One user on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu shared a guide for how women can test their boyfriends based on their reaction to the film.

For some women in China, “Barbie” is more than just a movie — it’s also a litmus test for their partner’s views on feminism and patriarchy.

The movie has prompted intense social media discussion online, media outlets Sixth Tone and the China Project reported this week, prompting women to discuss their own dating experiences.

One user on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu — a photo-sharing site similar to Instagram that’s mostly used by Gen Z women — even shared a guide on Monday for how women can test their boyfriends based on their reaction to the film.

According to the guide, if a man shows hatred for “Barbie” and slams female directors after they leave the theatre, then this man is “stingy” and a “toxic chauvinist,” according to Insider’s translation of the post. Conversely, if a man understands even half of the movie’s themes, “then he is likely a normal guy with normal values and stable emotions,” the user wrote.

  • @[email protected]English
    9•1 year ago

    I guess my point is that a patriarchal society makes it difficult for men who don’t actively pursue power over others to form relationships.

    What’s interesting is that this is a concept that’s explored in trans-feminist theory. Trans women tend to hold male privilege pre-transition but never really cultivate it and transitioning opens their eyes and makes them acutely aware of their newfound lack of privilege. Male privilege doesn’t just come from actively wielding power over others, it happens everywhere all the time. As the other commenter said, even if you tried to avoid it actively in your life, male privilege and the patriarchal society we live in likely contributed to you entering a career in a STEM field and potentially even opened doors for you that may not have been there for you if you were born female because of a 3rd party’s views on women in STEM.

    • @VioletteReiEnglish
      3•1 year ago

      As a trans woman, I can assure it’s true. I was always socially-awkward and alone, but even then I had advantages only because I was a “guy”. When I transitionned, people were not interacting with me like before, it was really surprising, and honestly, sad.

      It also had good effects, I discovered sorority, and I made really good women friends. A part of it is because I now have the same struggles as theirs, with trans-struggles in a addition