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The first Barbie Doll from 1959 is displayed at the interactive exhibition "The World of Barbie" on June 28, 2023, at Santa Monica Place in Santa Monica, California. A weapons engineer turned doll maker is the unexpected link to "Barbenheimer," the affectionately dubbed duo from Warner Bros.′ "Barbie" and Universal's "Oppenheimer." And yet, the Barbie doll comes from a weapons background. Before designing the world's most famous doll, Jack Ryan worked for aerospace giant Raytheon and helped create the weapons that formed the backbone of America's missile defense. On July 24, 1959, Ryan filed a U.S. patent detailing his concept for what would later become the world's most recognizable toy doll.
Persons: Barbie, Oppenheimer, harping, Jack Ryan, Ryan, Cathy Organizations: Santa Monica, Warner Bros, Raytheon, Yale, Patriot, Mattel Locations: Santa Monica , California
Looking to next week, earnings season will ramp up — and though we'll get some important economic data, expect the corporate releases and management commentary on the post-game calls to be firmly in the driver's seat. Here are two important things to know for the week ahead. Quarterly earnings : As important as economic releases are, it's earnings that will garner the bulk of investors' attention. For those looking to review first-quarter performance ahead of these releases, keep our first-quarter earnings report card handy. Here's the full rundown of all the important domestic data in the week ahead.
Persons: Dow, we'll, we've, Lawrence Yun, Jerome Powell's, Sartorius, Sartorius preannounced, It's, management's, We'll, Tesla, Ford's, Sherwin, Williams, Archer, Clark, Lam, Edwards Lifesciences, Hewlett, Northrop, Dr Pepper, Davidson, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Spencer Platt Organizations: Nasdaq, Economic, National Association of Realtors, Nine, GE Healthcare, Microsoft, YouTube, Linde, LIN, Honeywell, Aerospace, Technologies, Ford, Procter & Gamble, Dynex, HBT, Hope Bancorp, NXP Semiconductors, Cadence Design Systems, Whirlpool, Logitech International, Liberty Global, Verizon Communications, General Motors, General Electric, GE, Spotify, Raytheon Technologies, Daniels, Midland, Albertsons Companies, ACI, Polaris Industries, Inc, Dow Chemical, DOW, Xerox, Texas Instruments, WM, Canadian National Railway Company, Chubb Corporation, Universal Health Services, Powell, Boeing, Hilton, Union Pacific, General Dynamics, Quest Diagnostics, Otis Worldwide, Grill, Lam Research, eBay, EBAY, Mattel, Hewlett Packard, L3Harris Technologies, Gross, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Southwest Airlines, Mastercard, Myers Squibb, Northrop Grumman, Hertz, Tractor Supply Company, HCA Healthcare, Boston, Hershey, Comcast, Harley, Norfolk Southern, Intel, Mobile, United States Steel Corp, KLA Corporation, Boston Beer Company, Nation Entertainment, Texas, Procter, Gamble, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Charter Communications, AstraZeneca, Colgate, Palmolive, Newell Brands, Sanofi, Dwight, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, New York Stock Exchange, Getty Locations: U.S, Hollywood, Cleveland, Corning, Kimberly, Bristol, Norfolk
Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq (.IXIC) lagged in the previous session as earnings reports from Tesla (TSLA.O) and Netflix (NFLX.O) failed to dazzle. The megacap electric automaker recovered 1.1% in premarket trading on Friday, while the streaming video company edged higher. The NYSE FANG+TM index (.NYFANG) that houses the megacap growth names also closed 4.6% lower in the previous session, notching its worst day so far in 2023. ET, Dow e-minis were up 13 points, or 0.04%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 11 points, or 0.24%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 73.75 points, or 0.47%. Reporting by Bansari Mayur Kamdar and Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Johnson, Powell, David Mericle, Goldman Sachs, Toymaker Mattel's, Morgan Stanley, Bansari Mayur Kamdar, Johann M, Shinjini Organizations: Mattel, Dow, Nasdaq, Johnson, Tesla, Netflix, NYSE, Dow e, American Express, Investors, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru
The Barbie movie is a 'litmus test' for Mattel's strategy: UBS
  + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com   time to read: 1 min
In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe Barbie movie is a 'litmus test' for Mattel's strategy: UBSArpine Kocharyan of UBS discusses why she is positive on Mattel's prospects with its shift towards an "IP driven strategy".
