My problem with "Fairy Secret"
I think I need to write this down because, with the release of a music video and bloopers for this movie, I appear to be the only person who is sitting there, feeling genuinely unimpressed. The result is that I feel almost like a skunk at a garden party. It doesn't help that we've now got a book cover for "Princess Prep School" and it looks like even more of the same.
Why do I feel like this? What's my issue with the newer films?
Believe it or not, I'm not one of those people who automatically thinks "modern Barbie movie = shit". I know it may look like it, but I'm not. I learned my lesson with "Fashion Fairytale", and I actually don't think "Barbie Diaries" is that bad, odd animation aside. But Fairy Secret looks like it's going to put a lot of emphasis on the WORST aspects of these movies. Because Mattel can't seem to sit down and focus on storytelling when it comes to modern films. Oh, no. They'd rather use them to proove just how tuned into pop culture they claim to be.
So, with FS, we have fairy skateboards, fairy coffee cups and a lot of them have mobile phones. Oh, and everything sparkles. This is what Mattel thinks "modern" is.
I know they do not need to resort to this. I grew up on modern Barbie stories. I had this whole range of books as a kid, and they were all different stories, mostly set in modern times. But they never felt repetitive and they always felt fresh. Why? Well, here's one thing:
BARBIE CHANGED HER JOB. I don't recall her ever having the same job for more than one book. She was a zoo vet, she was directing a play, she was a director at Summer Camp... she was doing all kinds of stuff, and the situations were different. She solved mysteries, she had new friends (although her old ones still showed up, and her sisters were still there; they even got stories of their own); in short, they mixed it up a little. Compare it to these newer films, which seem to put a lot of emphasis on Barbie's role as a glamorous movie star. I know I've complained about this many, many times; I'll explain why. I have no problem whatsoever with actors or the acting profession; heck, Keira Knightley is among the celebrities I admire. But Keira's career actually consists of more than parading around in a purple dress.
I enjoyed the scene in FF where Barbie was "on set" because something was going on, and it was actually funny. It was also, to some extent, relatable. Many, many people have been put down over things as stupid as that director's ideas. It also provides a valuable plot point which helps the actual story get started; and, once that story got started, the movie improved. Is there any reason why Barbie has to be attending a movie premiere in this movie? It just seems to me like they're over-emphasising Barbie's more "glamorous" aspects, and it comes off as looking very materialistic. Actresses don't just parade on the red carpet. They have to work first. But we can't show THAT to kids, can we?
Of course, being an actress is probably a lot easier to achieve than being a princess. But from what I've gathered, it's not just the crown and tiara which matters to the kids. The princesses - Barbie and Disney alike - seem to have very positive attributes which are actually good things to emulate. They're kind. They're brave. They're smart. They have goals. Yes, they wear frilly dresses and tiaras, but that doesn't detract from the characters themselves. Even if you take away their royal titles, they have something about them that makes them stand out; something that makes them different. Look at the 12 Dancing Princesses, for heaven's sake; all different girls, with different personalities and different hobbies who care about their family. They're all princesses, but it doesn't define their characters. In fact, when a character's royal blood IS mentioned, there's usually some huge problem attached to it (you have to marry a prince; you have to learn to behave etc.). Granted, FF DID feature a problem with being an actress, but FS isn't heading down that route. In fact, the whole first part of that music video seems to consist of movie premieres and makeovers. So... Barbie has nice things.
That's the real problem, though; there's a lot of materialism in these modern movies. It doesn't even seem really modern; it's like a caricature of what the modern world looks like if it was drawn by someone whose only view of it was through a bunch of tween TV shows. Is there a reason why everything in that fairy world looks identical to modern stuff except it has wings? Is there a reason why everything has to be so bright? You can't tell me this is the only thing little girls want. I was in a theatre in Dublin which was damn near full of girls who fall into the target age range for these movies. They watched Nutcracker, and they freaking loved it. They don't need to see IPods in every Barbie movie to be entertained. (Seriously, though, is Apple striking a deal with Mattel? All these movies seem to feature some kind of technical gadgetry. One of the characters has one on the book cover for "Princess Prep School").
