Yes, your Barbieland fan theories are true. All of them.

There are a thousand densely layered visual and verbal jokes in Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s script for Barbie, but one in particular stands out, because it’s a light gag with such massive story implications that it feels like an ethos. When Aaron (Connor Swindells), a low-level Mattel employee, finds out “Stereotypical Barbie” (Margot Robbie) has escaped from the fantasy world of Barbieland and entered Reality, he immediately alerts Mattel’s CEO (Will Ferrell) and the corporation’s board of directors. Aaron then takes some time to reflect on the reality of the world in which he exists.

“So… is Barbieland an alternate reality?” He starts to ask. “Or is it like a place where your imagination—” In absolute unison, the entire board cuts him off with a resounding “YES!”

It is clear that the message has been received. You can do this by clicking on the link below. You can also check out our other blog posts. Think about what this universe is built on. Simply stop asking any questions. Further, because of the way Aaron gets cut off with a yes before he’s even done listing the possibilities for what Barbieland might be or might mean, there’s an extra layer to it all: a suggestion that sure, all theories about Barbieland are equally valid, and equally meaningless. And because the entire Mattel board delivers that verdict in emphatic chorus, there’s an extra hint of impatience and authority to it all, an air that says We’ve addressed this question a thousand times already, we’re tired of it, and we’ve come to a consensus. Just follow our party’s line in this case and let’s move on.

Photo: Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros. Pictures

It’s a funny moment both because it’s so abrupt, and because there’s so much nuance to the way Gerwig shoots and presents it. But it’s also enjoyable in a way that’s pretty rare for movies, because it’s a friendly, jokey invitation to just accept the metaphor, and not worry about the details of Barbie’s cosmic construction at all.

There are many of us You can also like us on FacebookThink about details when watching movies. Some of us can’t help it. For people who’ve made a life out of analyzing and discussing film, being told “Just turn your brain off and enjoy it!” or “Don’t you know how to have fun?” is annoying and pointless. Think about movies You can learn more about it here. fun! If it wasn’t, why would there be so many online fora dedicated to discussing and decoding pop culture? What makes wingnut theories like the Pixar Universe Theory so popular? Why do fans share their ridiculous opinions about movies and shows with other armchair critics who are also wingnuts?

We can sometimes become obsessed with details to the point that it can take us away from the main story. Look at Reddit detectives. They are people who gather to discuss pop-culture mysteries and microanalysis. The Reddit Detective is a concept, not a specific circle of people — a way of summing up the type of online sleuths who obsessively pored over the evidence in the The Serial NumberThe online bread crumbs are decoded for podcast fans. Westworld as part of that show’s viral marketing, or examined every possible hint about who Jon Snow’s mother might be on Game of Thrones.

This kind of online sleuth — a detail-focused, collaborative fan, always racing to be the first to notice and post about some Easter egg or secret connection — has done a lot of helpful work on behalf of the rest of us, like mapping every story path and possible ending in Black Mirror: BandersnatchIn a more non-pop-culture oriented sphere, it could be tracking down evidence for malicious moderator abuse on Reddit. But the dark side of that analytical urge is the drive to pick everything apart and root every secret out of every story — like, say, figuring out every big twist in Westworld This kind of analysis also takes every plot point to its logical extreme. The plot points are also taken to their logical extremity in this type of analysis.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Barbie invites and defangs that impulse by announcing that yes, all possible theories about the nature and implications of Barbieland are true, and you’re allowed to spin out any options you want. Does the existence of Barbieland suggest that every other popular toy or character that figures heavily in kids’ imaginations has its own actual, tangible alternate-reality universe? What’s the harm?What is the closest thing to a Sonicland in your area? A Mario World where you can play Mario, a Legoland that has Legoland action, etc. The Lego Movie Did it really happen? Yup, that’s fine with us.Wait! Gasp! Pikachu and Mewtwo could also walk out of Barbieland to Reality. Detective Pikachu situation? We’ll allow it.Can all of these IPs come together in a massive crossover real world? Imagine it. It’s as real as anything else in this movie.

Barbie’s “Sure, any theory goes” attitude gives us all permission to dream, while absolving itself of any idea we come up with. But more importantly, the Mattel board is telling Aaron (and the rest of us) that figuring out those details isn’t an important aspect of this movie. Does it make sense that, when Ken claims Barbie’s DreamHouse and turns it into Ken’s Mojo Dojo Casa House, that house suddenly and instantly manifests as a real-world product and starts “flying off the shelves”? Why are so many dolls, fashions and toys still available in Barbieland if Barbieland is just a reflection of the real toys that are currently being used? There is only one Allan.

Does the answer to these questions affect your writing? Barbie? As Roger Rabbit would put it, “Only when it was funny.” There isn’t some The Brief History Of Timelevel manual to the mathematical rules of Barbieland out there somewhere, covering all possibilities — you’re allowed to make up your own rules.

Gerwig and Baumbach handle Barbie’s weirder fantasy elements with exactly as much lightness and momentum as the movie needs. They don’t waste time on boring disbelief and debate. Will Ferrell as the Mattel CEO points out that Barbie characters have leaked into Reality before — so there’s no need to spend a lot of energy on a bunch of characters wondering how Barbieland could be real, picking through the metaphysical implications, or slowing the movie down by complaining about its fundamental premise. It’s better to move on and focus on the humor and the analysis of gender roles.

Photo: Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros.

And when disaffected teenager Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) and her friends are confronted with a living Barbie, they don’t spend a dreary chunk of the movie asking how she could possibly be real, or what it means that she exists — they just lay into her for all the negativity she represents. It’s easy enough to argue that in that moment, they don’t believe she’s the actual avatar of Barbie the doll, that they just think she’s a perky bimbo styling herself after the toy. But the movie doesn’t bother splitting those hairs. The scene can be read either way and works just fine. Is it a doll or is the woman admiring the doll being addressed? You can say that.Mattel’s board of directors all agree.

This kind of breezy hand-waving doesn’t work for every movie — in serious horror, science fiction, and fantasy, it’s much more important to have some sense of what the rules are, because there are no clear story stakes otherwise. But for a comedy that’s focused entirely on other details — exactly what the accoutrements of a Ken-dom macho man are, or why Barbie floats everywhere in Barbieland — pinning down the scientific details of the world just doesn’t matter.

BarbieThis movie is a fantasy, but it does not overdo the analysis. It allows the viewer to add their own interpretations. Does this movie appeal to the younger audience? Neil deGrasse Tyson-styleWhat about the nitpickers? No. Does it ask the audience to visualize who and what they would like to be, leaving the rest of the film up to imagination? The chorus is a hearty and resounding one. You can say that..