END OF THE MANUFACTURED WOMAN

The rise of modern feminism in film was a slow yet upward progression that came to the forefront within the last year. While film is meant to reflect our world and mirror how we walk, it always seems to fall a few paces behind. With the release of the cultural phenomenon, Barbie, followed just less than half a year later by the award-season darling Poor Things, the idea of what makes a woman reoccurred as a leading thesis in these films.

These films offer their audiences a strong take on feminism that is palatable to the casual viewer. Barbie didn’t shy away from acting as a Feminism 101 class, intended for audiences of any age. The story follows the titular character as she learns about the patriarchy that slowly morphs her world into one much like our own. Throughout the film, Barbie learns what it means to have a beating heart and what it means to live for herself while counteracting the societal standards that are presented by Gloria, who introduces the truth of reality to the doll. As the film hits a climax, the character of Gloria, a human woman surrounded by the Barbies, gives a speech about the crushing societal pressures that are presented to women of all kinds. She shares the story of womanhood, about how women must be perfect but never too perfect, yet if they do not reach a certain threshold of perfection then they shall be shunned. This is the message Barbie finds itself centering on. Barbie was already perfect while living in her own world, though once exposed to reality she learned to see herself as a flawed being.

A toy manufactured to be the perfect woman was not designed to be flawed. She was meant to be pretty- and to be pretty meant to be tall and skinny with blonde hair and blue eyes who could do any job imaginable. This image was created in the late 1950s, and as times changed to reflect the modern idea of a perfect woman the doll also did. Today’s standards have shifted into a more inclusive way of seeing womanhood, and there is no right way to be the perfect woman. While Barbie can wear her stereotypical skin, which still empowers women of all walks of life, she can also look and act differently, molded by the girls who pick up the doll to tell her story. The idea of the film is that all women are perfect and powerful, and while the narrative can be a bit narrow by centering around the most socially acceptable Barbie, it is still a great place to start. The film may not have been able to balance all the stories of the dolls from all walks of life, but hopefully this stereotypical Barbie will open the door for those behind her. Meanwhile, Poor Things looks at womanhood through the eyes of Bella Baxter, a young woman who needs some growing up. The story is a play on Frankenstein, and Bella Baxter is The Creature. She walks like a tall child, plays with her food, pees her pants, and can’t form full sentences at the start of the film, yet she becomes an object of lust by those around her. As her mental state grows, she finds herself on a journey of liberation. Bella does not ever find herself living under the guidance of a maternal figure. Though she learns lessons from the women around her, she spends nearly all of her journey figuring out life for herself. Through this journey, she matures and finds herself to be a woman just like any other, despite her beginnings being created in a lab. Within the story, Bella was created out of pure curiosity and her life was meant to be a controlled one. With each step she takes to free her shackles of the lab, she also develops maturity. While

WRITTEN BY JESICA WELLS ILLUSTRATION BY PANHAVATEY BUN

her adventurous side is originally seen by the men around her as something alluring, once she wants to adventure outside of the men she’s been surrounded by for her entire existence, her desirability comes into question. Throughout her life on screen, it seemed as though she could never do anything right. Her character trope follows the “Born Sexy Yesterday” trope made popular by films like The Fifth Element where women who are infantilized are also the primary object of male affection within the same breath. The film actively attempts to break her out of this narrative, and once she matures she is no longer as desirable as she was, they even attempt to replace her. Once the past catches up to Bella, it is expected that she reverts into what she is no longer capable of being. Her story from start to finish was one of never quite being good enough, at least not until she stopped looking for approval from those who would never understand her.

While both films analyze feminism and do a good job of introducing it to audiences who might seek to develop their perspectives, they both only scratched the surface. As a challenge for Women’s History Month, I think it important to look at other works of feminist literature and filmmaking, especially where larger groups of women are represented. Even for other women, it is important to learn empathy for others, especially those groups that the film world is still dragging their feet on so all women can eventually have their time to shine, because just like the ones that have gotten their moments, they are perfect and they are powerful- and that is not something that can be manufactured.

WRITTEN BY

ERIC CEJA RUIZ

ILLUSTRATION BY

ABIHAIL ORTEGA