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But love her or hate her, the new live-action film on
Andrea, who like many fellow movie-goers wore a Barbie-inspired outfit to see the new feminist comedy at a theater in the
That version of the famed blonde doll with a slender frame and narrow waist was an accomplished professional during the day before going out and having fun in the evenings with friends.
In an interview with Efe just moments before entering the theater to see the new film starring
'SO MANY DIFFERENT BARBIES'
Ray, 24, attended one of the first screenings of "Barbie" along with two of her friends. She said that "
"I grew up with Barbie ... I love the cast. (The film) looks a little bit gay, which I'm excited about. It's pink. There's dance numbers. I mean, I love
For 36-year-old Sahira, Barbie transmits "happiness" and encourages people to "dream big," while drag queen Sage Zariah said she has taken to heart the doll's message about being whomever you want to be.
"There's so many different Barbies. They inspire you to be whoever you want to be. Like me, right now, I'm Pop Star Barbie. I can be
TWO SIDES TO THE ICONIC TOY
But according to
She notes that the doll was launched in 1959 by
The message women receive - and that Barbie promotes - is that beauty is equally as important as creative or intellectual aspirations, Sisco said.
She added, however, that Gerwig's film and the new lines of Barbie dolls that
Tammy, a 54-year-old fan who collects
Psychologist
They teach kids about the ways of the world, she said, noting that dolls serve as substitutes for real people and are used by children as a practice ground for future human interactions.
Lexi, 28, said she is rather indifferent to Barbie because she never had one of those dolls as a young girl.
Wearing a T-shirt with the name "
She stressed the importance of supporting a picture in which different sizes, genders and identities are represented.
Spending money on those types of movies is a way for movie-goers to "make demands of the corporations that create (content)," she said.
Gerwig's film shows it is possible to have "diverse Barbies in body size and in gender identity and in race ... maybe we can have all these different things that represent us all."
"And I hope that this is a way to demand that by saying, 'we're giving you our money. We want to see it. We love to see it.' And I hope that Barbie becomes something that everyone associates with," Lexi added.
In the film, Gerwig explores the "love-hate" relationship between society and Barbie.
According to Sisco, the director is using the history of the doll to question patriarchal norms about who a woman should be and what gender is.
So far, the creative talents of Gerwig and her cast and crew - along with a massive marketing push and huge social media buzz surrounding the film - have paid big dividends.
Made with a production budget of
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