Organizations: UBS Arpine, UBS
REUTERS/Arriana McLymoreJuly 21 (Reuters) - Shoppers are snapping up Barbie hoop earrings, perfume, jumpsuits, and dresses as retailers seek to cash in on Friday's Barbie film release, reigniting the craze for the plastic doll and her hot pink, sequin-adorned universe. Mattel says the Barbie movie is expected to boost global sales of Barbie dolls, which declined last year from record growth during the pandemic. A Gap Barbie hoodie for women was available only in size XXS online, while a pair of Barbie Crocs, priced at $59.99 - $10 more than normal Crocs - was sold out on the Crocs website. Luggage brand Beis had a waiting list for all three sizes of suitcases in a Barbie pink, priced at a premium to its usual colour range. Walmart pitched Barbie dolls in varying skin tones and hairstyles at $45 to collectors.
Persons: browses, Arriana, Friday's, Barbie, Jo Ashdown, Ryan Gosling, Ken, Zara Barbie, hoodie, Barbie Crocs, Barbie toothbrushes, James Zahn, that's, Helen Reid, Savyata Mishra, Siddharth Cavale, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, Mattel, WPP, Walmart, Hyatt Hotels, Hilton, Thomson Locations: Zara's Soho, New York City, U.S, Bogota, Colombia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
She was more distant in my adulthood, as Barbie had become a subject of feminist concern. I followed many authors, artists, musicians and assorted culture jammers who were publicly working out their own Barbie issues in fascinating ways. However we feel about Barbie at a given moment says a lot more about us than it does about Barbie. Mattel’s litigious responses to things like the 1998 intersectional feminist body-image essay collection “Adios, Barbie” and Aqua’s gratingly ubiquitous earworm “Barbie Girl” didn’t help its P.R. It’s a fitting approach, since the most interesting thing about Barbie has always been our reactions to her.
Persons: Barbie, jammers, she’s, Rather, Ophelia, Anita Hill, Barbie —, Mattel’s, Barbie ”, , Greta Gerwig Organizations: Committee, Latina, Miss America, Playboy, Mattel, American Association of University Women Locations: Hollywood
[1/2] Margot Robbie poses on the pink carpet for the world premiere of the film "Barbie" in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 9, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake /File PhotoLOS ANGELES, July 21 (Reuters) - Film fans headed to cinemas in Los Angeles for early screenings of frothy comedy "Barbie" and nuclear arms biopic "Oppenheimer" - a double feature billed as "Barbenheimer." "Barbie" stars Margot Robbie as the Mattel doll, who is living her idyllic life in Barbie World, until one day she starts having dark thoughts and flat feet. Many of the fans coming to see "Barbie" dressed up in pink and posed for pictures in a makeshift Barbie toy box. Reporting by Omar Younis and Rollo Ross in Los Angeles; Editing by Mary Milliken and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Margot Robbie, Mike Blake, Oppenheimer, Joey Litvak, Barbie, Mattel, Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy, J, Robert Oppenheimer, Jackie Brenneman, Cage, Claudia Ripper, Brenneman, Omar Younis, Rollo Ross, Mary Milliken, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Hollywood, National Association of Theatre, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Los Angeles, LA
The rumor is $100 million. Still, $100 million feels about right, especially compared to what other movies spend. It's been boosted by the unexpected showdown between the pink, sparkly, sunshine Barbie movie, and the other blockbuster opening the same day — about the guy who invented the atomic bomb. Variety reports that on its opening weekend, "Barbie" is expected to take between $95 million and $110 million from ticket sales in North America alone, which would match what we assume was spent on marketing. But if "Barbie" can get that many people through the door on its opening weekend, the huge advertising push has definitely done something right.
