One of the things that fans of the Barbie movie like best is the way it tackles how the iconic Mattel doll fits into 21st-century life. Sure, she was created to empower young girls – but how has that played out in the real world? In order to address that topic, Greta Gerwig poked some fun at Mattel and its executive team. Now, Mattel’s CEO has gone on the record about how it felt to be at the center of a few playful jabs.
Barbie follows Margot Robbie’s “stereotypical” Barbie into the real world in search of answers to her existential crisis. When she makes her way to Mattel HQ, hoping to speak to the woman she believes must be in charge, she is shocked to realize that the toy company’s entire C-suite is made up of men. Their leadership skills (or lack thereof) quickly become obvious. Their inability to understand what has made Barbie such a timeless childhood icon becomes a running joke throughout Barbie too -- this is done primarily through the out-of-touch Mattel CEO, played with a ludicrous lack of self-awareness by Will Ferrell.
This portrayal could have easily ruffled feathers at Mattel – but in a recent interview, the real Mattel CEO, Ynon Kreiz made it clear that the company took it all in stride. He told Semafor’s On The Record that he adopted a healthy mindset when it came to how Mattel appeared in Barbie’s world:
Embrace self-deprecation. It wasn’t just about bashing Mattel; it was part of this great narrative and interpretation of Barbie’s universe.
Ynon Kreiz also told On The Record that Mattel leadership believed in Greta Gerwig’s vision for the Barbie movie, and they did what they could to support her from their end:
We were very much part of the entire process but we gave Greta full creative freedom because she deserves it. We trusted that she would turn it into something that resonates with people.
That trust has obviously paid off in more ways than one. Barbie isn’t just one of the most beloved movies among 2023's movie releases, it’s also a billion-dollar blockbuster that broke numerous box office records upon its release in July. Barbie also boosted Mattel’s revenue – according to On The Record, somewhere in the neighborhood of $125 million in added sales.
While it looks like there won’t be a Barbie sequel, Mattel is now mulling its options for expanding in the cinematic world, including upcoming films about Polly Pocket with Lena Dunham and the big purple dinosaur Barney with Daniel Kaluuya. It’s too early to say if those films will also take not-so-subtle jabs at Mattel, but if they do, the toy company probably won’t take it to heart.
Barbie is currently available to purchase and stream on Amazon.
