I love your point about men and women and the illustration of the conversation in "When Harry Met Sally" (one of my favorite movies). You're confused, but then again, isn't all of society confused these days about what conclusions about gender are acceptable to share in public?
It is a confusing time - partly because what we consider to be society is becoming so fragmented, a trend that is exacerbated by the poverty of the communication that we engage in, both in venue (like this post - me, a stranger to most of you showing up in these 4 paragraphs) and in the quality of the critical thinking and expression we are capable of anymore.
I wonder how this undercurrent of confusion is showing up in our movies these days? For example, another Irish movie "The Banshees of Inisherin," where two guys who had been lifelong friends are confused about how to continue their friendship.
As I reflect on this theme in the context of my friendships, I find that I've been avoiding friends who confuse me and gravitating to those who help me process ambiguity and perhaps draw closer to truth. Which maybe is why I read your essays, Jeff.
Beautiful article. Barbie definitely pointed out the masculine vs the feminine, which really tells us that balance is needed. The Kens experienced in Barbie Land what many women will say they experience in the Real World. Again, it all comes down to a healthy blending of both the divine masculine and the divine feminine. And what is cool about this is that it's got nothing to do with gender but certain energy attributes. Males and females can both tap into these energy streams when needed. And like natural laws suggest, balance rules.
Last year, I read the Irish writer Claire Keegan’s lovely novella “Foster,” about a girl from a dysfunctional family who is sent for the summer to live with relatives. The novella was made into a 2022 film titled “The Quiet Girl.” It’s mostly spoken in Irish with subtitles. It’s beautifully filmed, captures much of Irish culture, and despite its slow pacing, is lyrical and moving. The book and film say so much with so little. In contrast, many of the big Hollywood movies today want to tutor us with one agenda or another. Their causes may align with one’s political views or not, but sometimes I want to escape the left/right battles and culture debates and simply get lost in a wonderful story. I saw Oppenheimer, too, but it left me with not much. And the Barbie movie, well, no thanks. However, “The Quiet Girl” remains in my thoughts and heart.
I am happy that I know the Christian Jesus and that God our Father knew our “fallen” human thinking and bondage led to the requirement of our Saviour’s rescue plan. God is GOOD.
Proverbs 14:12) There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
We all need the transformation provided by salvation, his Word ( scripture) and his Holy Spirit! Stinking thinking is a human flaw but there is hope in the good news/ gospel.
Too many characters saying too many smarty things too quickly through an abominable sound system. What was Strauss so pissed off about? A missed opportunity. (Oppenheimer, not Barbie.)
Both the fantasy Barbie world and creators of destructive weapons are going nowhere good….”Narrow is the way to life! Few there are who find it.” ( says Jesus.) There are ditches on both sides of what seems logical to most human thinkers.
This is an interesting take. I have yet to see Oppenheimer, but I agree with your wife's interpretation of Barbie: it was a work of art; everything about it was intentional and thoughtfully put together. Frankly, I'm a bit surprised that you didn't "get it." What is there to "get?" As with all art, it's open to interpretation - and that's the beauty of it! I wrote a post recapping some things that I loved about the movie if you're interested (https://livelearnlauren.substack.com/p/10-things-i-loved-about-the-barbie?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2).
At its core, though, the Barbie movie is a heroine's journey. I'm in the process of writing a more detailed essay about Barbie's quest for identity and what we can learn from it (dropping our egos, etc). Admittedly, it feels silly exploring this superficial "plastic" story with such depth, but I think there's something more here worth discussing!
What We Missed About the Whole “Barbenheimer” Controversy
I love your point about men and women and the illustration of the conversation in "When Harry Met Sally" (one of my favorite movies). You're confused, but then again, isn't all of society confused these days about what conclusions about gender are acceptable to share in public?
It is a confusing time - partly because what we consider to be society is becoming so fragmented, a trend that is exacerbated by the poverty of the communication that we engage in, both in venue (like this post - me, a stranger to most of you showing up in these 4 paragraphs) and in the quality of the critical thinking and expression we are capable of anymore.
I wonder how this undercurrent of confusion is showing up in our movies these days? For example, another Irish movie "The Banshees of Inisherin," where two guys who had been lifelong friends are confused about how to continue their friendship.
As I reflect on this theme in the context of my friendships, I find that I've been avoiding friends who confuse me and gravitating to those who help me process ambiguity and perhaps draw closer to truth. Which maybe is why I read your essays, Jeff.
Beautiful article. Barbie definitely pointed out the masculine vs the feminine, which really tells us that balance is needed. The Kens experienced in Barbie Land what many women will say they experience in the Real World. Again, it all comes down to a healthy blending of both the divine masculine and the divine feminine. And what is cool about this is that it's got nothing to do with gender but certain energy attributes. Males and females can both tap into these energy streams when needed. And like natural laws suggest, balance rules.
Last year, I read the Irish writer Claire Keegan’s lovely novella “Foster,” about a girl from a dysfunctional family who is sent for the summer to live with relatives. The novella was made into a 2022 film titled “The Quiet Girl.” It’s mostly spoken in Irish with subtitles. It’s beautifully filmed, captures much of Irish culture, and despite its slow pacing, is lyrical and moving. The book and film say so much with so little. In contrast, many of the big Hollywood movies today want to tutor us with one agenda or another. Their causes may align with one’s political views or not, but sometimes I want to escape the left/right battles and culture debates and simply get lost in a wonderful story. I saw Oppenheimer, too, but it left me with not much. And the Barbie movie, well, no thanks. However, “The Quiet Girl” remains in my thoughts and heart.
I am happy that I know the Christian Jesus and that God our Father knew our “fallen” human thinking and bondage led to the requirement of our Saviour’s rescue plan. God is GOOD.
Proverbs 14:12) There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
We all need the transformation provided by salvation, his Word ( scripture) and his Holy Spirit! Stinking thinking is a human flaw but there is hope in the good news/ gospel.
Too many characters saying too many smarty things too quickly through an abominable sound system. What was Strauss so pissed off about? A missed opportunity. (Oppenheimer, not Barbie.)
Both the fantasy Barbie world and creators of destructive weapons are going nowhere good….”Narrow is the way to life! Few there are who find it.” ( says Jesus.) There are ditches on both sides of what seems logical to most human thinkers.
This is an interesting take. I have yet to see Oppenheimer, but I agree with your wife's interpretation of Barbie: it was a work of art; everything about it was intentional and thoughtfully put together. Frankly, I'm a bit surprised that you didn't "get it." What is there to "get?" As with all art, it's open to interpretation - and that's the beauty of it! I wrote a post recapping some things that I loved about the movie if you're interested (https://livelearnlauren.substack.com/p/10-things-i-loved-about-the-barbie?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2).
At its core, though, the Barbie movie is a heroine's journey. I'm in the process of writing a more detailed essay about Barbie's quest for identity and what we can learn from it (dropping our egos, etc). Admittedly, it feels silly exploring this superficial "plastic" story with such depth, but I think there's something more here worth discussing!