- 2 years ago
Barbie's world is full of Easter eggs. Welcome to MsMojo Dojo Casa House, and today we’re counting down our picks for references, in-jokes, and small details that Detective Barbie might’ve picked up on, but the average Ken might’ve overlooked.
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00:00 "This is my dream house. It is my dream house! It's mine!"
00:03 "No, this is no longer Barbie's dream house."
00:06 Welcome to the Ms. Mojo Dojo Casa house,
00:08 and today we're counting down our picks for references,
00:11 in-jokes and small details that Detective Barbie might have picked up on,
00:15 but the average Ken might have overlooked.
00:17 This entails a few spoilers.
00:19 "These were actual Kens. More discontinued Barbies!"
00:25 Number 20. Proust Barbie
00:27 As Mattel attempts to put Barbie back in a box,
00:30 the smell triggers a Proustian flashback.
00:32 "Remember Proust Barbie? That did not sell very well."
00:36 Although Lucy Boynton plays Proust Barbie,
00:39 no such doll exists in reality.
00:41 However, there once lived a French novelist named Marcel Proust.
00:45 This line specifically references Swan's Way,
00:47 the first volume of Proust's novel In Search of Lost Time,
00:51 aka Remembrance of Things Past.
00:53 In the story, the taste of Madeline Cake sends the narrator back to childhood.
00:57 "Proust is pretty heavy."
00:58 "Yeah, but it's worth it, I hear."
01:00 "No, I meant the book, carrying it on the plane."
01:02 Greta Gerwig called this quote, "a nice Easter egg for one person."
01:06 Ironically, one person who would have gotten the reference
01:09 was Robert Oppenheimer, who was a fan of Proust's work.
01:13 And with one obscure joke, Barbenheimer comes full circle.
01:16 "How about because this is the most important thing
01:18 to ever happen in the history of the world?"
01:20 Number 19. Pegasus on the Beach
01:23 This may be the first live-action Barbie movie,
01:25 but the character has been starring in animated films for over two decades.
01:29 One of the first not to be based on a pre-existing story
01:32 was Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus from 2005.
01:35 "Who are you? Why- why did you save me?"
01:39 In that film, the titular Pegasus is Princess Brietta,
01:42 who was transformed into a winged horse after rejecting a marriage proposal.
01:46 The spell is lifted with help from Princess Annika, played by Barbie.
01:50 "Thank you. Oh, thank you so much."
01:53 "Looks good on you, Brietta."
01:55 Brietta and Annika might not have prominent roles in the live-action film.
01:59 On the beach, however, you can spot a sculpture resembling a familiar Pegasus.
02:03 This nod to the 2005 feature reminds us that the previous Barbie movies ran,
02:07 so that this one could fly. Just like a Pegasus.
02:11 "Show off? Slowpoke."
02:14 Number 18. Barbie's Birthday
02:17 Every number tells a story.
02:19 With Barbie behind the wheel, the car's odometer reads 031959.
02:24 Nothing is random in Greta Gerwig's film, and this number is no exception.
02:29 The first Barbie doll was introduced at the American International Toy Fair
02:32 on March 9, 1959. This date is thus considered Barbie's official birthday.
02:38 "I didn't have anything big planned, just a giant blowout party
02:40 with all the Barbies and planned choreography and a bespoke song.
02:43 You should stop by."
02:44 The odometer number pays homage to Barbie's debut,
02:47 but it subtly ties into the film's themes as well.
02:50 Stereotypical Barbie has been around for over 60 years.
02:53 However, it isn't until she develops the desire to become human
02:57 that Barbie is truly given the chance to live.
02:59 In that sense, the odometer reflects Barbie's initial genesis
03:03 and her rebirth into a fully fleshed out human being.
03:06 It's a personal journey full of emotional mileage.
03:09 "I'm gonna step this way, ma'am."
03:10 "I also just learned to cry. First I got one tear, and then I got a whole bunch."
