Executives at Mattel downplay feminist themes in 'Barbie' movie

While the cast and crew of Barbie movie are not worried about admitting Barbie is a feminist feature, Mattel, the company behind Barbie, appears to be hesitant to embrace the film's feminist politics.

In a recent cover story for Time magazine, the crew of Greta Gerwig's film discussed the film's feminist themes and its exploration of Barbie's cultural significance.

On the other hand, Robbie Brenner, executive producer of Mattel Films, explicitly stated that Barbie is not a feminist film, a sentiment echoed by other unnamed Mattel executives.

When confronted with these remarks, Margot Robbie, who stars as Barbie in the movie, responded by saying, "Who said that?"

"It's not that it is or it isn't. It's a movie. It's a movie that's got so much in it... we're in on the joke. This isn't a Barbie puff piece."

This statement is intriguing considering the evidence presented in the movie's trailer and the film itself. The movie acknowledges the criticisms and complexities surrounding Barbie, and even features a comical portrayal of Mattel's CEO in the story.

Given the widespread saturation of Barbie's pink-themed merchandise and Mattel's recent efforts to diversify the Barbie doll range, it is puzzling why Mattel would distance itself from the movie's apparent intention to reposition Barbie's role in popular culture.

Margot Robbie also acknowledged the importance of Mattel's decision to diversify the Barbie doll range, stating that if such changes hadn't been made, she would not have been interested in making a Barbie film. 

“If [Mattel] hadn’t made that change to have a multiplicity of Barbies, I don’t think I would have wanted to attempt to make a Barbie film,” Robbie said.