Across social media, many women have been encouraging one another to use the movie as a litmus test to gauge whether their male dates can understand, or are at least receptive to, its feminist messaging.
Nicole Hoefler, a 32-year-old woman from Cologne, Germany, said she calls it the “Barbie test.”
“It’s like the new question on a first date or your dating profile: ‘What are your thoughts on the Barbie movie?’” she said. “Because if a guy really doesn’t want to see it or he’s not open to talking about it or, what’s even worse yet, if he’s seen it and he thinks it’s not a good movie or he doesn’t get the point, I think it’s kind of a no-go.”
To her pleasant surprise, her boyfriend passed with flying colors. Hoefler, who shared her boyfriend's reaction to the film on TikTok, said she had originally planned to glam up in a pink dress and enjoy the movie alone because she didn’t expect him to be interested in “Barbie” — until he asked to join her, digging up a baby pink shirt to match her outfit.
She and several other women who spoke with NBC News said watching “Barbie” felt like seeing their everyday experiences showcased on the big screen. But Hoefler said that after having heard so many men react to the movie defensively, she felt lucky to have a partner who actively wanted to discuss the impacts of patriarchy afterward.
www.nbcnews.com
Nicole Hoefler, a 32-year-old woman from Cologne, Germany, said she calls it the “Barbie test.”
“It’s like the new question on a first date or your dating profile: ‘What are your thoughts on the Barbie movie?’” she said. “Because if a guy really doesn’t want to see it or he’s not open to talking about it or, what’s even worse yet, if he’s seen it and he thinks it’s not a good movie or he doesn’t get the point, I think it’s kind of a no-go.”
To her pleasant surprise, her boyfriend passed with flying colors. Hoefler, who shared her boyfriend's reaction to the film on TikTok, said she had originally planned to glam up in a pink dress and enjoy the movie alone because she didn’t expect him to be interested in “Barbie” — until he asked to join her, digging up a baby pink shirt to match her outfit.
She and several other women who spoke with NBC News said watching “Barbie” felt like seeing their everyday experiences showcased on the big screen. But Hoefler said that after having heard so many men react to the movie defensively, she felt lucky to have a partner who actively wanted to discuss the impacts of patriarchy afterward.
‘Barbie’ is becoming a new litmus test for dating men
“It’s like the new question on a first date or your dating profile: ‘What are your thoughts on the 'Barbie' movie?’” said one TikTok user, who posted about her boyfriend’s reaction to the film.
www.nbcnews.com