Greta Gerwig’s Barbie was no less than a revolutionary feature in the current state of society. Using a children’s toy rooted in the ideals of feminism to offer a brilliant social commentary on the world today, Greta Gerwig created a literal masterpiece. Starring Margot Robbie as Barbie, the movie has set a high bar for how movies should deal with themes of social commentary and critique societal norms.
In the Barbie commentary released on Max, Greta Gerwig offers a deep insight into how the movie was made and turned into the masterpiece it is today. The filmmaker also revealed how one line was almost deleted by Warner Bros.’ executives, prompting fans to criticize the billion-dollar studio once again.
Barbie’s One Line Was Almost Deleted by Warner Bros.
Barbie might have been snubbed at the Oscars, but it is a fact that the Greta Gerwig-directed film is no less than a brilliant masterpiece that tackles several integral issues, from patriarchy to feminism, corruption to gender stereotypes. Some might say that it is a miracle that the movie even got made and went on to gross over $1.4 billion worldwide (via Box Office Mojo).
Furthermore, the casting of Margot Robbie as Barbie was not only a stroke of genius but also a bold statement, as Robbie’s portrayal challenged traditional perceptions of beauty and femininity. However, while Warner Bros. and Mattel stuck through most of the stuff featured in the movie, WB found issues with one line in the film and wanted to delete it without Gerwig’s permission.
As Gerwig revealed in the Barbie commentary, the production wanted to delete this one line for being too obscure.
In the BARBIE commentary on MAX, Greta Gerwig says that "everyone" told her to cut this line because it was "too obscure."
We should revoke execs permission to give line notes. Like, honestly, what's the worst outcome here?
OH NO! ONE LINE IS CONFUSING! THE WORLD IS OVER pic.twitter.com/i16acXxaGu
— Bitter Script Reader (@BittrScrptReadr) June 23, 2024
A simple line highlighting one of the many characteristics of ‘fascists’, the line is simple and easier to understand for anyone having even an iota of knowledge about the world. Yet, not only does it offer a snide remark about the world order but is also hilarious since it is Barbie who is speaking these lines!
While Gerwig did not delete the line and since it is now one of the most memorable lines of the movie, fans have been criticizing Warner Bros. for forcing the Oscar-nominated filmmaker to do away with the line,
Fans Call Out Warner Bros. for Wanting to Delete One Barbie Line
Greta Gerwig is a brilliant filmmaker, who with her adept direction and thought-provoking storytelling made Barbie an empowering work of art. The movie is bound to be remembered as a game-changer in the film industry, igniting important conversations through art and filmmaking.
So, when the information of Warner Bros. executives wanting to delete the ‘fascist’ line was made public, fans did not hold back from berating the media house for trying to ‘sabotage’ the movie on grounds of being ‘obscure’.
The executives weren’t confused, they just didn’t like the joke. They don’t like the idea that their rich, powerful friends and/or family and/or themselves are the fascists. (Odds are, they are.)
— Pro-Compost, Anti-Covid 🌻🟧😷 #DavosSafe (@Annalisa840917) June 23, 2024
It is a great line. It also shows that Barbie is an educated individual. It tracks perfectly.
— John T. Woods (@johntwoods) June 23, 2024
Too obscure? It was one of the most brilliant lines in the movie. Says so much with so little. Depth, intelligence, and understanding churning along meaningfully, hidden beneath a pink facade of “pretty.” Isn’t that the essential premise of the movie?
— वैbhav (@kunwara_ladkaa) June 23, 2024
It was a hillarious punchline. Even if you don't understand the political science. Barbie saying this out of the blue is funny
— Larry Bernard (@karasoth) June 23, 2024
What made Barbie a good movie was the constant socio-political subtext in comments like this. If you didn't get the line, you need to study history more.
— Squirrel (he/him/his) (@Squirrel3218) June 23, 2024
While some fans appreciated Barbie for also being ‘educatory’ in nature, others remarked the line brilliantly captured how intelligent the character is. As fans continue to berate Warner Bros. for trying to make ‘creative’ decisions, it is about time that media houses stop underestimating their audiences.
Barbie and the Barbie commentary can be streamed on Max.