Persons: Barbie, it's, Barbie Dreamhouse, Warner Bros hasn't Organizations: Vogue, Warner Bros, Mattel, Variety Locations: Malibu, North America
Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMattel CEO Ynon Kreiz on new Barbie movie: It's a milestone moment for the companyYnon Kreiz, Mattel CEO, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss what took so long to make the Barbie movie happen, how investors should think about the new Barbie movie, and much more.
Persons: Ynon Kreiz Organizations: Mattel
Some health experts are angry over a project the firm funded in schools, per The BMJ. One criticized the decision to give dolls to UK schools as "stealth marketing." But some experts in the health sector are concerned about how far Barbie maker Mattel's marketing really goes. Several experts told the British Medical Journal they took issue with the company's decision to supply 700 UK schools with Barbie dolls as part of Mattel's "Barbie School of Friendship" program. But critics are questioning whether potential negative effects, such as gender stereotyping in Barbie dolls and Mattel's heavy use of branding, were considered.
Persons: Barbie movie's, Barbie, Ken, van Schalkwyk, Philippa Perry Organizations: Mattel, Service, British Medical, Cardiff University, BMJ, Cardiff Locations: Wall, Silicon
Los Angeles movie fans hit the multiplexes for 'Barbenheimer'
  + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
[1/2] Margot Robbie poses on the pink carpet for the world premiere of the film "Barbie" in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 9, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake /File PhotoLOS ANGELES, July 21 (Reuters) - Film fans headed to cinemas in Los Angeles for early screenings of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer," a doubleheader being billed as "Barbenheimer". At the TCL Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, some movie-goers were fully getting into the global "Barbenheimer" craze, with plans to see both films on the same day. "Barbie" stars Margot Robbie as the Mattel doll, who is living her idyllic life in Barbie World until one day, she starts having dark thoughts and flat feet. Many of the fans coming to see "Barbie" dressed up in pink and posed for pictures in a makeshift Barbie toy box.
Persons: Margot Robbie, Mike Blake, Oppenheimer, Joey Litvak, Barbie, Mattel, Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy, J, Robert Oppenheimer, Cage, Claudia Ripper, Omar Younis, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Hollywood, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Los Angeles, LA
The "Barbie" movie could drive material upside for Mattel stock, according to Goldman Sachs. The bank increased its Mattel price target to $24 as estimates suggest more than $150 million in ticket sales this weekend. These are the three reasons why Goldman expects the movie to drive financial upside for Mattel. These are the three factors that could help Mattel benefit from the potential success of the "Barbie" movie. A bonus reason exists for Mattel stock to benefit from the "Barbie" movie, and that's the possibility of Mattel licensing more of its intellectual property for content creation, according to the note.
Persons: Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Margot Robbie, Barbie, Ryan Gosling, Ken, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Warner Brothers, Mattel, Stephen Laszczyk, Laszczyk, J.J . Abrams Organizations: Mattel, Service, Privacy, BoxOffice Pro, Rotten Locations: Wall, Silicon, America
But can the same be said for Mattel shares? Mattel stock is up more about 19% on a year to date basis after a mixed start to the year. Into the Barbie release, the stock reflects the growing buzz. Mattel shares moved from $17.59 on June 1 to breaking into the $20 range for the first time since February. Though Barbie is not a typical film in the space given its adult audience, Jefferies analyst Andrew Uerkwitz said, it can still help Mattel sales incrementally.
