Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has so many layers that go way past its pink-themed, perfectly dressed exterior. Along with examining what it’s like for a doll to discover their humanity and what they were really made for, Gerwig also made sure that the film was absolutely stuffed to the gills with pop culture references.
Gerwig went out of her way to drop a variety of Easter eggs and references—including characters, fashion moments, and nods to iconic films—so that audiences of all ages could catch them and point at the screen, Leonardo Dicaprio-style.
So, as we’re all still in the middle of Barbie mania, we gathered some of the best and most clever Easter eggs and references you might have missed—so you can clock them during your inevitable re-watch of Barbie.
1. Allan
Michael Cera plays Allan, who is known as “Ken’s buddy.” While not a lot of moviegoers knew who this character was going into the film, he’s quickly become a fan favorite. By the end of Barbie, Allan has joined the Barbies and humans to stop the Kens from destroying Barbie Land with their weird patriarchy.
Allan’s biggest selling point was that all of Ken’s clothing and accessories could fit him, just as all of Barbie’s clothing could fit her best friend Midge, Allan’s girlfriend (and eventual wife). But even as a doll, Allan wasn’t seen as a part of the Ken crowd. Unfortunately, Allan was discontinued and can’t be purchased anymore, much like …
2. The discontinued Barbie dolls
Near the climax of the movie, Gloria (America Ferrera) and her daughter (Ariana Greenblatt) go to Weird Barbie’s house, where they meet a whole host of discontinued Barbie dolls. There’s Growing Up Skipper, a controversial doll whose breast size can be increased by using her arm as a lever; Teen Talk Barbie, who had a voice box programmed to play pre-recorded phrases like “Math class is tough!”; Barbie Video Girl, who has a TV screen in her back and a built-in camera that let kids record from “Barbie’s POV”; and the pregnant version of Midge, who was discontinued shortly after stores received complaints from conservative parents.
They also meet two discontinued Kens: Sugar Daddy Ken, who came with a bright green blazer and a small toy dog on a leash as an accessory; and Earring Magic Ken, who was Mattel’s attempt to make the Ken doll cool again in the 1990s, but was discontinued when people complained that he seemed to be a gay doll, which is absolutely ridiculous.
3. Zack Snyder diss
After being un-brainwashed by Gloria, Journalist Barbie (Ritu Arya) snaps back to her normal self and says, “It’s like I’ve been in a dream where I was really invested in the Zack Snyder cut of the Justice League.” This sneaky diss is a reference to the film’s reputation for being loved by a vocal minority of Snyder’s fans known for their toxic behavior. It’s a very clever commentary on the perils of the group-think the Kens are embracing.
4. BAX
While Barbie is driving in her car, we get a glimpse of Barbie Land, including the airport labeled BAX, which is a clear nod to Los Angeles’ famous LAX. It’s a small detail, but very cute as Gerwig herself is from California.
5. The Wizard of Oz
Continuing with the scene of Barbie driving through Barbie Land, she drives past a movie theater playing The Wizard of Oz. If you look inside the doors to the theater, there’s a yellow brick road leading to the Emerald City glistening in the distance. This is a great bit of foreshadowing for the world-altering journey of self-discovery Barbie herself embarks on when she enters the Real World.
6. “Sí Se Puede”
Towards the end of the film, Gloria’s husband (played by America Ferrera’s real-life husband) tries to encourage Barbie before her first big human appointment by using some of his beginner-level Spanish and he tells her, “¡Sí se puede!” which translates to “yes it can be done” or “yes we can.”
The use of this phrase in front of Ferrera is especially meaningful as it’s the chant from the 2002 Disney original film Gotta Kick It Up!, which Ferrera starred in. She and her fellow cheerleaders famously chanted “Sí, se puede” to motivate each other before their performances throughout the film.
7. 2001: A Space Odyssey
Barbie begins with an homage to the opening scene of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which primates discover the use of tools in a sequence known as “The Dawn of Man.” Barbie’s version of this scene shows little girls discovering the first doll made to resemble an adult—the iconic 1959 debut Barbie—and smashing their outdated baby dolls. It was the best way to start the movie as it shows how Barbie came onto the toy scene and helped little girls learn that they can be more than just homemakers.
8. Tanner
When Barbie visits Weird Barbie’s house to seek answers about her changing state, we meet a pup named Tanner that drops poops as he walks across the room. Tanner is based on a real toy of the same name that Mattel recalled in 2007. The toy had the ability to eat and poop, and even came with his own poop scooper, which became one of Barbie’s most special accessories.
9. The Matrix
During the same scene with Weird Barbie, she offers Stereotypical Barbie a choice using a high heel and a Birkenstock. The high heel represents her desire to stay in Barbie Land and grow ever-weirder, and the Birkenstock represents her journey to the Real World to seek the child influencing her imperfections.
This is a play on the red pill/blue pill scene from The Matrix, in which Morpheus offers Neo the choice to learn the truth of the world he’s living in using the red pill or stay in his normal life using the blue pill. This sequence has been referenced in many movies and shows, but the use of shoes in Barbie is just another example of the movie’s wittiness.
10. The potential Bratz connection
When Barbie gets to the Real World, she goes to a high school to find the child who’s been playing with her—Sasha—and sees that she’s now a cool, edgy teenager. Sasha is sitting with her group of three friends who seem to resemble Yasmin, Chloe, and Jade, a.k.a. the Bratz dolls. It’s a widely known fact that the Bratz dolls are considered the cooler, more grown-up versions of Barbie that girls play with when they grow out of the Mattel dolls, so this nod to what is essentially Barbie’s older sister is very cool to see.
What was your favorite Easter egg in the Barbie movie? Comment below!
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