03:14 Number 17. BAX
03:16 Driving past the local airport, Barbie salutes the pilot mid-takeoff.
03:20 The airport is cleverly named BAX, a reference to LAX.
03:25 Since Barbieland is essentially a pinker Malibu,
03:28 it's only fitting that the airport would be modeled after a Los Angeles staple.
03:32 Yet, the fact that Barbieland has an airport raises a few questions.
03:36 For starters, where is the plane flying to?
03:39 "Do you have a map of Barbieland?"
03:41 "What do you think?"
03:42 Do Barbieland inhabitants regularly take trips that require air travel?
03:49 Can you reach the real world with a plane?
03:51 Or do you have to take the scenic route via car, boat, rocket, bike, and snowmobile?
03:56 Is the plane actually going anywhere,
03:58 or is pilot Barbie just taking a joyride around Barbieland?
04:02 For such a small Easter egg, it carries a lot of baggage.
04:05 [Laughter]
04:09 Number 16. Not in Barbieland anymore.
04:13 Greta Gerwig has made it no secret that The Wizard of Oz was a key inspiration for her film.
04:17 Wanting to capture the Technicolor classic's, quote, "authentically artificial" aesthetic,
04:22 "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
04:27 Gerwig pays homage as Barbie drives past a movie theater.
04:30 With posters featuring Dorothy, the Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion,
04:34 as well as an Emerald City backdrop, is there any question what's playing?
04:39 The plot also parallels Oz as Barbie heads down a colorful road,
04:43 goes over the rainbow, and finds herself in a new land.
04:46 "Wow, this is the real world!"
04:48 "Barbie, I told you there'd be beach."
04:51 Instead of going from Kansas to Oz,
04:53 Barbie pulls a reversal, trading the fantastical Barbieland for the real world.
04:58 It might not be as vibrant as Barbieland, but there is a magic to the real world,
05:02 becoming Barbie's new home.
05:04 "Well, the real world is not perfect, but you inspired me."
05:07 Number 15. Hidden Bees.
05:10 "When I wake up in my own pink world, I get up out of bed and wave to my home girls."
05:18 Here's a fun challenge for cinephiles and mathematicians.
05:21 Try counting every bee hidden in this movie.
05:24 Even Gerwig doesn't seem to know the exact number off the top of her head,
05:27 although she told Variety, quote,
05:29 "There must be thousands of bees everywhere,
05:31 because they also have, like, designs in the carpet."
05:34 "And paint goes with everything. It's beautiful from head to toe.
05:41 I'm ready to go, you know, you know."
05:43 In addition to the carpet, the letter logo has been etched into clothing,
05:46 accessories, walls, magazines, flags, doors, door handles, mailbox handles, ticket booths,
05:53 the list goes on in what must be some kind of record.
05:56 As for Gerwig's favorite hidden bee, she slyly said, quote,
06:00 "I can't tell it, but I know it."
06:02 "Faster I figure it out, the faster we get to go home."
06:04 "What am I supposed to do?"
06:05 Number 14. Ruth Handler's tax troubles.
06:09 This movie doesn't shy away from Barbie's most notorious moments,
06:13 including creator Ruth Handler's legal problems.
06:15 "I'm a five-foot-nothing grandma with a double mastectomy and tax evasion issues."
06:21 When Barbie meets her literal maker, Handler seems like such a wholesome figure.
06:25 Crossing paths again, Handler acknowledges that even she's not perfect.
06:29 "You're Ruth from Mattel."
06:31 "Baby, I am Mattel. Until the IRS got to me, but that's another movie."
06:37 Without getting into the nitty-gritty, Handler alludes to 1975 when the SEC
06:42 investigated Mattel's financial misstatements.
06:45 Handler was forced to resign as Mattel's president.
06:48 Jump ahead three years, Handler and several others at Mattel were indicted for conspiracy,
06:53 mail fraud, and false financial reporting.
