The ’Pink House’ as shown in Barbie. Image via Warner Bros Pictures.
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On July 21, 2023, girls everywhere smiled at the sight of a female President Barbie on the big screen. Just one year later, on July 21, 2024, those same girls smiled once again because Vice President Kamala Harris was officially running for president. In 2023, director Greta Gerwig’s film Barbie transcended expectations of being merely a portrayal of a beloved doll by instead presenting a thought-provoking examination of gender dynamics, societal expectations, and the pursuit of equality. Now, in 2024, the similarities between the struggles of Barbie Land and those of women across the United States are strikingly palpable. These similarities, especially highlighted by Kamala Harris’s historic presidential run, underscore the enduring fight for gender equality and the need to challenge and dismantle patriarchal structures.
In Barbie, we are introduced to a world that, at least at first, appears much different than our own: one where Barbies rule supreme—a utopia where women can and are anything they wish, including presidents, doctors, astronauts, and construction workers. The fictional world presents a vision of a society where women’s capabilities are never questioned, and their ambitions are limitless. In Barbie Land, women are celebrated for their achievements and leadership, while in our world, women like Harris must navigate a complex web of biases and stereotypes. The film cleverly uses the idyllic Barbie Land to expose the absurdity of these biases and force us to question, “Why can’t our world be more like Barbie’s?” It challenges viewers to reimagine a society where women’s contributions are valued equally, and their potential is fully realized. Barbie Land acts as a window to what could be if our nation were devoid of the patriarchal structures and societal limitations that women face. This culminated with the portrayal of Barbie as a president and a role model for young girls, symbolizing the potential that women hold when given equal opportunities. As Harris embarks on her presidential campaign, breaking barriers and challenging the status quo, it seems that our world may not be that different from Barbie Land, given we may have our very own President Barbie come November. However, our world has far more similarities to Barbie Land than just that—none of which are quite as idealistic.
A central point of Gerwig’s Barbie is the concept of female identity and self-worth, with the film exploring the pressures women face to conform to societal expectations—and the complementary struggle to define their own identities. Though she’s meant to be a plastic doll, Margot Robbie’s Barbie is not exempt from these pressures. Barbies are expected to be perfect, always smiling, always maintaining an image of flawlessness. These unrealistic expectations reflect broader societal pressures placed on real-world women to conform to idealized versions of femininity and what women “should be.” This theme is particularly relevant in the context of Harris’s own journey as she strives to prove her worth and capability in a male-dominated political landscape. Like many women in leadership positions, Harris must navigate the delicate balance between being assertive and likable, strong yet approachable. In Barbie, America Ferrera’s character Gloria perfectly describes this paradox in her monologue, managing to put into words what women face day in and day out. As she aptly states,
“It is literally impossible to be a woman…Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong. You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can’t ask for money because that’s crass. You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas. You’re supposed to love being a mother, but don’t talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman but also always be looking out for other people. You have to answer for men’s bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you’re accused of complaining. You’re supposed to stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you’re supposed to be a part of the sisterhood. But always stand out and always be grateful. But never forget that the system is rigged. So find a way to acknowledge that but also always be grateful. You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line. It’s too hard! It’s too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out in fact that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault.”
Ferrera’s monologue powerfully encapsulates the daily battles women endure, reflecting the same pressures Harris faces as she traverses her presidential campaign. Since beginning her campaign, Harris has had to deal with these intense hypocrisies and double standards. Her critics often focus on superficial aspects, such as her clothing and mannerisms, rather than her qualifications and achievements. Unlike Former U.S. President Donald Trump, Harris does not have a lengthy criminal record, four years of political failures, or the incitement of a domestic terrorist attack under her belt. So, these critics are merely grasping at straws, searching for any reason to discredit her—no matter how outrageous.
Harris has also been facing frequent judgment from right-wing politicians and media, labeling her a “DEI hire”—suggesting her position is a result of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives rather than her merit. This notion is blatantly racist and undermines her extensive career and accomplishments, reducing her to nothing more than a symbol of “Affirmative Action” rather than recognizing her capabilities.
Another common right-wing tactic to disparage Harris has been to criticize her laugh, which, no pun intended, is quite laughable. In a segment of “Hannity,” Fox News broadcaster Sean Hannity attacked Kamala’s ability to serve as president and be taken seriously merely because she laughs, saying, “I don’t care if it’s China, Iran, North Korea, Russia…they won’t fear Kamala Harris. They’ll laugh at Kamala Harris because that’s what she does half the time anyway. She giggles away…her time. I don’t think they’ll take her seriously because I don’t think she’s a serious person.”
