How The Barbie Movie Can Help Discuss Abortion In The US

By now, almost everyone has seen the new Barbie movie or knows someone who has seen it. Many people went into the movie expecting a light story about a Barbie doll living a life that's always fun. But the film is so much more. While the movie doesn’t touch on abortion, it does provide some excellent advice that can be applied to several areas of life, including when we discuss abortion.

Stereotypes Are Not The Truth

On both sides of the abortion discussion, there are stereotypes of the other. The more we feed into and believe in these stereotypes, the harder it is to have a genuine and much-needed discussion. Throughout the Barbie movie, we see how stereotypes can cause problems, especially if either side does not understand how the other side is feeling. 

The movie also shows how misunderstanding a concept can lead to further division. In the movie, Ken misinterprets what patriarchy is and why people in the Real World have fought against it. To have a meaningful conversation about abortion, it’s important to know what it is and why some women choose it. Knowledge is power, and power can unlock many doors.

Communication Is Key

Throughout the Barbie movie, it is shown time and time again how important communication is. Though sometimes the conversation was hard, we could see how the conversations led to something great. The discussion about abortion is not an easy one to have. There are a lot of emotions involved from every angle. Emotions are human, though you cannot force anyone else to feel the same emotions you have. It’s important to remember that even if you can’t fix something how you want to, you can still work to make it better.

On the topic of abortion, politics doesn’t provide solutions because each side disagrees on who to center their discussion around: the woman or the child. When we understand the reasons many women choose abortion, we can all agree that having a solid system of physical, emotional, mental, and financial support can benefit  both the woman and the child. 

Being A Human Is Complex

Towards the movie's end, Barbie says, “Real life isn’t what I thought it was.” As humans, we know this to be true. Life can be amazing, difficult, emotional, exciting, frustrating, and so many other things. In a word, life can be complex. Part of its complexity comes from all the choices we must make throughout life. Abortion can be one of those hard choices that some women will consider in their lifetime. It has been since the beginning of time. This is not an easy decision to make. But if we enter these conversations with compassion and empathy, we can help women.

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As much as we all may wish that things were as easy as they are in Barbie Land, we know that isn’t how the Real World works. Life and humans are complex. That doesn’t mean we can’t try to listen and understand others when discussing abortion. By using some of the tips in the Barbie Movie, we can have a more meaningful conversation about abortion. Contact us today to learn more about how we are trying to change the abortion discussion.