06:55 Pleading no contest, Handler was fined $57,000 and received 2,500 community service hours.
07:02 Despite this scandal, Handler solidified herself as an inspirational figure not
07:06 just through Barbie, but her advocacy for breast cancer awareness as well.
07:10 "Ruth had started a company which manufactured breast prostheses.
07:15 Here she is showing off her product in Ruth-like fashion."
07:18 Number 13. Hitting all the right musical notes.
07:22 Even when nobody's singing, Barbie's world is like a musical.
07:25 "A kind of a movie that was driven by music, but not a musical.
07:29 And I guess we're half of a musical."
07:31 She wakes up wearing a pink bow, looking like Catherine Deneuve
07:34 in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
07:36 Barbie's trek up the stairs to Weird Barbie's House is eerily similar to a scene
07:40 in the dance drama The Red Shoes.
07:42 "I'm Just Ken" may be loaded with the most musical references.
07:46 "I'm just Ken, anywhere else I'd be a ten."
07:51 This scene is like a West Side Story rumble crossed with the fashion of
07:54 Grease Lightning.
07:55 The costumes and soundstage are also reminiscent of the Broadway melody
07:58 ballet from Singing in the Rain.
08:00 There were just two things missing from the Gene Kelly classic,
08:04 Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen, who can be heard playing guitar during
08:07 the musical showdown in Barbie.
08:18 Number 12.
08:20 Si Se Puede.
08:21 Ryan Pierce Williams makes a cameo as Gloria's husband.
08:24 Not a huge stretch, considering that Williams is married to America Ferreira
08:28 in real life.
08:29 In the film, the most notable part of his character is his ongoing effort
08:33 to improve his Spanish.
08:34 "Si se puede!"
08:35 "That's a political statement."
08:36 "That's appropriation, dad."
08:38 This has a few different translations, including,
08:40 "Yes, it is possible,"
08:42 "Yes, we can,"
08:43 and "It can be done."
08:44 The saying is primarily associated with activist groups like the United
08:48 Farm Workers of America, but it has personal ties to Ferreira as well.
08:52 "I came for you!"
08:57 The motto played a significant part in the Disney Channel original movie
09:01 Gotta Kick It Up, which marked one of Ferreira's earliest starring roles.
09:05 Along with Eva Longoria, Ferreira also started Si Se Puede,
09:09 a digital lifestyle community to support Latinas.
09:12 "Latinas are the fastest growing cohort in states all across this country.
09:19 The power that we have to make the difference is undeniable."
09:24 Number 11.
09:25 Four Brats
09:26 When Barbie first encounters Sasha and her three friends,
09:30 she finds that they aren't very nice.
09:32 You might even say that they're acting like brats, in more ways than one.
09:36 "Come on, Sasha."
09:37 "Give it to her."
09:37 "Destroy Barbie."
09:38 "Okay, Barbie."
09:42 "Let's do this."
09:43 It's probably not a coincidence that the friends look like the original
09:46 four Bratz dolls, one of whom was even named Sasha.
09:50 When the Bratz first hit the scene in 2001,
09:52 Barbie was the dominating force in the fashion doll industry.
09:56 Within a few years, though, Bratz had not only taken up almost 40% of the market,
10:01 but the toy line managed to outsell Barbie in some areas.
10:04 "We haven't played with Barbie since we were like five years old."
10:06 "Yeah, I hated dolls with hair."
10:09 "I mean, I played with Barbie, but it was like the last resort."
10:11 "I loved Barbie."
10:12 We suppose Barbie got the last laugh,
10:16 as Bratz also tried producing a live-action film that,
10:20 well, let's just say it could have used more Greta Gerwig.
10:23 "Hey, you know, I'm hanging up and changing my number."
10:26 Number 10.
10:29 Gloria made a Weird Barbie weird.
