For some women in China, “Barbie” is more than just a movie — it’s also a litmus test for their partner’s views on feminism and patriarchy.

The movie has prompted intense social media discussion online, media outlets Sixth Tone and the China Project reported this week, prompting women to discuss their own dating experiences.

One user on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu — a photo-sharing site similar to Instagram that’s mostly used by Gen Z women — even shared a guide on Monday for how women can test their boyfriends based on their reaction to the film.

According to the guide, if a man shows hatred for “Barbie” and slams female directors after they leave the theatre, then this man is “stingy” and a “toxic chauvinist,” according to Insider’s translation of the post. Conversely, if a man understands even half of the movie’s themes, “then he is likely a normal guy with normal values and stable emotions,” the user wrote.

  • mashbooq@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    It’s only political if you think human rights are political. For normal people who care about other people, it’s a light hearted comedy

    • DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe
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      1 year ago

      Human rights are political by definition. Feminism is political by definition. That the average person (or at least the ones worth knowing) is a feminist, whether they know it or not, doesn’t mean the ideas aren’t political in nature.

      The problem is that people think political means bad or controversial instead of, you know, relating to concepts of governance and self rule.

    • Thorny_Thicket@sopuli.xyz
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      1 year ago

      The fact that I don’t want to go to the movies to watch propaganda doesn’t mean I’m against that propaganda. I go there to be entertained.

      • dangblingus@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        You didn’t reply to their comment, you just added your own idiotic take. The movie isn’t propaganda unless you think a story about women and men having equal rights and equal opportunity is propaganda.

        Is The Matrix propaganda? Is Terminator propaganda? Is Star Trek propaganda? All entertaining movies, all have heavy social commentary.

        • DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe
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          1 year ago

          Those are all propaganda, the problem is people use propaganda to mean lies when it means information and ideas disseminated to impact public opinion.

          So, you know, basically all art and every intellectual pursuit.

        • Thorny_Thicket@sopuli.xyz
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          1 year ago

          I haven’t seen the Barbie movie. I have no idea what it’s like. My comment was about “propaganda” movies in general

      • Torvum@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        You’ll get nothing from communists in this discussion friend. People refuse to allow our media to be escapism anymore and demand even already addressed issues drilled into ‘entertainment’. We traded pop culture references for this, and somehow I want the references back

        • dangblingus@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          EvErYoNe WhO dIsAgReEs WiTh Me Is A cOmMuNiSt. You’re not even aware at how much of a self-report you’re doing.