asked them to be her best friend. But all was not well in the dreamhouse. As we all know, when little girls get older they get more insecure. 

TW: Mention of Eating Disorders and related topics

One particularly problematic doll had a diet book that simply said the words “DON’T EAT” in very visible letters and a scale that touted Barbie’s weight as being 110 pounds.

Suddenly, Barbie went from a girl’s best friend to her worst nightmare. Barbie was seen as a symbol of unrealistic beauty standards and everyone, including Gloria Steinem, condemned the doll as any kind of role model. This isn’t without some merit though, Meera Navlakha writes for Mashable that  “A 2016 study conducted in Australia found that exposure to Barbie had the potential to encourage young girls to internalize seeing thin bodies as an ideal”. There’s also the fact that Barbie was always a thin, blonde, white woman. While the doll Christy was released in the 1960s, she was just a “friend of Barbie” not Barbie. In response, Mattel, the company that manufactures Barbie dolls, began releasing dolls with a wider range of body types, skin tones, and hairstyles. Each of these dolls would be Barbies in its own right. In another article from Mashable, Natasha Pinon writes, “Thanks to these changes, more and more young kids looking to play with Barbie might end up with a doll that actually looks like them.”

While these changes are significant, by focusing on Barbie’s body and appearance we dismiss her accomplishments. Barbie is a happily unmarried woman who has had many careers, including ones in traditionally male-dominated fields. According to Charlotte Alter for Time Magazine, “Barbie has worked every second of every day since she was invented in 1959...Sure, she started off as a teen fashion model, but quickly worked her way up to fashion editor, then decided…to get her doctorate in astrophysics so that she could be an astronaut by 1965”. Barbie did start out as an alternative for little girls who were tired of playing mother to their baby dolls, and her impressive resume served to encourage young girls to pursue multiple career paths. Susan Shapiro writes about Barbie’s influence on herself stating,  “I also learned you could wear a hot bathing suit and lipstick while having multiple professions”

For so long, Barbie has been seen as a symbol of toxic femininity, but the recent Barbiecore trend celebrates the way that she has maintained her all-pink wardrobe while winning a Nobel Prize in physics. It’s not just women embracing this trend, men and nonbinary/gender non-conforming persons are also channeling their inner Barbie too. In the same article, Meera Navlakha writes, “The aesthetic crusade urges people to embody the feminine and find joy in its playfulness– regardless of gender, race, or any other categories used by society to define a person”.

Written By J.D. Valdepenas

BEEF - Revenge is a 5 Star Course Meal

We’ve all had our share of Beef with someone.

Whether it’s having a road rage battle with strangers, which everyone knows must end with middle fingers greeting each other, or defacing property. It’s not an overstatement to say that this series is among the best complex story Netflix has picked up alongside the work of the acclaimed production company A24. Relatable stories have always had the greatest impact on audiences and Beef is the exception. Multilayered with topics on trauma, dishonesty, decision-making, class, and nihilism; this show gives an insight into the massive misunderstandings between hurt people which leads to self-destruction because of the absence of connection.

Beef is the story of two people getting into a road rage incident and trying to plot revenge which causes difficult character development and storytelling. Steven Yeun who plays Danny Cho was phenomenal and Ali Wong as Amy Lau was brilliant. Every scene they had together was magic. When Amy and Danny accidentally crack open something inside of one another, they compete to see who can hurt themselves or the others more. This is an amazing story about revenge and karma that is unnaturally executed.

In the finale, Danny and Amy are left to fend for themselves. They have zero trust in one another but in the worst-case scenario that they find themselves in, they are each other’s best hope to survive. They set aside their beef and have deep conversations which help them understand they are not dissimilar at all. They are the source of their downfalls. They set aside the rivalry to learn more about their morals and flaws. The ending leaves the audience questioning our individualism and how that reflects on living fulfilled lives that the main characters struggled to navigate.

The directors Hikari, Jake Schreier, and Lee Sung-Jin take us on an intense journey that is beyond unpredictable. The need for love and the inability to offer and receive it. Both the Yin and the Yang. As well as a banger at the end of each episode and the art for the title cards are beautiful. This show is the official new definition of revenge.

Written by Daniel Rojas

Fashion's Biggest Night: What to Expect on the First Monday in May

Law Roach is retiring, the Kardashians might be banned, and anything could happen. What can viewers expect to see at this year’s Oscars of Fashion? Before the guest list is finalized, contributor Hannah Siegel offers her predictions for the upcoming Met Gala.