10:32 Four years after calling Margot Robbie "Anchor Barbie" in Bombshell,
10:35 Kate McKinnon finds herself playing Weird Barbie.
10:38 "Come into my weird house. Hi, I'm Weird Barbie.
10:41 I am in the splits. I have a funky haircut and I smell like basement."
10:44 It's revealed later in the film that Robbie's Barbie has become
10:46 the plaything of America Ferrera's Gloria.
10:49 In a flashback, a link between Gloria and Weird Barbie is also hinted at.
10:53 As a little girl draws on Weird Barbie's face, cuts her hair, and splits her legs,
10:58 Scrabble pieces spelling out the name "Gloria" can be spotted on a pole.
11:02 Gloria mentions that she had a Weird Barbie growing up.
11:05 "Yeah, you did."
11:05 "You make them weird by playing too hard."
11:08 "It's cool."
11:09 It appears that McKinnon's character is the same Barbie that Gloria played too hard with.
11:13 Considering that Gloria conceived thoughts of impending death Barbie,
11:17 we're not surprised that she got weird with her toys as a kid.
11:20 "I am your biggest fan and she's like, 'America, you don't remember?'"
11:26 Number 9.
11:27 Ken's Stallone Coat
11:29 As Ryan Gosling's Ken takes over Barbie land,
11:32 he trades in the beach shorts for a boss fur coat.
11:34 "If you can't define yourself by your thoughts or experiences or accomplishments,
11:40 a faux mink can do a lot of the heavy lifting for you."
11:44 It's fojo mojo mink, don't worry.
11:46 When people think of stereotypical masculinity,
11:49 a fur jacket might not be the first thing that comes to mind.
11:52 For someone who has based their new persona on Sylvester Stallone, though,
11:57 Ken's wardrobe choice makes perfect sense.
11:59 In the real world, Ken discovers symbols of conventional manliness,
12:03 from cowboy attire to Rocky posters adorning the walls of a gym.
12:06 Rocky's powerful image inspires Ken to reinvent himself with bling,
12:19 gloves, and of course, a fur coat.
12:22 The same kind that Stallone wore during his peak of box office popularity.
12:26 Given Ken's newfound obsession with horses,
12:28 it only makes sense that he would adopt the Italian stallion's look.
12:32 "Hmm. Interesting."
12:34 Number 8. 2001 A Toyetic Odyssey
12:38 Who would have thought that Barbie would introduce Stanley Kubrick's sci-fi
12:41 masterpiece to a new generation of cinephiles?
12:43 "I always think of Margo saying, 'Yay, space!'"
12:46 "Yeah!"
12:46 "And I think like that, when she did that, I was like, 'That's Barbie!'
12:50 Barbie is 'Yay, space!'"
12:52 2001 A Space Odyssey commences with a group of hominins
12:56 using a bone as a tool for the first time.
12:58 Likewise, Greta Gerwig's film opens with the dawn of Barbie,
13:02 the original 1959 doll serving as a monolith
13:05 that captures the attention of little girls everywhere.
13:08 The 2001 parallels don't end with the opening of Barbie.
13:23 2001 concludes with the monolith resurfacing
13:25 and David Bowman becoming the star child,
13:28 marking the next turning point for humanity.
13:30 Barbie is also about evolution,
13:32 as the titular character grows from an idea to a fleshed-out individual.
13:36 By the final scene, Barbie is no longer a doll, but a human being.
13:50 Number 7. A Different Kind of Playtime
13:54 Barbie is loaded with nods to other iconic movies like The Matrix,
13:58 yet Gerwig also draws inspiration from classic films
14:01 that might not be as iconic to the average viewer.
14:03 One such example is the 1967 comedy Playtime.
14:07 Constructing a huge practical set,
14:14 the aesthetic of Jacques Dati's film is otherworldly.
14:18 Yet you could still imagine many of these locales existing in our world.
14:21 The cubicles that make up an office are simultaneously mundane and whimsical.
