One of the nation’s leading Christian-based entertainment websites is urging parents not to take their children to watch the new Barbie movie.
One of the nation’s leading Christian-based entertainment websites is urging parents not to take their children to watch the new Barbie movie.
Movieguide, founded by Ted Baehr and his wife, Lili Baehr, posted a warning on Monday to parents, asserting that the PG-13 Barbie film includes adult content – LGBT themes, among it – that many moms and dads will not want their kids to see.
“Warning: Don’t take your daughter to see Barbie,” the headline said.
Many parents will wrongly believe Barbie is a kid-friendly film due to the film’s ties to the popular Barbie doll franchise, Movieguide said.
The film “forgets its core audience of families and children while catering to nostalgic adults and pushing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender character stories,” Movieguide added.
“They had a built-in market and audience for this franchise that they completely ignored,” the site noted. “Millions of families would have turned out to the theaters and purchased tickets, but instead, Mattel chose to cater to a small percentage of the population who has proven over and over to abandon the box office. Movieguide’s 40 years of research indicate this just isn’t true, and Mattel has made a grievous mistake.”
Movies do best when they promote “family and biblical values.” Movieguide said.
“Even the Barbie cartoon movies promote redemption, compassion, team work, kindness to strangers, self-sacrifice and more,” said Movieguide. “Parents trust the brand, and that is why they must know the truth about the upcoming movie.”
The film’s director, Greta Gerwig, previously said the film’s LGBT storyline was essential. Gerwig directed Lady Bird and Little Women (2019) and is set to direct at least two Chronicles of Narnia movies for Netflix, according to Collider.
“There’s no way we could have told this story without bringing in the LGBTQ+ community,” Gerwig told Out, “and it was important for us to represent the diversity that Mattel has created with all of the different Barbies and Kens that exist today.”
Barbie is rated PG-13 for suggestive references and brief language.
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Photo courtesy: ©Warner Brothers, used with permission.
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