All Chanel Everything

Unlike Met Galas of years past, this year’s theme has one specific figure in mind: Karl Lagerfeld. While Lagerfeld has an iconography of his own: slicked back white hair, giant sunglasses, and an ever-present black-and-white suit, the jewel in Lagerfeld’s crown was his influence on the French fashion house originally founded by Coco Chanel.

Taking over in 1983, Lagerfeld ‘re-imagined’ the house, building it into a “nearly $10 billion business”. As such, be sure to expect the label’s signatures: tweed, pearls, and tons of suiting. The house’s previous poster children, such as the redemption touring Cara Delevigne may well be sporting showstoppers.

Also, be sure to look for attendees dripping with baubles (Think Naomi Campbell from the ‘92 show). Accessories–from gold chains, to low-slung belts, to feathers–were all staples of Lagerfeld’s iconic 1992 spring collection. Paris’s runway was covered in gold accents that season, from jacket trims to jewelry, and the ‘chain dress’ has taken on a life of its own–so gold will likely show up as well.

Shalom Harlow at the Fall Hau

[From Left to Right: Shalom Harlow at the Fall Haute Couture show in 1995, “The Dress” aka Christy Turlington at the Haute Couture Spring/Summer show in 1992, Naomi Campbell Spring/Summer 1992]

As for the inspiration taken from Lagerfeld himself? Expect dominant eyewear, sharp angles, and black and white.

Fashion has never felt more nostalgic for the high-fashion heydays of the 90s. Here’s hoping Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell themselves actually make an appearance.

Actually Well-Dressed Men

It’s usually a Met Gala staple: famous men appearing in the same-old black and white tuxedo while their (female) dates dazzle with new styles. Celebrities from James Corden to Channing Tatum have been loudly shamed for wearing nothing but a black tux, over and over again. However, I sense a change in the air.

Maybe it’s the rising popularity of Thom Browne, who’s known for incorporating skirts into traditional menswear; maybe it’s Roger Federer’s place on the organizing committee. But one only needs to take a look at this year’s Oscars fashions to see sensibilities shifting. White Lotus’s Adam Di Marco took to the red carpet in patent leather Chelsea boots, a charcoal relaxed-fit suit, and a Dior Men’s kilt. Donald Glover sported an Alexander McQueen jumpsuit, complete with side-baring cutouts. Harvey Guilen was Cinderella-meets-40s-glamor in a glitzy Christian Siriano tuxedo-dress. Even the more conservative looks, such as Paul Mescal’s shining white tux, featured embellishments, like his color-blocked outfit and red carnation on the lapel.

Alton Mason’s Valentino Fall 2022 Haute Couture look styled with Maison Margiela Tabi shoes

In the end, stars might be itching to follow the internet’s daddy and man-of-the-moment Pedro Pascal’s lead, who recently graced the season premiere of The Mandalorian in cable-knit mesh, oversized glasses, and even a preppy sweater tied around the shoulders. Color? Revealing fabrics? Counter-intuitive yet somehow sexy styling?

Dare I hope for an exciting menswear moment?

Protests

2021’s Met Gala saw Black Lives Matter activists being carted away in zip-ties and tackled to the ground. Last year’s theme, “In America: an Anthology of Fashion” was met with derision and confusion. Even AOC’s infamous “tax the rich” dress ignited a maelstrom of backlash.

Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

This year, the decision to honor Karl Lagerfeld has already garnered criticism, given his laundry-list of offensive comments. Lagerfeld had an outspoken distaste for body-inclusivity in fashion, badmouthed gay marriage and same-sex adoption, implied that Germany welcoming Syrian refugees was akin to “kill[ing]...Jews so you can bring…their worst enemies in their place”, and hated the #MeToo movement. Notoriously, Lagerfeld also defended stylist Karl Temper after being accused of pulling down a model’s underwear.

Even Anna Wintour, ever the calculating queen of the ball, is facing her own crisis of confidence. After union-busting efforts at Condé Nast, accusations of racism, and long-suppressed murmurs that Wintour has outlasted her own expertise, it seems that the tide of public opinion has finally turned against her.

With each of these PR disasters colliding together, it will come as no surprise if protestors rally beyond the fences on 5th Ave.

Whatever the Met Gala brings, all eyes will be pointed towards those famous red steps come May 1st. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Written by Hannah Siegel