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.

  • spiderjuzce@lemmy.sdf.org
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    1 year ago

    I think if anyone gets mad at a Barbie movie or some random article on the internet that has nothing to do with them, that’s a good sign they’re emotionally unstable

    • zeroxxx@lemmy.my.id
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      1 year ago

      People are free to be mad at anything as they please as long as they dont harm to other people.

      Or maybe people should not be mad at news article of Russia invading Ukraine for no reason?

        • zeroxxx@lemmy.my.id
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          1 year ago

          It is an article. Both.

          Dont worry, I also dont take people on Internet seriously. Most of them are not even my equal.

    • whatsarefoogee@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Define “mad”. I’ve watched it (arrr) myself and The Barbie movie is very political, despite them completely hiding it in the trailers and the promotional material.

      Fervent political media tends to rile people up, especially when it’s very one-sided. I presume you haven’t seen it and think people are upset over a light hearted comedy.

      • 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.

      • spiderjuzce@lemmy.sdf.org
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        1 year ago

        If it’s talking about equality then it’s not political. People’s lives are not political they are not objects for other people to react to. Touch grass.

    • oatscoop@midwest.social
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      1 year ago

      I’d call it emotionally immature.

      A surprising number of the people I grew up or work with act like they’re still in high school when it comes to social/interpersonal skills – these people are all well over 30 years old.