One user on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu shared a guide for how women can test their boyfriends based on their reaction to the film.

For some women in China, “Barbie” is more than just a movie — it’s also a litmus test for their partner’s views on feminism and patriarchy.

The movie has prompted intense social media discussion online, media outlets Sixth Tone and the China Project reported this week, prompting women to discuss their own dating experiences.

One user on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu — a photo-sharing site similar to Instagram that’s mostly used by Gen Z women — even shared a guide on Monday for how women can test their boyfriends based on their reaction to the film.

According to the guide, if a man shows hatred for “Barbie” and slams female directors after they leave the theatre, then this man is “stingy” and a “toxic chauvinist,” according to Insider’s translation of the post. Conversely, if a man understands even half of the movie’s themes, “then he is likely a normal guy with normal values and stable emotions,” the user wrote.

  • doggle@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    2 years ago

    Women in the US are doing that too.

    I guess it works, to a point. If your man throws a Shapiro-esque fit over this movie he probably isn’t great to be around the rest of the time.

  • tenitchyfingers@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    2 years ago

    Correct. Honestly, if a dude gets offended by a movie that says “hey dude, learn how to love and value yourself without basing all of your sense of self on your romantic relationship to a woman and you’ll be much happier”, they are NOT a catch at all and they need to shed some shit about their lives.

  • Psyduck_world@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    2 years ago

    I thought the movie criticizes both extreme feminism and male chauvinism, or did I watch a different Barbie movie?

    • erin@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      2 years ago

      I take slight issue with your phrasing. “Extreme feminism” isn’t an issue, that’s like saying extreme racial equality is an issue. Feminism isn’t about female superiority, it’s about gender equality. The movie does not criticize extreme feminism, it criticizes chauvinism, whether male or female.

      • P03 Locke@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        0·
        2 years ago

        “Extreme feminism” isn’t an issue, that’s like saying extreme racial equality is an issue.

        There was a time during the 2010s when third-wave feminism was pushing things too far and trying to create divisive splits on subjects that really didn’t need them, like Atheism+ and a bunch of other things with a plus sign tacked on to it. Fortunately, once the #MeToo movement picked up speed, they switched gears to more important things.

        So, yes, you can have an extreme view on anything, even feminism.

  • Hazdaz@lemmy.worldEnglish
    01·
    2 years ago

    If you base your relationship on a fucken Hollywood movie then that should be a litmus test in and of itself.

    Also, guys, if your girlfriend constantly feels the need to “test” your relationship, then she’s not the right one. Thats a massive red flag.