The positive effects of the iconic Barbie movie on mental health and self-esteem

Welcome to the Women's Mental Health Podcast with Randi and Jess. We're two licensed psychotherapists and we talk about mental health, well being, and strategies for coping with life's up and down challenges, and how it's all normal and you're never alone.

Today, we have something exciting to talk about, a movie that has inspired millions and millions of women and girls worldwide,

on today's episode, we're diving into how we can apply the positive messaging from the Barbie movie to improve our overall mental well being. The Barbie movie is not just another film, it carries a powerful, deep message that we can all harness to improve our mental health and daily lives.

We even went to see it for you ladies to see what the messages were really saying. Spoiler alert, if you haven't seen it yet, we're going to talk about it.

And it was so good. We were so impressed.

So if you're looking for ways to improve your mental health, self care, and overall well being, this episode is for you.

So have you ever had these

thoughts? How can the positive messaging of the Barbie movie impact women's lives?

How can I incorporate the positive messages from the movie into my daily life?

Can watching the Barbie movie actually improve my mental health and self esteem?

How can I use the lessons I learned from the Barbie movie to foster positive relationships with other women or other people in my life?

Can the Barbie movie help with self care and mental well being?

Can the positive messaging extend to my personal

life? And how can I share the positive messaging from that movie with my children or my nieces or other young women in my life? And

let's talk about in the end too, if there are other movies or media that also promote a similar positive messaging like this for women and their mental health.

There are, there really are a couple of good ones. Okay. So the movie shows us. That we can be anything we want, I grew up with Barbies, and so it was a really exciting thing to finally see on the big screen, mm hmm. she embraces her uniqueness, she follows her dreams and proves that she can achieve anything she sets her mind to. Yep. And she

does it all with a vagina. No, not at first.

Not at first. Okay.

She's just plastic, but eventually. The message in the Barbie movie is that kind of attitude we need to adopt in our lives. We often face challenges and self doubt and things creep in and we start questioning things, but like Barbie, we can overcome them and create the life that we really want and

desire. And it was the message that the movie had was all about self belief and empowerment. It takes courage for us to be confident in our abilities and to not be afraid to take all these risks that she was taking or that we need to take.

At first, she's very hesitant. Like, I know I don't want to do this. I just want to stay like in this dreamland. And then she realizes, no, I need to do this. And she realized how much like it fulfilled her stepping outside of that box, literally comfort box, stepping outside of the Barbie box and going into reality and figuring out who she is, what she wants, like what she wants to do and, um, the reality of her world and how it's not picture perfect. And there's a lot of hard things out there. But even with the hard, there was so much good she found,

there really was a lot of good, It was really cool to see that her self confidence. If we have confidence, it flows into other areas of our lives, And it affects other people. And our, yeah, and it includes our mental health, their mental health, And we often will underestimate our own, strength when we face mental challenges.

So, let's embrace our uniqueness just like Barbie does. Let go of the comparison game, of the self doubt, of the negative talk, and embrace your strengths and talents. And remember that you are capable of amazing things.

Just for being you. You are amazing for just being you. You are totally worthy, and you are amazing. I mean, that is It doesn't need to

be like you because you're a rocket scientist, or you because you married So-and-so, or you because you got straight A's

just, or you, because you look like a certain way.

Just because like in the movie, she's stereotypical Barbie, that's all she has going for her, she thinks Stereotypical Barbie, that's right. And she learns that she's so much more than just a pretty face. and that's why you need to find a value deep within yourself and not everything else surrounding you. That's where your worth comes from. That's where your strength comes from.

Exactly. As women, we face societal pressures, right, to conform, we all have to be a certain size or we all have to look a certain way. And we have to have certain standards like stereotypical Barbie. But once she was able to embrace her individuality, this is very powerful because she can live authentically. Right? And she can be her true self just as we can be our true selves and develop self worth and confidence,

And that is such an empowering mindset. And it's easy when we are so overwhelmed or in a state of depression or feeling like we don't fit in to keep leading with that negative narrative. But that's why you got to learn to talk to yourself in a. Positive mindset like this. Like I can do this, I'm worthy of this and et

cetera. And stop comparing yourself to other people, If that whole comparison is a thief of joy idea is that when we're comparing ourselves to other people, we are really not showing up as who we are. And we're not giving ourselves the opportunity to like ourselves, and we're not giving them the opportunity to really like us for

who we are. Exactly. If you're trying to fit into a mold so that somebody else likes you, or you think they're gonna like you because of certain things, and you're trying to make them see only this one side of you, or feed them what you think they want, there's no authenticity in that there's no, greatness in that there and like you said, you're cheating them out of getting to know the true you and like, how are you going to carry on a fulfilling friendship or relationship with that when you have to masquerade?