14:26 The same can be said about the cubicles at Mattel's headquarters in Barbie.
14:30 In both films, the cubicle backdrops seem bleak on the surface,
14:34 but they also carry a maze-like sentiment.
14:37 It's the ideal middle ground between business and playtime,
14:40 which is precisely how we envision a Mattel office.
14:43 Number 6. Tanner Makes a Mess
14:51 The filmmakers aren't afraid to look back at certain moments
14:53 throughout Barbie's history and ask, "What were they thinking?"
14:57 Enter Tanner the dog.
14:58 Barbie has owned a few canine pals over the years,
15:05 but Tanner stood out for two reasons.
15:07 One, Barbie could feed this dog.
15:10 Two, Tanner could turn dog treats into chocolate nuggets.
15:13 Potty training is the most unappealing part of having a pet.
15:17 Why did Mattel think a pooper scooper and trash bin
15:19 would be fun accessories for Barbie?
15:21 "Puppy deserves a treat for being so well potty trained."
15:25 Not only was the idea flawed,
15:26 but the loose magnets on the scoopers posed a safety issue,
15:29 resulting in more than 680,000 Barbie Tanner play sets being recalled.
15:34 We guess that's why Tanner now lives with Weird Barbie.
15:37 Outsiders gotta stick together.
15:39 "The keeper of everyone's hidden weirdness.
15:42 And, um, I like to think of myself like that in real life, too."
15:48 Number 5. Nostalgic Barbie outfits and accessories.
15:52 Barbie has been a fashion icon ever since debuting her
15:55 zebra-striped swimsuit and sunglasses.
15:57 "Someday I'm gonna be exactly like you."
16:02 In addition to her 1959 look,
16:05 costume designer Jacqueline Duren pays homage to Barbie
16:08 throughout the decades, reflecting the character's endurance.
16:11 From the disco jumpsuits of the 60s and 70s
16:13 to the neon leotards of the 80s and 90s,
16:16 Barbie has been there for every fashion trend.
16:19 "Look at all your clothes! I can't believe you never brought me up here!"
16:22 As vast as Barbie's wardrobe is,
16:24 her dream house's garage must be even bigger.
16:27 The film breaks out various vehicles you might have had growing up,
16:30 such as the Barbie Space Discovery rocket ship,
16:33 the Barbie Dream Camper Vehicle,
16:35 the Barbie Sisters' Snow Fun Snowmobile,
16:37 the Barbie Dream Plane, and even the Barbie Care Clinic.
16:40 We didn't realize it until now, but our decor could use more pink.
16:44 "We like sat with all these different kinds of pinks and we were like,
16:47 'What is the pink and how do the pinks interact?'
16:49 because I didn't want it to be so classy that it didn't...
16:53 Like when I was a little girl, I liked the pinkest, brightest things."
16:56 Number 4. Mattel's Female CEOs
16:59 Although Barbie is a flagship franchise for Mattel,
17:02 the company's leadership has been predominantly male.
17:05 As Will Ferrell's character points out,
17:07 only a couple of women have held the CEO position
17:10 during Mattel's almost 80-year history.
17:12 "How would you describe yourself?"
17:14 "Gutsy. I always kind of considered myself a fluke
17:18 because there were no others like me."
17:21 Barbie creator Ruth Handler co-founded Mattel,
17:23 serving as president from 1945 to 1974.
17:27 Fast forward to 1997, Jill Burrad became Mattel's first female CEO,
17:32 a position she held until 2000.
17:34 "I really believe if women joined together,
17:37 not only would they be an unbeatable force,
17:41 they'd be a force for good."
17:42 Burrad ultimately resigned due to the ill-conceived acquisition
17:45 of The Learning Company.
17:47 Mattel wouldn't have another female CEO until 2017,
17:50 when Margot Georgiades accepted the job,
17:53 although she'd leave after a year.
