The Barbie movie: feminist masterpiece or Mattel bonanza?

A couple of friends and I took seventeen twelve year olds to the Barbie movie on Sunday.  We all wore pink and, afterwards, we all ate (belated) birthday cake dusted with pink sparkles.  

And the movie itself?  I'm not sure whether I need to whisper this, but I really enjoyed it. In fact, I laughed all the way through it. Partly because it was so odd to revisit all those Barbies in their overpriced outfits - outfits I'd always coveted - and partly because of the film's unexpected audacity, especially right at the very end.

David Cox from The Guardian didn't find it quite so funny. You can read his article, 'Barbie's muddled feminist fantasy still bows to the patriachy' here.  For those of you who've seen the movie, I'd love to know what you thought of it.  

Next week is Book Week. My first Book Week as a newly minted children's author, as it happens.  At 4.30pm on Wednesday 23 August, I'll be talking time travel at Margaret Martin Library in Randwick. The event is free and is geared to primary school children in Years 5 and 6. You can register to attend it here.   

In a couple of weeks,  author, lecturer and social commentator, Jane Caro, will be joining us at Thursday Book Club. Jane will be talking to me about my novel, The Watchful Wife, and letting us know what she's been doing and writing and reading.  Hope you can make it!