Since its release, the Barbie movie has received severe backlash from social media users and news outlets calling it “woke” and “anti-men.” Senator Ted Cruz has even gone far enough to claim the movie features “Chinese Propaganda” and “Trans Grooming.”

Ben Shapiro, a conservative political commentator describes the movie as one with “a heavily political message, it is explicitly designed to divide men from women, [and] it has these negative messages directed at kids.”

The premise of the movie, however, is the journey of self-discovery as Barbie goes into the real world, learning about the historical gender roles of the patriarchy she had been living in.

Yes, Barbie is a feminist, but isn’t that expected? Prior to the movie’s release, Barbie had worked over 200 careers in the fields of arts, business, education, medicine, military, politics, public service, science and engineering, and sports. As early as the 1960s, Barbie was an astronaut, far before the first American Woman astronaut, Sally Ride, in 1983. Barbie has been an arguably progressive figure, a role model for young women.

So, why, all of a sudden, do conservatives care?

The answer to this question is “Anti-Wokeism,” a movement that is part of Governor Ron DeSantis’ “War on Wokeness.”

The term woke, as defined by DeSantis’ own attorney, is “the belief [that] there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them.”

Conservatives who are anti-woke feel that social justice and activism are threatening their way of life. This fear and defensiveness has led to a number of misguided boycotts and attacks on things that are, quite frankly, harmless.

One example of this was the extreme boycotts of Target’s pride month collection, forcing the company to remove the collection from stores.

The same happened when Transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney filmed videos for a branded sponsorship with Bud Light, causing extreme boycotts of Bud Light and even death threats for Mulvaney.

The main problem with the anti-woke movement is that it is not only misguided, it is also inherently reactionary and regressive, seeking to maintain a status quo that is intrinsically unjust, discriminatory, and unequal.

Ultimately, the anti-woke movement is a symptom of a larger problem within conservative circles. It is a reflection of a fear of change and resistance to progress.

Anyways,

“Because Barbie can be anything, women can be anything.” -Barbie.