Christian movie site warns 'Barbie' pushes trans ideology; Tennessee pastor declares 'curse' over movie
Parents considering whether to take their family to see the new “Barbie” movie should be prepared to have some awkward conversations.
That’s the warning from both Christian preachers and movie critics alike about the film based on the longtime doll brand, which is said to promote LGBT characters and ideas alongside the nostalgia of the Barbie universe.
The film, which stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, and is directed by Greta Gerwig, includes an appearance by trans actor Hari Nef, who plays a doctor version of the Barbie doll.
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Nef shared an image of himself dressed as the female doctor character along with an open letter to Gerwig and Robbie “begging them to fudge the schedule a little bit” to accommodate a scheduling conflict.
okay so i'm a #barbie this is Wild pic.twitter.com/ETRCiYY0iC
— hari nef (@harinef) April 4, 2023
A statement shared by Nef read in part: "But underneath the word ‘doll’ is the shape of a woman who is not quite a woman–recognizable as such, but still a fake. ‘Doll’ is fraught, glamorous; she is, and she isn’t. We call ourselves ‘the dolls’ in the face of everything we know we are, never will be, hope to be. We yell the word because the word matters. And no doll matters more than Barbie.”
In addition to the trans actor playing a female role, “Barbie” is also guilty of “pushing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender character stories,” according to Movieguide, a Christian movie review site founded by Ted and Lili Baehr.
A Movieguide staffer who previewed the film said it “completely ignored” Barbie’s natural demographic of young girls and families and instead “chose to cater to a small percentage of the population who has proven over and over to abandon the box office.”
Calling the film “poorly made with multiple premises,” the review warned parents to be aware before buying a ticket: “Even the Barbie cartoon movies promote redemption, compassion, team work, kindness to strangers, self-sacrifice and more. Parents trust the brand, and that is why they must know the truth about the upcoming movie.”
The film was put under a literal curse by Kent Christmas, who pastors Regeneration Nashville, Tennessee.
Late last month, Christmas went viral for a video clip showing him blasting “Barbie” for its LGBT themes.
“I curse in the name of the Lord this new Barbie movie that has been released full of transexual and transgender and homosexuality,” Christmas is heard saying. “What’s happened is the Church has been so intimidated, so silent, that we’re afraid to stand up and declare, ‘Thus sayeth the Lord.’”
Christian preacher Kent Christmas condemns the new Barbie movie for being full of "transsexual and transgender and homosexuality." pic.twitter.com/jwN9bSItej
— Hemant Mehta (@hemantmehta) June 26, 2023
After the sermon clip went viral, LGBT outlets like the Daily Dot criticized Christmas and other “bigoted Christians” for slamming the film before its release and derided a string of retail boycotts against Target and other stores.
"So no, the Christian church has certainly not been 'silent' about how much they hate [LGBT] people, although if they would like to consider doing so, that would be an incredible change of pace for the rest of us who are tired of the endless parade of silly little attacks," the post said.
A story on Pride.com called the video of the sermon “disturbing” and dismissed the sermon as “nonsensical” because the characters in the film are “toys without genitals.”
The film’s appeal to LGBT audiences has been less than subtle: Gerwig told one outlet that she hopes the movie will be a way of “opening the doors to the Barbie universe.”
“There’s no way we could have told this story without bringing in the [LGBT] community, and it was important for us to represent the diversity that Mattel has created with all of the different Barbies and Kens that exist today,” Gerwig was quoted as saying.
Sam Smith, the nonbinary-identified singer who drew outrage in February over his satanically-inspired performance at the Grammys, is featured on the “Barbie” soundtrack with a song titled “Man I Am,” along with other artists such as Nicki Minaj, Billie Eilish, and Lizzo.
Ian M. Giatti is a reporter for The Christian Post and the author of BACKWARDS DAD: a children's book for grownups. He can be reached at: [email protected].
