Summary
- Barbie, the highly-anticipated film, exceeded box office expectations, earning an outstanding $337 million in its opening weekend alone.
- Future Mattel movies will likely be self-reflexive and promotional, featuring Easter Eggs and references to other toys and games.
- The Barbie movie includes references to iconic Barbie dolls like Midge, Growing Up Skipper, Teen Talk Barbie, Barbie Video Girl, and more.
Greta Gerwig’s new hit movie Barbie has several major Easter eggs and Mattel toy references. The highly-anticipated film premiered with an opening weekend at the box office that exceeded its own expectations, accumulating an outstanding $337 million at the global box office in its few opening days alone. In a year that has been plagued by box office flops and major franchise disappointments, Barbie appears to be the rare shining exemption of theatrical releases for 2023. It has a good probability of becoming just the second film of the year to cross $1 billion at the global box office.
The collective hype and box office success of Barbenheimer has led to massive performances for both films respectively, with Barbie marking the first installment of the imminent Mattel movie franchise. Since Mattel has been in business for decades selling primarily children’s toys and games, their arsenal of intellectual property is extremely vast and allows them to plan a slew of movies based on their beloved products. Barbie has shown that future Mattel movies will likely be self-reflexive and promotional with their other types of toys and games, meaning that they will be full of Easter Eggs and other references just like Barbie.
12 Midge
One of the biggest toy references in the Barbie movie is the constant referral and inclusion of Midge. Midge is a pregnant type of Barbie with the signature long red hair and a purple dress. The Midge toy causes some controversy among parents for its depiction of a heavily pregnant woman and was recalled and reintroduced in 2013 without the pregnancy bump. Midge is played by Emerald Fennel in Barbie and is the partner of Allan, another type of Ken doll, who is played by Michael Cera in the movie.
11 Growing Up Skipper
Growing Up Skipper is another controversial Barbie doll that is referenced in the movie. At one point during the 1970s, the Growing Up Skipper had the feature of increasing the doll’s breast size by using her arm as a lever. The doll would also grow about an inch as a hybrid model that could interchange between an adolescent and an adult. In the movie, Gloria (America Ferrara) owned a Growing Up Skipper as a kid, which is a rarity considering the doll’s short-lived run before eventually being replaced by updated models.
10 Teen Talk Barbie
Teen Talk Barbie is also referenced in the Barbie movie. This edition of the iconic doll comes with a voice box that is programmed to say one of a select few prerecorded messages. The Barbie doll was released in 1992 but was eventually discontinued after one of its lines “Math class is tough!” sparked controversy among parents. In the Barbie movie, Teen Talk Barbie makes a brief onscreen appearance and is played by Marisa Abela but does not have the chance to say one of her prerecorded messages.
9 Barbie Video Girl
Barbie Video Girl is another Mattel toy reference in the Barbie movie that actually pokes fun at itself by questioning her design. The character was played by Mette Narrative in the film who jokes about how she doesn’t understand why she has a television monitor built into her back. The doll had a camera built into its necklace which could actually record video for up to 30 minutes. The doll was discontinued for again causing controversy among parents who did not like their kids having access to a video recording feature.
8 Sugar Daddy Ken
Sugar Daddy Ken is briefly referenced onscreen in the Barbie movie and is played by Rob Brydon. The doll is an older version of Ken who comes with a signature bright green blazer and a small toy dog on a leash as an accessory. The movie jokes about how the dog’s name is Sugar, making the character literally Sugar’s father and owner, although everyone knows what the original intention was behind the Mattel doll that was released for Barbie’s 50th anniversary.
7 Earring Magic Ken
Earring Magic Ken is played by Tom Stourton in the Barbie movie. He briefly appears alongside the other discontinued Ken doll Sugar Daddy in the film. Earring Magic Ken was Mattels’ attempt to make the Ken doll cool again in the 1990s by incorporating more modern influences with the doll’s overall aesthetic. The Earring Magic Ken was rapidly discontinued due to widespread disapproval of some of the doll’s implied themes despite remaining one of the most popular Ken dolls ever made.
6 Allan
Allan is another discontented doll made to expand the world of Ken by giving him a best friend. Allan is played hilariously by Michael Cera in Barbie and is constantly reminded that he is not as cool as Ken and thus just exists somewhat aimlessly in his shadow. The doll was intended to partner with Midge and act as Barbie and Ken’s couple friends, however, Allan was discontinued way back in the 1960s.
5 Tanner
Tanner is Barbie’s toy dog that appears in the movie. The actual toy had the ability to eat and poop, making it one of the most memorable additions to the line of Mattel toys. Tanner even came with his own poop scooper which became one of Barbie’s most humbling accessories. Tanner was eventually replaced by Taffy as Barbie’s dog but left a stark impression on Barbie owners during the 2000s.
4 Stanley Kubrick References
Barbie has a number of Stanley Kubrick references in the movie, particularly in its opening sequence with is a direct parody of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The legendary “Dawn of Man” sequence in 2001 is given a modern feminist update by using the same approach to depict the dawn of Barbie. Another Kubrick film The Shining is also mentioned in the film when two characters are asked if they are “shining” when they are using their minds to connect the dots.
3 The Matrix Reference
The iconic ‘red pill/blue pill’ scene from The Matrix is referenced in Barbie with a hilarious rendition involving footwear. Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) gives Barbie the choice to either wear the pink high heel and slip back into the world that she knew or try on the Birkenstock and never look back. It’s a funny moment in the movie that encapsulates the theme and pressures of conformity through materialism and outward appearances.
2 The Wizard Of Oz Reference
There is a key Wizard of Oz reference in Barbie, particularly when Margot Robbie’s Barbie is presented with a long pink brick road in the film. Barbie follows the pink brick road to leave Barbieland and go to the ‘real world’ in Los Angeles’ in the movie.
1 Ruth Handler
Ruth Handler, the first president of Mattel and the inventor of the Barbie doll, is portrayed onscreen in Barbie by Rhea Perlman. Although the actual Handler passed away in 2002, Barbie was able to meet her ghost in the film and receive some helpful advice about finding a purpose and identity in life. Ruth explains in Barbie that the doll’s name was inspired by her daughter’s name, Barbara, which is accurate to the real-life Handler.