Persons: Gordon Haskett, Don Bilson, Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Bilson, Goldman Sachs, Stephen Laszczyk, Davidson, Linda Bolton Weiser, Bolton Weiser, Barbie, Brett Feldman, Jefferies, Andrew Uerkwitz, Roth, David Bellinger, Bellinger, Mario, Morgan Stanley, Benjamin Swinburne, ramped, Oppenheimer, Laszczyk, David Karnovsky, Karnovsky, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Mattel, Warner Bros, Lions, Lions Gate, Hasbro, MAT, Analysts, Universal Pictures, Mario Bros, Hollywood, JPMorgan, CNBC, Alliance, Television Producers, Guild of America Locations: 2H23
It's not just Barbie — lots of big brands are getting serious about making Hollywood-style entertainment. Insider identified 13 new and established players making the biggest moves in the space. "Barbie" may be the movie of the summer, but lots of other big brands are getting serious about making Hollywood-style entertainment. Neutrogena: Neutrogena Studios launched in 2021 and is J&J Consumer's first brand-funded content studio to make feature documentaries and scripted shorts. PepsiCo: PepsiCo's Content Studio is led by veteran PepsiCo marketer Lou Arbetter.
Persons: It's, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer's, Oscar, Michael Sugar, Brian Newman, REI, Michael Sugar's, Jae Goodman, Lauren Denowitz, Coke, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard's, Selman Careaga, John Deere, Mara Downing, Al Roker, Jill Wilfert, Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie, Barbie, Ken, Jaap Buitendijk, Robbie Brenner, J.J, Abrams, Lena Dunham, Barney, Daniel Kaluuya, J, Sebastian Garcia, Laurie Hernandez, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck's, Entertainment —, Justin Biskin —, Howard, Lou Arbetter, Max, Robert Rodriguez, Nadia Hallgre, Stanley Nelson, Arbetter, Procter, Kimberly Doebereiner, Paolo Mattola, Kyra Sedgwick, Watiti, Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello, Saint, Pedro Almodóvar, Ethan Hawke, Pedro Pascal, it's, Paolo Sorrentino, David Cronenberg, Kelly Mullen, Bryce Dallas Howard, Lena Waithe, WePresent, Holly Fraser, Moses Sumney, Solange Knowles, Riz Ahmed, Aneil, Fraser Organizations: Hollywood, Procter, Gamble, Companies, Brands, Unilever, InBev, Waffle Iron Entertainment, draftLine Entertainment, Netflix, Coca Cola, Entertainment, Global, Deere, Warner Bros, Warner Brothers, Universal Studios, Mattel, Neutrogena Studios, Studio, Kerry, Seattle Film, Ghetto Film, HBO Nike, Nike, Waffle, Apple, HBO, PepsiCo, Pepsi Super, Showtime, Pepsi, G Studios, Imagine, Amazon's, Hulu, Paramount, Blue Fox Entertainment, Saint Laurent Productions, Unilever Entertainment, Imagine Entertainment, Monotype Locations: Hollywood, Kerry Washington, American, Cannes, Britain
The Big Number: $150 Million
  + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Marie Solis | ) www.nytimes.com   time to read: 1 min
Ordinarily, two films opening on the same day would be competitors. But “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” widely released on Friday, are geared toward different audiences. And the stark contrast between the movies — one portraying the Mattel doll’s pink-bathed universe and the other the architect of the atomic bomb — has borne a surfeit of jokes online and a conjoined hype cycle that promises eye-popping ticket sales for both.
Persons: Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer, Organizations: Mattel
“Barbie” is premiering this weekend and is trying to pull off a seemingly impossible task: taking a doll best known for reinforcing conventional stereotypes of women and rebranding it as a symbol of feminism, all without coming off as a shameless ad for the doll’s maker, Mattel. Willa Paskin, a journalist and host of Slate’s Decoder Ring podcast, recounts her conversation with the film’s director, Greta Gerwig, about how she approached the challenge.
Persons: “ Barbie ”, Willa Paskin, Greta Gerwig Organizations: Mattel
Ruth Handler wanted to make an adult fashion doll but Mattel's team shot her downChesnot/Getty ImagesBarbie is back in vogue. The current hype around the brand is in sharp contrast to the rejections Barbie inventor Ruth Handler faced when she first tried to create the doll in the 1950s. But Handler, who had co-created Mattel in 1945, struggled to convince people of the market for an adult fashion doll. Mattel's team told her it wouldn't be possible to make such dolls at a low price in the US, she wrote. "As the years went by, I brought up my idea a few more times, but everybody would kind of turn me off," Handler wrote.
