ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that aside from the obvious commentary on the corrupting power of the patriarchy and the fragility of ideal worlds and identities (among other issues), Barbie is an invitation to think about what it means to be an NPC versus a main character in our very non-ideal world. What is called “main character syndrome” refers to a wide range of thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors of those who imagine themselves as leads not only in the narratives of their lives, but also in somebody else’s—in the life of someone, or a number of someones, who matter less. Gotlib thus examines this “main character”–NPC dynamic, and suggests that the kind of existential crisis experienced by both Ken and Barbie (indeed, by many Kens and Barbies) as this dynamic crumbles can offer a way to think about the moral and epistemic dangers of such dualistic ontologies, while pointing toward something better that lies on the other side of Barbieland.