Speculation on whether laughing is enough to bar someone from being president aside, it is incredibly hypocritical to claim Harris is unfit to serve as president due to such superficial “faults” given that the same individuals who offer up these critiques of her are the same ones to publicly support Donald Trump despite him being a convicted felon. In fact, in another segment, Sean Hannity called Harris “incompetent” while praising Trump, claiming, “the choice [in the 2024 election] has never been more clear.” Now, personally, I’d prefer the person who runs my country to be someone human and down-to-earth enough to laugh now and then over someone who’s a convicted felon—but I guess Sean Hannity and I just disagree on that. Like with Hannity, these rampant double standards reveal the entrenched biases and societal expectations that unfairly target women like Harris while excusing similar, or in this case, worse, behavior in men.
Unfortunately, the parallels between Barbie and our modern real world do not end there, and the most alarming of which has until now been left undiscussed. The movie’s turning point comes when the Kens decide to take over Barbie Land. When the Kens seize control, they introduce chaos and disorder, undermining the harmony and progress that the Barbies had established. This narrative of the destructive potential of unchecked patriarchal power frighteningly parallels the real-world political landscape in the United States in 2024. We face a precipice: just as the Kens set back the freedoms of Barbies in Barbie Land, Trump and the Republican Party have and will continue to set back the freedoms of women in America given the opportunity. The most glaringly obvious sign of this came with the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022), which overturned Roe v. Wade (1975), depriving women of abortion access across the country and igniting a fierce battle over women’s reproductive rights. Since this disastrous step backward, things have only gotten far more alarming.
Now, in 2024, the rights to contraceptives, IVF, and other reproductive healthcare options are being threatened by political movements such as Project 2025, notoriously spearheaded by Trump and the Republican Party. The Republicans have also been seeking to weaken Title IX protections, which, if successful, would only make it even more difficult for women to fight back against sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace and in education. It doesn’t end there, though. While campaigning, Trump has also expressed his intent to overturn the Affordable Care Act, threatening vital healthcare services such as maternal health coverage, mental health support, and preventive care that millions of women rely on, particularly low-income women and women of color. Doing this would mean further widening health disparities and undermining the progress made over the past decades. Together, these policies represent a systematic effort to undermine women’s autonomy, health, and safety, jeopardizing decades of progress and hard-won rights.
In Barbie, the Barbies’ solution to combating the Kens’ destructive takeover is banding together to reclaim their rights and restore order. While the solution to our real-world problem may not be as simple and easy to achieve, the film is actually not too far off. Just as in the film, women are mobilizing and coming together in historic ways to protect their rights and challenge the patriarchal structures that seek to control their bodies and limit their freedoms. The very same day Harris announced her campaign launch, Black women across America held a Zoom call to rally support. These women far surpassed the platform’s 1,000-participant typical capacity with an unprecedented amount of log-ons, estimated by AP News to be totaled around 90,000. The unprecedented and immediate rallying around Harris doesn’t end there, though. In the first twenty-four hours after her campaign launch, Harris raised a historic $81 million in donations. As her campaign stated, this is the single-largest amount of money raised by a U.S. candidate in one day. These extraordinary showings of solidarity underscore the profound importance of women uniting in the face of adversity, demonstrating the power of collective action as women rally to fight not only for Harris’s success, but for the success of all women.
Harris’s campaign is a beacon of hope in this struggle, symbolizing the resilience and determination of women to fight for their rights and achieve true equality. Harris’s journey is a testament to the progress and persistent struggles of women in politics. Just as President Barbie inspires the little girls watching her, Harris’s campaign inspires girls everywhere. Harris’s candidacy is not merely about breaking the highest glass ceiling—it’s a fight for structural change. Barbie’s fictional world is a vision of our nation’s potential, but achieving that potential demands action—solidarity across gender, race, and class lines, and structural reforms that guarantee all women can rise, not just to power, but to thrive. True equality extends beyond the imagery of women in power. It means ensuring that women in leadership aren’t outliers, but rather part of a sustainable, equitable future where opportunities for success are universal. Only through collective action can we ensure that women like Harris are not exceptions, but part of a future where equality is the norm.
