ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by noting that its purpose is not to analyze whether Barbie is an apology for middle-class, white, American feminism, or whether it is a commercially appealing way of making contemporary feminist claims more palatable. Instead, the author explores the conflicting expressions of “hope” in the film, arguing that this underlying tension is a key component of what moves the general public to reflect on the film’s significance—leaving them somewhere between satisfaction, hope, and disappointment.
