The movie ‘Barbie’ has put the phrase ‘toxic femininity’ back in the news – here’s what it means and why you should care

Sat, 9 Sep 2023 19:21:28 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/the-movie-barbie-has-put-the-phrase-toxic-femininity-back-in-the-news-heres-what-it-means-and-why-you-should-care-205884>

"As the “Barbie” movie’s worldwide box office passes the billion-dollar mark,
and some conservative pundits push back against its popularity with negative
hot takes, the phrase “toxic femininity” is back in the news.

On National Public Radio’s “It’s Been a Minute,” panelists discussing
“Barbie” speculated about whether toxic femininity exists as the opposite of
toxic masculinity. Conservative pundits have been less tentative. A Salon
story reporting on conservative coverage of the film noted that the right wing
has blasted “Barbie” with charges of toxic femininity. On Fox News,
conservative panelist Douglas Murray associated the movie – which he admitted
to not having seen – with toxic femininity.

The phrase toxic femininity has become popular with conservatives in recent
years. However, it lacks a consistent definition and is often invoked by people
with competing and even opposing views about women, men and gender.

As a scholar of gender and communication, I study how language shapes people’s
understanding of themselves, others and society. Examining how toxic femininity
means different things to different people reveals important insights about
gender, power and how language affects our well-being."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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