It is so interesting, especially with us both being neurodivergent, that once you say something about being ADHD, I've seen a lot more women go, Oh, I'm ADHD. And I'm like, Yay, rock on. We can be our weird selves. We can be our neurodivergent selves. And it just, you can see the air. Like I was just at a shop before I showed up and both the girls are ADHD. Cause I said, Oh yeah, daughter's ADHD. She's not going to, that's not going to fly. And they both went, Oh, we're ADHD.

And like you said, you see like a sigh of relief almost like, okay, they understand where I'm coming from. they have compassion for this. You can almost see that come off of the person.

Yeah. And then they got super friendly and totally relaxed. And I was like, we really should just be ourselves because it allows them to be themselves. One of the things that I really liked about the Barbie movie was how it emphasized, the importance of, supporting each other, You know I'm always preaching, find your village, find your village. Build

a community.

Build a community, find your village, whatever it is that you need, but get that support that you need, Because we can build, as women, these really strong communities. where we can get our needs met.

and that also nurture your self confidence, your mental health, your sense of belonging. Not like this mean girl mentality, but like, that's uplifting, positive, everybody wants the best for each other. Those women are out there, and they are looking for you too.

Mean Girls suck, man, I swear. You know, I make my daughter watch that with me like once a year.

But it still happens. I've seen it with my own daughter. I've seen it with, some of my friends daughters where they will stand on the sidelines and allow things to happen. Things happen because they're scared of stepping out and losing that friendship and you have to teach your girls that they can stand on their own and they don't need that type of friendship or influence in their life and they are so much better off without

that. I've seen it in adult women in our community. Oh yeah, 100%. Come on. And guess what? Those mean moms, they have mean girls. And that's, that's what that is. And so part of it is calling it out and calling bullshit when that happens because I can't handle that.

So when we surround ourselves with those positive women and those empowering influences, it makes a world of difference in your mental health and your journey as a woman, having a support system or having people that are going to cheer you on, not be jealous of you, not want the worst for you, not want to tear you down. It lifts you up. It brings you further, not only in your own relationships and your friendships, but your career as well. When you have that support. A true support system like that. I

find it really interesting too that a lot of women go to their husbands to expect this type of support. And I'm like, well, you didn't marry that. And so you're expecting this woman support system from your husband and he can't be a all the

things. You need to have other people that can fulfill your needs. And, my partner and I got married, younger, we were like 25. And we had to learn that it was okay to let go of us being everything to each other and needing other friendships, relationships, whether that was a sister or a best friend or a cousin or whatever. And that made our relationship stronger and better. Exactly. It didn't take away from it. It added to

it because you're no longer expecting them to meet a hundred percent of your needs. Mm-hmm. and, and they can't. They're not. Yes. They may be your best friend. Right. It's humanly possible. Yeah. They may be your best friend, but they're not your girlfriend. Mm-hmm. And there's a difference about having a girlfriend that you can be like, I need to sit on your couch and Hang out,

But it was just like in the movie with Barbie. Her friends rallied around her when they needed to take things back over she helped America Ferreira who plays the mom in the movie get on track with what she wanted Reconnect with her daughter it was them supporting each other and cheering each other on and saying we can do this that created a change because sometimes we do need that. We need a friend to say hey we can do this that's how Jess and I started this podcast. She's like, let's do this. And then I'm like, okay, yes. And then we found out we both loved it. But it's it's easier when you have somebody holding your hand.

Mm hmm. And supporting you. I think we really underestimate. the power of support of a friend.

Well, and just like in our previous podcast, we talked about how women are so lonely because they don't have a support system. They don't have somebody that they can rely on. They don't have somebody that can support them not only just in daily stuff, but career wise. it's really hard to find. Um, and a very male driven society. And so a lot of women feel alone in their careers or their things that they're doing. And so when you find other, females that are on that path, it's important to connect with them so you can have that support. And

also like other podcasts we've done, women are doing everything it feels like. And so we don't always have the time or make the time. Right. So it is important to do that. the other aspect I really liked about this too, is how it emphasized what we're always talking about, which is self. care. Yes. She takes care of herself, Barbie does, She makes time for her activities that bring her joy, and we can do that same thing by prioritizing our needs, prioritizing our own time to fulfill our

cups. And I love that about The character in the movie when like Ken's like, I want to spend the night and she's like, No, it's girls night. You know what I mean? And she's like, but I don't want you in my house. And I feel like a lot of times as women, we often feel like we're inconveniencing other people. So we say yes to things we don't want to. When Ken's like, I thought that we would always be in this dream house. And she's like, but it's my dream house, Ken, it's my dream. Like, you don't have to share it. everything with everybody or your partner or whatever. You can have your own thing that makes you happy. You can do your own thing for yourself. You can have your own room full of pink fluffy pillows if that's what, if that's what makes you happy. You don't have to give up who you are for anybody else.