Bottom line; modern movies don't have to be bad. But if they keep exaggerating them like this, it will get older much faster than the fantasy theme did.
Why do I feel like this? What's my issue with the newer films?
Believe it or not, I'm not one of those people who automatically thinks "modern Barbie movie = shit". I know it may look like it, but I'm not. I learned my lesson with "Fashion Fairytale", and I actually don't think "Barbie Diaries" is that bad, odd animation aside. But Fairy Secret looks like it's going to put a lot of emphasis on the WORST aspects of these movies. Because Mattel can't seem to sit down and focus on storytelling when it comes to modern films. Oh, no. They'd rather use them to proove just how tuned into pop culture they claim to be.
So, with FS, we have fairy skateboards, fairy coffee cups and a lot of them have mobile phones. Oh, and everything sparkles. This is what Mattel thinks "modern" is.
I know they do not need to resort to this. I grew up on modern Barbie stories. I had this whole range of books as a kid, and they were all different stories, mostly set in modern times. But they never felt repetitive and they always felt fresh. Why? Well, here's one thing:
BARBIE CHANGED HER JOB. I don't recall her ever having the same job for more than one book. She was a zoo vet, she was directing a play, she was a director at Summer Camp... she was doing all kinds of stuff, and the situations were different. She solved mysteries, she had new friends (although her old ones still showed up, and her sisters were still there; they even got stories of their own); in short, they mixed it up a little. Compare it to these newer films, which seem to put a lot of emphasis on Barbie's role as a glamorous movie star. I know I've complained about this many, many times; I'll explain why. I have no problem whatsoever with actors or the acting profession; heck, Keira Knightley is among the celebrities I admire. But Keira's career actually consists of more than parading around in a purple dress.
I enjoyed the scene in FF where Barbie was "on set" because something was going on, and it was actually funny. It was also, to some extent, relatable. Many, many people have been put down over things as stupid as that director's ideas. It also provides a valuable plot point which helps the actual story get started; and, once that story got started, the movie improved. Is there any reason why Barbie has to be attending a movie premiere in this movie? It just seems to me like they're over-emphasising Barbie's more "glamorous" aspects, and it comes off as looking very materialistic. Actresses don't just parade on the red carpet. They have to work first. But we can't show THAT to kids, can we?
Of course, being an actress is probably a lot easier to achieve than being a princess. But from what I've gathered, it's not just the crown and tiara which matters to the kids. The princesses - Barbie and Disney alike - seem to have very positive attributes which are actually good things to emulate. They're kind. They're brave. They're smart. They have goals. Yes, they wear frilly dresses and tiaras, but that doesn't detract from the characters themselves. Even if you take away their royal titles, they have something about them that makes them stand out; something that makes them different. Look at the 12 Dancing Princesses, for heaven's sake; all different girls, with different personalities and different hobbies who care about their family. They're all princesses, but it doesn't define their characters. In fact, when a character's royal blood IS mentioned, there's usually some huge problem attached to it (you have to marry a prince; you have to learn to behave etc.). Granted, FF DID feature a problem with being an actress, but FS isn't heading down that route. In fact, the whole first part of that music video seems to consist of movie premieres and makeovers. So... Barbie has nice things.
That's the real problem, though; there's a lot of materialism in these modern movies. It doesn't even seem really modern; it's like a caricature of what the modern world looks like if it was drawn by someone whose only view of it was through a bunch of tween TV shows. Is there a reason why everything in that fairy world looks identical to modern stuff except it has wings? Is there a reason why everything has to be so bright? You can't tell me this is the only thing little girls want. I was in a theatre in Dublin which was damn near full of girls who fall into the target age range for these movies. They watched Nutcracker, and they freaking loved it. They don't need to see IPods in every Barbie movie to be entertained. (Seriously, though, is Apple striking a deal with Mattel? All these movies seem to feature some kind of technical gadgetry. One of the characters has one on the book cover for "Princess Prep School").
Bottom line; modern movies don't have to be bad. But if they keep exaggerating them like this, it will get older much faster than the fantasy theme did.