Have you seen it yet?
In which I reveal I'm Barbie-adjacent
I need to see Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie. And if you’re in the cinema at the same time as me, I apologise if I keep cheering in apparently random moments in the film.
You see, I’m Barbie-adjacent. I have a (slightly tenuous) family link to one of the biggest pop-culture events of the year. More on-brand media-related observations coming up, but first - pictures!
Lucy & Yak is a super-cool, comfy and inclusive fashion brand that’s seen on all sorts of people and everywhere from festivals to workplaces … and in massive Hollywood movies! Celebs seen #InMyYak include Melissa McCarthy (sigh!), Sir Grayson Perry and Ed Sheeran …
That last pic? That’s Elspeth Mills. She’s Lead Designer at Lucy & Yak, and she’s my niece. Apparently, eight different Lucy & Yak designs can be spotted in Barbie, including - of course - a pink jumpsuit. And she’s not even bloody thirty yet!
So when I see the film, I might be turning to random strangers and, proudly and with a mouthful of popcorn, mumbling ‘My niece designed that outfit! And that! Oh, and that too!’
But it’s not just Elspeth’s designs that make me want to see Barbie. (Hey, regular readers, we’re back to the journalism/media/culture commentary that you’re used to!) I’ve read a number of great pieces that explain why it’s what we need this summer, including this excellent article from the always-interesting Stylist - “The best thing about the Barbie movie? It’s going to annoy all the right people” - and, with a shout-out to Women in Journalism, this from Annie Aguiar at Poynter - In Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie,’ reporting has a prominent place in the dream job pantheon.
Widening the discussion out somewhat, I really enjoyed this from Parker Molloy whose Substack is highly recommended - 'Barbenheimer' Takes on the Online Rage Machine and Wins - which gets us to the Other Big Film this summer, Oppenheimer. Two thoughtful pieces from Matthew Gault at Vice, one about how some people (tech bros! surprise) will never get it - The People Building AI with 'Existential Risk' Are Really Not Getting 'Oppenheimer' - and this sober contemplation - We Are All Oppenheimer - after which you might just want to go and see Barbie again. Or Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One. Or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
If you’ve seen Barbie, what did you think of it? Tell me in the comments. And please click on the links in this piece, follow them on Twitter, subscribe to their (and my) Substacks, whatever you can do to support smart people with interesting things to say.