'Barbie' affirms the goodness of women's embodiment

Greta Gerwig's inventive and very funny movie is an anti-Gnostic tale.

Last Sunday, after church and brunch, three girlfriends and I joined the gaggle of women flocking to theaters to see Barbie, Greta Gerwig’s inventive, poignant, and very funny take on the popular, polarizing doll. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?

In its first week, the movie has made $500 million in global box office sales, thanks to an omnipresent, months-long marketing campaign that’s included clothing and makeup collabs, an Airbnb listing for a Malibu Dreamhouse, a Barbie Burger King cheeseburger with pink sauce, and endless memes. If you’re tired of them, buckle up: We’re going to be seeing them for a while.

At our Sunday matinee, groups of women were decked out in pink and taking selfies. We had a great time together. I’ve been encouraged to see a “monoculture” event like this bubble up in the post-pandemic era, when theater sales have slumped, most blockbuster movies look like computer games, and at-home streaming takes us further away from in-person, collective joy.

As Michelle Goldb…