17:55 Ferrell's CEO acts as if this makes Mattel a diverse work environment,
17:59 but it's clear that even the people behind the scenes
18:01 realize there's progress to be made.
18:03 "No one rests until this doll is back in a box."
18:07 Number 3. The Bible Parallels
18:10 No, not Bibble.
18:11 "Well, hello, Barry. Don't you look lovely today."
18:15 Gerwig's treatment for Barbie included an abstract poem
18:18 inspired by the Apostles' Creed.
18:20 This was perhaps the first sign that the film
18:22 would employ some biblical subtext.
18:24 "As a director, I'm able to go more- find deep depth in things
18:30 that appear just like fluff more easily, in a way,
18:33 because, um, because it's not where anyone's looking."
18:36 When Ruth Handler hands Barbie a cup of tea,
18:38 Gerwig mimics Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam.
18:42 Gerwig was inspired by the story of Adam and Eve,
18:44 although she reversed the roles with Barbie and Ken.
18:47 According to the creation myth,
18:49 God created Eve using one of Adam's ribs so she could be his companion.
18:53 Ken, meanwhile, was created after Barbie
18:56 so that he could serve as her male counterpart.
18:58 In that sense, Barbie is Adam, Ken is Eve,
19:01 and Barbieland is the Garden of Eden.
19:03 All that's missing are a snake and an apple.
19:05 "No, none of that! None of that!"
19:08 "Well, I was only trying to help."
19:09 Number 2. The Woman on the Bench
19:12 It was suggested that Gerwig cut the scene where Barbie is moved to tears
19:15 upon meeting an elderly woman on a bench.
19:18 Gerwig insisted on keeping this moment, and we're glad she did.
19:21 "Barbie is this emblem of plastic perfection.
19:25 I was like, what better journey to give her than one that, uh,
19:29 gives her humanity."
19:31 Not only does it tie into the film's larger themes of life,
19:34 but the scene shines the spotlight on one of our best costume designers.
19:38 The woman is played by Anne Roth,
19:40 who won Oscars for her work on The English Patient and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
19:44 "She looks at all the actors, principal actors, all the extras.
19:47 Every little thing has to be in place."
19:49 Roth has been in the business for over 60 years,
19:51 but Barbie marks her first acting credit.
19:54 According to Gerwig, she has three friends in their 90s,
19:57 Roth being one of them.
19:59 Casting Roth in the role,
20:00 Gerwig can't imagine her film without this scene.
20:03 "She's very lovely. You are perfect. You look lovely."
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20:21 Number 1. Defunct Dolls
20:24 You can't make this stuff up, and we assure you that the filmmakers didn't.
20:28 "How many men were on this board and how many women? We need to know the number."
20:33 Mattel actually introduced a pregnant Midge doll,
20:36 which some argued endorsed teen pregnancy.
20:39 For a period, Midge was romantically paired with Ken's friend, Alan.
20:44 Does that mean Alan was the baby's father?
20:46 "There are no multiples of Alan. He's just Alan."
20:49 "Yeah, I'm confused about that."
20:51 That thought is almost as disturbing as growing up Skipper,
20:54 who grew up a little too fast in 1975.
20:57 The controversy didn't end there.
21:00 Sugar Daddy Ken was a misguided attempt to attract adult consumers,
21:04 while Video Girl Barbie resulted in an FBI warning.
21:07 But hey, at least Earring Magic Ken became a gay icon,
21:10 even if it wasn't the intention.
21:13 You won't find them on store shelves anymore,
21:15 but these dolls will forever live in Barbie Land and eBay.
21:19 "Get that Barbie!"
21:19 "Ideas live forever."
21:24 Did you catch any other Barbie Easter eggs?
21:26 Do you have any idea what Gerwig's favorite hidden bee was?
21:29 Sound off in the comments.
21:31 "Never seen that before. Is he?"
21:32 Do you agree with our picks?
21:35 Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
21:37 And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
21:42 [outro music]
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