Persons: Ruth Handler, Barbie, Zs, Margot Robbie, Ryan Reynolds, Barbara, Handler Organizations: Mattel
In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMattel’s Barbie gains may end by next year, warns Jefferies' Andrew UerkwitzAndrew Uerkwitz, Jefferies analyst, joins 'Fast Money' to talk the upcoming Barbie movie and the impact it will have on Mattel as a company.
Persons: Mattel’s Barbie, Jefferies, Andrew Uerkwitz Andrew Uerkwitz Organizations: Jefferies, Mattel
But the release of half a dozen movies about brands — Barbie, Flamin' Hot Cheetos, Tetris, Nike Air, BlackBerry, and Beanie Babies — in six months isn't just the result of Hollywood groupthink and coincidence. But just as these brand-centric movies ring hollow, so does the gig economy they're catering to. While the plot isn't about the making of Barbie, Barbie and Ken do step outside Barbie Land to peek behind the curtains of their creation.) As more companies look to gig workers to replace full-time jobs, more workers take up gig work. As the economy continues to emphasize the importance of self-branding through gig work, brand movies will continue to resonate.
Persons: Ryan, — Barbie, Flamin, isn't, Barbie, doggedly, Zach Galifianakis, Ty Warner, Ken, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Ben Affleck, , it's, hadn't, they'd, it'd, Jared Holst, Jared Organizations: Nike Air, BlackBerry, Hollywood, Hulu, Mattel, Federal Trade Commission, Amazon, Economic, Institute, Brands Locations: American, New York, Brooklyn
Morning Bid: Barbie hits the box office
  + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +3 min
[1/2] A fan takes a photo of a Barbie doll at the world premiere of the film "Barbie" in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 9, 2023. American Airlines (AAL.O) and Philip Morris (PM.N) are reporting. Market sources told Reuters that China's state banks were out in the Asia morning selling dollars offshore. Mattel says the Barbie movie is expected to boost global sales of Barbie dolls, which declined last year from record growth during the pandemic. Reuters GraphicsKey developments that could influence markets on Thursday:Data: U.S. jobless claims, housing startsEarnings: Philip Morris, American AirlinesReporting by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Mike Blake, Tom Westbrook Barbie's, Elon Musk, Ansell, Philip Morris, Barbie, Tom Westbrook, Edmund Klamann Organizations: REUTERS, American Airlines, Communist Party, Traders, Reuters, Aussie, Mattel, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Asia, China, Xinhua, Hong Kong, Greenland
The “Barbenheimer” craze, which has swelled in popularity over the last few weeks, is all but set to propel the box office to its best weekend in years. BoxOffice Pro, a publication that tracks box office performance, said this week it is projecting a $200+ million weekend at the cinema. The battle of the bombshells playing out in theaters is not the usual runaway box office success story. “But it’s not just about the first three days of the box office either. The irony in the films’ massive draw is that, typically, studios prefer to avoid releasing major box office features on the same weekend as another.
Persons: Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer, ” Michael O’Leary, it’s, Mattel, Christopher Nolan, ” Shawn Robbins, “ ‘ Oppenheimer, Barbie ’, don’t, “ Barbie ”, Tom Cruise, ” O’Leary, ” Robbins, “ It’s, Organizations: CNN, BoxOffice, National Association of Theatre Owners, Warner Bros Locations: Hollywood
The SAG-AFTRA actors' union went on strike Friday, joining the ongoing WGA writers' strike. You can support actors and writers on strike by donating to the hardship funds that help entertainment workers. "Any non-member seeking future membership in SAG-AFTRA who performs covered services for a struck company during the strike will not be admitted into membership in SAG-AFTRA," the union's strike notice outlines. While the writers' strike largely shut down development and production, especially in Los Angeles and New York, some film and TV shoots were able to continue. Others have said the sides are so far apart that this work stoppage could outlast the 100-day WGA strike of 2007-8, which cost the California economy roughly $2 billion.
