Tag: blogging

The Barbie Movie Is Cleverer Than You Think!

Going to watch the Barbie movie on Saturday, I wasn’t bothered by the hype or anyone else’s views. I knew I would like it because Margot Robbie always makes good choices and Greta Gerwig is a genius director.

But I still wondered if it might be too childish even for me?

Now I can reflect on the movie which has generated over a billion dollars in just a fortnight. It has nearly made twice the money of The Little Mermaid and has initiated many eye-opening conversations.

Challenging Attitudes

I suppose I half expected Barbie to challenge stereotypes. There was no way this film was ever going to be a straightforward celebration of cheesiness.

Although don’t get me wrong… There was plenty of cheese. More than enough to spread on 1000 pieces of toast.

But YES – Greta did good! She made the film fascinating. She drew parallels between Barbieland and The Real World. In Barbieland women ruled – they had a female president and women doctors, lawyers and law makers. Back in The Real World, men were in charge, as Barbie and Ken discovered when they travelled there (in the most hilarious way – by jet ski, rocket, camper van and roller blades).

Don’t Forget Ken

Poor old Ken is always just a sidekick. Played by Ryan Gosling (famous for LaLaLand), he is superficial (Ken, not Ryan), not very intelligent and depends on the gaze of Barbie to maintain a purpose and satisfaction.

When he follows Barbie to find the real girl who is playing with Barbie in distress, he recognises the toxic masculinity that involves men running companies, pumping iron and acting selfishly. Let’s not pretend it doesn’t happen BUT not all of us men are like that. Anyway, he likes what he sees and takes those traits back to Barbieland and the rest would involve spoilers.

Margot deserves an Oscar for this performance. It is nuanced, comedic and full of emotion.

There… I said it… I think her acting is up there with Cate Blanchett in this movie. She is also the producer of this and used her company – LuckyChap – to create this cheeky but thought-provoking narrative.

And Finally…

I may be biased as I have loved Margot ever since she played Donna Freedman in my favourite soap opera ‘Neighbours’. Even at the height of her fame she was happy to appear in the final episode of Neighbours last July. Thankfully Neighbours is coming back care of Amazon Freevie and Margot will always stay close to this show – her brother was recently in Neighbours as well.

With intriguing cameos and a fantastic cast which includes three members of Sex Education (Netflix), this is a fabulous movie which I would rate five stars.

Another great contribution comes from the cheeky narrator, played by Helen Mirren, by the way.

Barbie started off as cliche but ended up beating the living daylights out of stereotypes. I loved the way Barbie was able to talk to her creator and discuss her purpose which was to inspire young people. Not to be a bimbo!

I would totally recommend swallowing your pride and popping along to the cinema to watch this brilliant masterpiece.

If you want to find out my thoughts about the other big movie out right now, check out my review of Oppenheimer. Please also consider following my blog for similar future content.

Funny Jokes – Smorgasbord

This is another of Smorgasbord’s posts which is full of funny jokes. I loved the way they were told and decided to repost them here. I bet you will giggle when you read them.

Firstly, some funnies foraged from the web from Debby Gies – D.G. Writes is where you will find an archive full of wonderful posts across several …

Smorgasbord Funnies 2023 – Hosts Sally Cronin and Debby Gies – Dating Older Women and Broadway Medley

For some reviews of other entertaining content, have a read of my blog post Read, watch and listen.

Why Greener Spaces Matter

This month the Climate Change Collective are discussing the need for green space in urban areas and its increasing erosion. The lead post by Krista at A Sustainably Simple Life, talks about personal experiences of climate change. It suggests ways that urban areas can improve their impact on the environment.

Check out this brilliant, informative post for yourself:

Climate Change Collective: How green spaces help our planet

Merging Towns

In my local area, it is clear that there is a demand to build more homes. A small estate that was built in 2005 has now blossomed into a massive development which is as big as a town. Previously green spaces have been replaced by roads, houses and retail outlets.

My childhood town used to have a gap between itself and neighbouring villages but now has extended across its green belt. Not only has it joined up to the next village but that village has now connected to the next town. Where I used to drive through pockets of countryside, I now just see houses all the way.

Is This The Way Forward?

We have to consider future planning for homes and the impact it has on the countryside. Towns are concrete jungles which absorb sunlight and increase run-off during storms. Flooding will become more of a problem as we build estates and remove woodlands and plants. Surely there are ways we can involve and integrate plants in our developments, by creating planted roofs, planting more trees and leaving lots of green space between streets.

Check out the interesting and relevant article by Krista and Alison and be sure to drop a comment. What are your thoughts on greener areas in towns and cities? Do you think there is more to be done to stop urban sprawl?

The Climate Change Collective is a group of enthusiastic bloggers who discuss climate change and make suggestions for being more ecofriendly. If you would like to join us please drop me a message and I will pass on your details.