One of the foremost Christian-based entertainment platforms in the country is advising parents against taking their children to the recently released Barbie movie.
Movieguide, established by Ted Baehr and his wife, Lili Baehr, issued a cautionary message to parents on Monday, highlighting that the PG-13-rated Barbie film contains mature content, including LGBT themes, that might not align with the preferences of many moms and dads.
Under the headline “Warning: Refrain from Taking Your Daughter to View Barbie,” Movieguide made it clear that the assumption that Barbie, due to its association with the well-known Barbie doll brand, is geared toward children could be misleading.
Movieguide expressed its concern that the movie “overlooks its primary family and children audience while catering to nostalgic adults and introducing narratives featuring characters who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.” The platform also pointed out the overlooked potential of the franchise’s inherent audience. “Despite having a ready-made market and viewer base for this series, Mattel chose not to acknowledge it,” Movieguide stated. “Countless families would have flocked to theaters and purchased tickets, but instead of that route, Mattel opted to target a limited segment of the population known for their tendency to shun the box office. Based on Movieguide’s extensive 40 years of research, this approach seems unfounded, and Mattel appears to have committed a significant blunder.”
The principle of promoting “family and biblical values” is what, according to Movieguide, makes films truly successful. As Movieguide emphasized, “Even the animated Barbie films underline themes of redemption, empathy, teamwork, goodwill towards strangers, and self-sacrifice.” Given the trust parents place in the brand, the platform feels compelled to share the unfiltered truth about the upcoming movie.
Greta Gerwig, the film’s director, maintained that the inclusion of an LGBTQ+ narrative was vital to the story. Known for her directorial work on films like Lady Bird and Little Women (2019), Gerwig is also set to helm a couple of Chronicles of Narnia movies for Netflix. In an interview with Out magazine, she asserted, “Incorporating the LGBTQ+ community into the narrative was absolutely essential, as it allowed us to showcase the diversity embodied by the various Barbie and Ken characters introduced by Mattel.”
Barbie holds a PG-13 rating due to suggestive content and brief use of language.
