With less than a week until it hits theaters, I’ve been unable to avoid Barbie movie talk nearly everywhere I go. The other night, at an entirely different movie, someone complimented my bubblegum pink pants and told me I was in the Barbie spirit. Even one of my “dude-iest” guy friends is going to see Barbie and looking forward to it—on release day, no less!
Therein, however, lies a problem. Like most cultural resets, the fanfare surrounding Barbie has almost eclipsed the zeal for the movie itself. I feel like I hear more about getting together and going to see the movie on release day than I actually hear about the movie (with the exception of coworker testimonials, of course). I’ve heard so many friends lament the fact that they weren’t invited to group outings to see the movie, or that they won’t be available to go on release day, or—worst of all—they did assemble a group, and they were all available, yet tickets were sold out. Chicanery and bamboozlement!
Of course, I understand their ire. It’s fun to take part in such an exciting cultural moment, and nobody wants to feel FOMO, especially when the thing you’d be missing out on is Barbie! So, I wanted to take a second to remind any of you feeling the bubblegum-pink blues: There will be PLENTY of opportunities to watch Barbie, and missing out on release day won’t detract from that.
I say this as someone who had prior obligations that weekend, yet wasn’t planning on seeing it on release day anyways. From my perspective, Barbie is a movie best enjoyed on your comfortable living room couch, snuggled up in hot-pink sweatpants, with either a joint or a peach bellini coupled with a shitload of snacks. Maybe I’m just a grouchy, miserable human being, but the idea of seeing Barbie in a theater full of excited moviegoers who are going for the spectacle of it all sounds terrible! I want to be able to enjoy it with friends in the comfort of our own space, because Barbie is a Greta Gerwig movie and therefore meant to be savored, not swallowed!
Then again, that’s just me. Maybe you did want to be part of the spectacle. You can still do so, and likely the following couple weekends will still be packed with people who were waiting for their chance! Moreover, you can make your own spectacle wherever you watch the movie. Maybe even host your own, if you have a projector. Home movie nights are some of my fondest memories. (I love Akira even more than I would have otherwise because of such a night).
And if you were particularly gunning for a Barbenheimer weekend and are worried about it not happening ever again, I guarantee you … it will. Do you know how many theaters still run midnight viewings of The Room, despite it being 20 years since it initially released? You will have your Barbenheimer, girly, don’t you worry.
Yes, having your hot pink moment during everyone else’s hot pink moment would be pretty special. Thankfully, hot pink never goes out of style, so you can make that shit the moment whenever you want. I have a pair of hot-pink heels to pair with my pink pants; you can bet I’ll wear that shit on the couch just to enjoy a fun little night with my friends. Barbie is for everyone, anytime, anywhere.
(featured image: Mattel/Warner Bros.)