Mm mm. You don't. I really thought during that move, I was like, wow, she's got some good boundaries. And she had no problem saying no.

not happening. And she didn't feel bad about it. Even when Ken was like, I don't know who I am without you. And I always thought we would be together. And she was like, you can be you, you don't need me, and I think a lot of time we think we need a partner. Well a

partner to complete us

To complete you as a whole person He didn't know his worth without her She know she knew her worth without him and that's the thing you are a complete person period by yourself. it's great to have that support, and that love, and that compassion, or those friendships, but you also need to be okay if it's just you by yourself, too. And that comes with self care and self

love. It does, and that is really what you want to bring to a relationship. I want to bring a whole person to this relationship, so that way, whether it's my friendship, or it's my partner, I want to bring That together. And I want them to do the same because we're not making one person, we're being two people

together. Yeah. And so that's why it's so important to make time for self-care. Mm-hmm. and like we have talked about before. And we'll just keep banging everybody over the head with it again and again. It's not a luxury. It's a necessity and it is essential. So find activities and you don't need to spend money to do it. Nope. Find activities that bring you joy and uplift your spirit. Whether that's reading a book, going for a walk, doing mindfulness practice, coloring, whatever it is, journaling. Prioritize those moments for yourself, even if it's only five minutes at a time, even if it's only 15 minutes at a time,

even if you feel like you're going to disappoint somebody. Yeah. And that's it. Like the other night, I really just wanted to listen to my book. My husband was like, you want to watch a show? Do you want to do this? And I was like, actually, I really want to sit out in my hammock and listen to my book. Yeah. And that's all I wanted to do is just sit out in the evening and, and that's it. And not apologize for it. Yeah. You're right. I was not sorry. I didn't say sorry. I just said, I really just want to listen to my book out in my hammock.

And it's so interesting because I was watching an interview with Margot Robbie who plays Barbie in it. And she said when she was doing research for the role, she was watching all these old Barbie movies and videos And she said, Yeah. Barbie taught me, and we have talked about this on a podcast called Sorry Not Sorry, about women over apologizing. She said, Barbie has a movie or it's a clip or something about how not to say sorry for everything and instead maybe replace it with thank you, and she was like, me as a grown woman, learning another thing, from Barbie, cause she said, I realized even as this, Actress who's producing this Barbie movie and acting in it that I apologize all the freaking time Mm hmm, and she was like Barbie empowered me we do that we minimize ourselves In the process of trying to make other people feel comfortable.

Yeah, you're right, and I've had my daughter and I sit down and watch that same cartoon, that clip, because she was always saying sorry, I was always saying sorry, and it is. Even when women are at the grocery store, they'll say sorry, I'm like, You're fine.

You don't have to say sorry. Yeah, like of somebody or you need to go get around them and I say that too. I'm like, don't say sorry for that. Yeah. Excuse

me works. Pardon me. That's all you have to say. It is really interesting, that we can use Barbie to look at some of the mental health challenges, Right. Because I grew up with Barbie. I, I, my mother still has mine and even after we went, we're like, Who is Alan? And I was like, Oh my gosh, I have an Alan Barbie. I have an Alan Barbie in my closet and I had no idea who he was. He came from my aunt and it's sitting in my closet. So I pulled out the picture and sent it to everybody. I was like, look, this is Alan. And, and it's just interesting because growing up, I thought we had to look like Barbie. And that is what I thought growing up is that we had to be Barbie, we had to dress like her, we had to have the sports car like her, right? And so I loved in the movie when they really broke it down right in the beginning and they were like, the sexist and dah, dah dah duh. And they went off on it, but they were really able to tie in all of what I learned and being able to change it about women empowerment.

Mm-hmm. and I love too, in the movie and now, How there is so many different dolls. Oh, yeah different shapes different sizes different skin tones different hair textures Like they even just came out with a down syndrome Barbie. It's like so amazing to see that and then the movie too They're like judges Supreme Court. They're rocket scientists. They're moms They're everything and I love that she has so much dip they have moved with the times and added in those layers to Barbie that It isn't just the cookie cutter.

You're right. And you know, what's so funny is I had to chuckle with weird Barbie because those are most of mine. My mom has gone through my Barbies and let's not say an era, but a lot of mine have Mohawks. And so I have a lot of my own weird Barbies. And so it was just so fun to relate to And it was fun to look at and it was great to have my daughter see it because. She could see that. Yeah, she can be anything and they're changing

it and I love too that in the movie They're all so scared of weird barbie but it turns out like she is the one that helps them the most. Once they kind of get over, like, she's weird and she's different and she's, quote unquote, crazy or whatever, and then they're like, okay, she's been through all this stuff, like, she can help us, and she has taken in all the other Barbies who are, like, kind of rejects, and, like,, help them, and, like,, she doesn't let them be alone in what they're walking through.

