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I (Rowan here) stumbled upon my wife and daughters (ages 36, 7 and 5) watching a Barbie movie, ?Island Princess,? to be exact.? Not having the agenda to watch it myself for content (!), I leaned into the other reasons to stop?and watch the movie with them: to spend time with them, and to analyze the appeal of this famous franchise!?
It was an insight extravaganza into the female soul.? Here are some surface renderings of what I saw.? (If you?re a man who has?ever wondered about what goes on behind the eyes of the other sex, hopefully this will stir some thought. If you?re a lady, please feel free to clarify my findings).
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Relational Saturation:? EVERYTHING in the movie was about, or heavily couched in relationships: Barbie?s friendships with the island animals, later with those in ?civilization,? and ultimately with the prince.? This movie showed relationship as the lens to see the world through, and was even?used solely as the basis for tension and plot. I looked at?my girls, amazed: Wow, is that what goes on in there ? ALL THE TIME?!
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Romantic Climax:? If relationships?generally are the basis of everything, then the romantic relationship is the I CHING of life, period! Everything builds to this in the movie, with?the insinuation that the rest of life flows from it. Now, our girls are quite sheltered from mainstream culture as?we are careful what influences we let into our home -?but as I sat with them and watched their faces,?they were thoroughly glued to the screen!?I was?left to wonder, how much of a woman?s hope, happiness, and?satisfaction in life is left in the hands of her prince?? What kind of prince am I?
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Rescued, Discovered, Pursued:?This is important: the rescuing, discovering and pursing of who Barbie is happens in layers.?Layer 1) Uh oh, Barbie gets shipwrecked, but rescued by the Island animals, discovered as a great friend and?becomes?accepted and pursued by them.?Layer 2)?She?s?discovered and rescued from isolation?by the Prince (and his?loyal but unaffected?assistant) who pursues her for something more than friendship. Layer 3) Events transpire to?rescue Barbie from the King?s?rejection and disdain.?Even he discovers her?true character, and?she?s then approved of (pursued) as a wife for his son. The only tensions in the movie, at each stage, are whether?she?will be rescued, discovered?and pursued.?
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It makes me wonder, what layer are my 3 girls?at right now???I want to recognize?the junctures at which they need rescuing, discovering and pursuing.? Sometimes I?ll?only be able?to watch and hope and be a friend; in others I?ll need to act and speak the truth into their tender hearts.?
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Guys, will you and I be the unseeing King, the?unaffected assistant, or the?always-believing Prince?? Ladies, may we have your hand, your friendship and your trust?? Deep down, it?s what we want to fight for.
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Source: http://couplethingsblog.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/when-a-man-watches-barbie/
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