A De Montfort University student has been awarded a top degree after writing a 10,000 word dissertation about the Barbie film.
Charlie Dowey watched segments from the Barbie movie over 40 times to analyse the way that women featured in the film’s soundtrack were represented. If that doesn’t sound iconic, I don’t know what does.
He looked at costumes, lyrics, and choreography to analyse whether gender stereotypical representations were challenged by the movie, or reinforced by them, receiving a first class English language with journalism degree.
via SWNS
Titled “‘Ah Barbie you’re so fine’: Examining representations of women across the Barbie movie sound track – a multimodal critical discourse analysis.”, Charlie’s diss took eight months to complete, after he handed it in on April 30th. The dissertation earned him a grade of 70 per cent (a first) for the 10,000 word thesis section of his English language with journalism degree.
via SWNS
Charlie said that his parents were initially shocked as he’d never been into Barbie, but his friends “thought it was a really cool choice of topic.”.
The 21-year-old picked four of his favourite music videos from the film to create the Barbie dissertation, including Charli XCX Speed Drive, Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj’s Barbie World, Billie Eilish’s What was I made for, and Dua Lipa‘s Dance the Night.
via SWNS
He analysed the ways in which the visuals, sound effects, and lyrics combined to tell a meaningful story and the impact of the film on Barbie as an icon for women.
Charlie came to the conclusion that the women in the videos were portrayed as autonomous, bold, fearless and in control, that the film can be read as a female empowerment text and that the film challenged traditional gender stereotypes.
via SWNS
He believes that the Barbie movie, along with the increasing number of Barbie career dolls, are helping reclaim Barbie and replace the image of “bimbo” Barbie. Talking about the career dolls, Charlie said: “I think the career dolls will change girls’ expectations of what their lives can look like.”
He went on to describe the film as “a huge cultural moment in my life, and the messages in the film really stayed with me”. Charlie explained: “Watching the film, and also visiting a Barbie exhibition for my research, really showed me how objectified women feel and how hard they have to work to get the same opportunities as men.”
One comment left by a marker on Charlie’s work was “an excellent well researched piece of work with original focus it was easy to follow and a pleasure to read”, and we can only agree with them.
Featured image via SWNS