Persons: Adam Conover, AFTRA, who've, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Oppenheimer, thay Organizations: SAG, WGA, Morning, Alliance, Television Producers, Hollywood, Financial, Disaster Relief Fund, Welfare Emergency, The Entertainment, Washington Post, Mattel Locations: Hollywood, Los Angeles and New York, California
As studios cut spending and strikes shut down production, Hollywood can take some solace — brands are coming to the rescue. Brand Storytelling is an organization that's held a festival for brand content alongside the Sundance Film Festival for the past seven years. Brand film submissions have almost tripled to 160 in the past three years, according to Rick Parkhill, director and co-founder of Brand Storytelling. "Film directors need the work," said Marcus Peterzell, who left ad giant Omnicom to found Passion Point Collective, a brand film studio, in 2019. He's since made some 36 film projects for brands.
Persons: Greta Gerwig, Kyra Sedgwick, John Deere, Kimberly Doebereiner, Chris Paul, Mattel's Robbie Brenner, There's, Jill Lubochinski, Holly Fraser, WePresent, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer's, Reese Witherspoon's, Michael Sugar's Sugar23, we've, Marc Gilbar, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Gilbar, that's, Rick Parkhill, Riz Ahmed, WeTransfer, Vicky Grout, Parkill, Saint Laurent, Pedro Almodóvar, David Cronenberg, They're, Marcus Peterzell, Peterzell Organizations: Hollywood, Mattel, Nike, HBO, Procter & Gamble, Tide, Gillette, G Studios, Warner Bros, Discovery, PepsiCo, REI, Dallas Buyers, Sundance, Brand, Brands Locations: , HBO's, Hollywood
There are Barbie sneakers, Barbie backpacks, Barbie swimsuits, and Barbie hoodies for your dog. A few months later, photos showed Barbie movie star Margot Robbie on set in a hot pink Western jumpsuit. As the style took off, fashion magazines chronicled celebrities from Kim Kardashian to Harry Styles in bright Barbiecore outfits. Barbie-inspired foods include an ice cream flavor and a Barbie burger with pink sauce sold at Burger King in Brazil. Robbie, who rotated through Barbie-inspired looks during the movie's publicity tour, even rolled pink suitcases through the airport in Sydney.
Persons: Mattel Inc's, Barbie, Barbie swimsuits, Barbie hoodies, Richard Dickson, Couture, Valentino, Margot Robbie, Madeline Hirsch, Hirsch, Kim Kardashian, Harry Styles, Kendra Scott, Dreamhouse, Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Ken, Rich Daughtridge, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Tom Cruise's, Filmgoers, Jeff Bock, Bock, Lisa Richwine, Rollo Ross, Sarah Mills, Mary Milliken, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Mattel, InStyle, Balmain, Old Navy, Microsoft, Burger King, Warner Bros, Malibu, Party, Relations, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, French, Burger, Brazil, Sydney, Barbiecore, Maryland, flamingo, Los Angeles, London
‘Barbie’ Review: Beyond Her Ken
  + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
Margot Robbie Photo: Warner Bros. PicturesIn “Barbie,” Will Ferrell plays the CEO of Mattel, who muses, “Remember Proust Barbie? That did not sell well.” It’s the film’s second reference to the French modernist novelist, and its makers would have been well advised to heed their own joke and question the wisdom of stuffing this fantasy-comedy with references to the mastectomy and IRS troubles of the doll’s creator, gynecology, the mass devastation of indigenous people by smallpox, and (this comes up many times) “irrepressible thoughts of death.”
Persons: Margot Robbie Photo, “ Barbie, ” Will Ferrell, , Proust, Organizations: Warner Bros, Mattel
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