Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse Season 1, Episode 2: "Best of Dreamhouse"

Transcription

1 Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse Season 1, Episode 2: "Best of Dreamhouse" The series debuted in May 11, 2012 Created by Rob Hudnut Produced by Arc Productions, Mattel, and Resnick Interactive Group Available on Barbie.com, Netflix, and YouTube A reboot series titled Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures is set to be released on March 30, 2018 Let's look at YouTube Viewship... 1

2 Ben G, Skylar, Thomas, Daniel, Spencer Rob Hudnut's Netflix series Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse (2012) perpetuates ideologies of gender stereotypes by portraying women as weak, beauty obsessed, and inferior to men. Season 1, Episode 2 "Best of Dreamhouse" follows a compilation of challenging situations where Barbie and her friends must find a solution to the problem, such as building a car to get to the beach and finding their way out of a locked closet. Barbie's inability to do anything for herself and always needing to be saved by Ken reinforces the patriarchal ideology that men are superior to women. By showcasing Barbie as a stereotypical white, privileged woman, the show demonstrates unjust viewpoints that women are objects of beauty, pretty women are dumb, and women cannot live independently without a man. 2

3 Erin K., Emma, Jordan, Jotika Rob Hudnut's Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse (2012) normalizes the ideology that in order to lead a happy life you need to obtain many objects. Set in Malibu, the show follows Barbie and her friends' privileged lives in the dreamhouse. Barbie is portrayed as happy because of the physical possessions around her. This accentuates the idealism of the American Dream being that the more you own, the happier and easier your life will be. Through its depiction of a "happy life", Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures (2012) perpetuates that consumerism promises positive relationships, good memories, and a meaningful life. 3

4 Jo, Letitia, Parsa, Grayson Rob Hudnut's Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse (2012) portrays an unhealthy idea of traditional gender roles in a relationship. The cameras follow Barbie as she navigates through her "perfect" life along with her sisters, boyfriend, and friends in her mansion. She is shown to have a perfect relationship with Ken because he buys her everything and is able to save her from any situation. The show encompasses the stereotypical idea of what gender roles in a romantic relationship should look like. Through its portrayal of the man as the hero and the woman as less capable than the man, Season 1, Episode 2 "Best of Dreamhouse" suggests these defined roles form the basis of an ideal patriarchal relationship, thus limiting equality between partners. 4

5 Hirbod, Jennifer, Veronika, Emily Rob Hudnut's Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse (2012) is a television original series that demonstrates damaging gender stereotypes through its portrayal of men and women. In Season 1, Episode 2 "Best of Dreamhouse", Barbie is faced with obstacles she overcomes with the help of her friends and boyfriend. Although this is a cartoon story, "Best of Dreamhouse" presents as unrealistic lifestyle and the inequalities that exist between the two genders. Through its description of Barbie's everyday life, this episode perpetuates the ideologies that men are physically superior than women; women rely on men for their everyday tasks; and that women are constantly preoccupied with their beauty. 5

6 Hirbod, Jennifer, Veronika, Emily Rob Hudnut's Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse (2012) is a television original series that demonstrates damaging gender stereotypes through its portrayal of men and women. In Season 1, Episode 2 "Best of Dreamhouse", Barbie is faced with obstacles she overcomes with the help of her friends and boyfriend. Although this is a cartoon story, "Best of Dreamhouse" presents as unrealistic lifestyle and the inequalities that exist between the two genders. Through its description of Barbie's everyday life, this episode perpetuates the ideologies that men are physically superior than women; women rely on men for their everyday tasks; and that women are constantly preoccupied with their beauty. 6