I was just thinking, oh my gosh, can you imagine if they had a neurodivergent Barbie? What would that box look like? Neurodivergent Barbie? She'd be like the collector of hobbies.

Right. Yeah. She just buys crafts all the

time. Yes. It's not even crafting Barbie. It's purchasing Barbie. Amazon boxes would be

in her thing. Yeah. She has. Five different businesses.

that's so funny. and I think one of my favorite parts was at the very, very end, She's showing up cause Barbie doesn't have a vagina, but at the very end they're showing her, she's showing up and it's such an amazing thing to show our young girls, Like she's so excited. I thought she was going to like a job interview, right? And it turned out to be a gynecologist appointment and she was so excited to go to her gynecologist. And I think that it's so good to show girls because most women are like, oh, I can't handle going to that. And I'm like, but your sexual and reproductive health and just your general health is so important. It is.

And it is a vital part of who we are. And it's. It's something that creates a lot of joy and a lot of pain in our lives, because let's be honest, as women, we are sexualized for those things. We can be abused for those things, but also we can create beautiful things with that too. We can have children. Mm hmm. or it can be a source of pain too, like maybe we have not been able to have children. There's a lot of things surrounding our sexuality, but when you learn about it, and you are able to harness your sexual health too, it empowers

you. Yeah, it was just so neat that they were able to wrap that in there with all of the positive messaging coming back. And it's interesting because I've been talking to different women of different ages, Younger generations. You know, my mom's generation and, and everybody is loving the movie. I mean, I haven't heard one person that hated

it. No. And people that I, that thought they would hate it are saying, I'm admitting it's a great movie. I'm surprised to hear some of the people that I thought would be so against it are loving it. And

it was so neat to see all of the women rally together, We all wore pink. That was Randy's thing. We all went, we had to wear pink. We had fun. And we had fun. But you know what? Everybody in the audience was wearing pink and everybody could relate to it. The little girl below us, there was a seven year old below us. She brought her Barbie with her to see the Barbie show with her mom. And so it is really neat to see how everybody is getting these different, that they're listening to this and they're hearing it. It's no longer about just having big boobs and like the little waist.

And I feel that the movie has so many different messages woven within it. It's also hilarious, but it just, it speaks to everybody on a different level. And I love that about it that there's so many different layers to it that I really wasn't expecting. And for me, I loved America Ferrera in it the most because she's the mom and I related to her about it the most. Barbie realizes, Barbie goes into reality thinking she needs to go help a little girl there. And she finds out it's not the little girl she needs to help. It's the mom of the little girl. I

was dying when the mom was drawing cellulite Barbie. What else was she drawing?

Thinking of death Barbie. Yeah. Like all these things. And so it's like, those are the thoughts that Barbie's having. And she realizes I'm here for your mom. She's the one that needs me. She's the one that's lonely and confused right now and questioning things. And. I feel as women and mothers too, we often feel very lonely and confused and we don't have anybody to talk to. And that's her thing, she was drawing out these Barbies because she was using that to cope, then Barbie, came to her, you know,, in reality and helped her, mend these things that were going on. what's that quote that she says in the movie that's so powerful?

Oh yeah, so she has her speech at the end, And it says, it is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful and so smart and it kills me that you don't think you're good enough. Like we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we're always doing it wrong. You have to be thin, but not too thin. You can never say that you want to be thin. You have to want to be healthy. I love where she says, I'm just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us. And if all of that is also true for a doll just representing women, then I don't even know. And it's like, wow. It gives me chills

just hearing that you just say it. Even in the movie, I started tearing up because I felt that deep in my soul. That we are always trying to people please and always trying to fit in and put ourselves in that barbie box But we don't need to be put in a box and we don't need to fit in We just need to be ourselves

and guess what people aren't gonna like you and it's okay. It's okay. It is Okay, what I tell my kids is that you're not responsible for how they respond to you Don't be a dick But you don't have to be liked by everybody. No. Be a kind person. Be a nice person, Don't be mean to people, but stand up for yourself. Exactly. And it's so hard to be all of that without being a dick, but you can do it. It's possible. It

is possible. So, the Barbie movie has given us just so much to think about when it comes to improving our mental health, embracing our self worth, and, building friendships and being, a cheerleader for other women, too.

So, remember, All of you out there that you are capable of achieving greatness, just like Barbie. I know that sounds cheesy. I know, but it's true. It is true. So embrace your uniqueness, support each other and prioritize your self care. You are important.

We hope you have found inspiration from today's episode. And remember, you are not alone on this path to better mental health. We are all in this together. And we hope if you found inspiration with this, you share this with a friend or a family member.

Thank you for joining us today and until next time, take care of yourselves and each other.