What Barbie Gets Right (and Wrong) About American Culture
A cultural analysis of how Barbie Land exposes America’s struggle with fairness, power, and success.
Imagine stepping into a world where everyone is equal, power is shared, and kindness is the default setting. There would be no cutthroat competition, no glass ceilings, and no “it’s just business” excuses for injustice.
Welcome to Barbie Land.
The Barbie movie isn’t just a playful fantasy; it’s a cultural critique. It exposes the gap between the world Americans say they want and the one they’ve built.
Does Barbie Land represent an ideal we should strive for, or is it just another illusion?
The difference between Barbie World and American culture drives the plot and adds humor. The lesson is a commentary on American culture.
Disclaimer: I write about places and events I’ve experienced first-hand; however, I’ve never visited Barbie Land and have had no experience with Barbie dolls.
Barbie Land is portrayed as an ideal from a particular cultural perspective. The question is, is this idealized Barbie culture what Americans want? Because the movie does a good job of pointing out the gap between Barbie Land and reality. The movie is biased in favor of the Barbie culture.
The Ideal Culture?
What does Barbie think is the ideal culture? It turns out to be cultural dimensions Americans say they want but don’t always practice:
Equality and power. Equality between citizens as well as equality between citizens and government
Harmony. Everyone gets along and helps each other.
Fairness. Laws and the sense of fairness apply equally regardless of wealth, power, or social standing.
Ability. People are valued for their abilities rather than their money, position or status.
Inirect communication. Barbies share a common understanding and can communicate by words and ‘inside’ understanding.
Equality and power
In Barbie Land, people are treated equally, and the power they wield is evenly spread—no one is above anyone else. Leadership is flat, not hierarchical. Those in power want to work together and move forward rather than oppose each other with a winner-take-all strategy. There is no power struggle (low power distance).
In the real world, hierarchy matters—a lot (high power distance). Barbie gets a rude awakening when she marches into Mattel’s boardroom and finds herself surrounded by men in suits making decisions from the top down.
They dismiss her because she lacks power or status in their world, even though she’s literally Barbie. It's like a top economist advising the President on the best course of action, only to be ignored due to a lack of political influence.
Harmony - “Me” or “We”
Then there’s the whole “me” versus “we.” In America, personal success and individualism reign supreme—being unique, standing out, and making a name for yourself is the ultimate goal (individualism).
But Barbie Land runs on community. The citizens of Barbie Land build each other up, and their collective success, prosperity, and happiness matter most - the rising tide raises all ships (collectivism).
This is clear when Barbie (Margot Robbie) has a meltdown over her sudden existential crisis, and all the other Barbies rush to comfort her rather than encourage her to “find herself” alone.
Meanwhile, Ken (Ryan Gosling) enters the real world and latches onto the idea that individual status—especially male dominance—matters more than anything.
Fairness
The big dilemma: “Rules apply to everyone… or do they?” Barbie assumes the real world works like Barbie Land, where fairness is universal, and everyone follows the same rules (universalism). But reality hits hard when she realizes that rules are often flexible - in the most negative way.
In the real world, rules change depending on power, wealth, or gender (particularism). In terms of earning respect, Barbie Land runs on a simple idea—if you’re good at something, you’re valued for it (achievement).
In the real world, not so much. Status and social standing count more than actual skills. This is why Ken, with zero experience, is immediately assumed to be management material just because he’s a white man (ascription).
Communication
Finally, there’s communication. In Barbie Land, the Barbies share an unspoken understanding; they don’t need to spell everything out because they ‘get’ each other (high-context communication). In America, people are more direct—what you say is what you mean (low-context communication).
Americans also use specific words that others don’t always understand. Barbie stumbles into this reality when she doesn’t pick up on the unsaid rules of the real world, from catcalling to corporate language that makes no sense to her.
What Barbie Reveals About America
The Barbie movie is more than a kids' movie; it’s a lesson on cultural contradictions and a commentary on mainstream American culture. The movie shows the gap between America’s ideals and realities. Barbie Land is a utopian contrast to America, at least from the producer’s cultural perspective.
Barbie says, "I want to be part of the people that make meaning, not the thing that is made." This is the struggle of living in a world with different cultural values.