Barbie fans are convinced Margot Robbie’s character is a lesbian in the new movie – here’s why
Fans have picked up on several hints that suggest Margot Robbie’s Barbie is a lesbian. (Warner Bros)
Fans are becoming increasingly convinced that Margot Robbie’s Barbie will be a lesbian, as promotion for the pastel pink, plastic and fantastic film reaches its crescendo.
We’re less than three short weeks away from Greta Gerwig’s Barbie finally landing in cinemas on 21 July, yet fans are still not crystal clear on what the plot will entail.
We’ve been gifted with several trailers, and from what fans can glean, Margot Robbie’s Barbie will face the harrowing experience of losing her doll-like perfection – that means flat feet, cold showers and the inability to gracefully float down from her Dreamhouse each morning.
Alongside bleach blonde babe Ken (Ryan Gosling), she’ll have to travel into the real world to discover the truth about why her Barbie fantasy is falling apart at the seams.
It’s an intentionally vague plot, with director Gerwig only dropping hints that the film was inspired by “disco” music and “technicolour musicals like The Wizard of Oz“.
One plot point that is clear, though, is this is a film about Barbies – not Kens. In addition to Robbie’s Barbie, there’s Dua Lipa as Mermaid Barbie, Emma Mackey as Physicist Barbie, Issa Rae as President Barbie, and Hari Nef as Doctor Barbie, to name but a few.
On the Ken side of things, on the other hand, there’s Ryan Gosling as just Ken, Ncuti Gatwa as just Ken, Simu Liu as just Ken, etc.
It’s evident that in Barbieland, men aren’t s**t.
Now Barbie obsessors and sleuths have hooked onto a new theory that Robbie’s leading lady will actually be even more uninterested in men than the trailer makes out.
Why do fans think Barbie is a lesbian?
Well, the first reason is her apparent complete and utter disinterest in spending any time with Ken at all.
In the trailer, we see her leave Barbieland and embark on her mission of entering the real world, and she doesn’t appear to have told Ken where she’s off to – until he pops up in the back of her car.
In another part of the trailer, Ken suggests staying over at Barbie’s house, and though they both have no idea what they’re supposed to do as boyfriend and girlfriend, it’s clear that she’s not interested in anything physical.
However, eagle-eyed fans have picked up on a striking bit of chemistry between Barbie and another lead character instead: Gloria, played by Ugly Betty star America Ferrera, a Mattel employee who tracks Barbie down in the real world.
In one clip, when Gloria urges Barbie to jump into her car, the pair engage in what can only be described as a very longing stare.
With the release date creeping ever closer, the rumour mill has only picked up the pace.
Margot Robbie and America Ferrera have taken part in several interviews together, with one clip in particular sending sapphics everywhere into a tailspin.
During a conversation with ticketing company Fandango, the interviewer questioned why Robbie once thought the film would never see the light of day.
“The script was … when I read it, I thought, this is genius, and they’re never going to let us make it, what a shame, this is all going to go to waste,” Robbie explained.
“It’s not just that the movie is unexpected, I think it’s like, Greta kind of pushes in directions that I didn’t think they’d let us go in.”
During the same interview, Ferrara said that the film wanted to explore “how to bring Barbie into the 21st century”.
If that’s not enough to convince you, elsewhere in the conversation, the group spoke about how they used to play with Barbie dolls as a kid – with Robbie suggesting she played with her dolls by “banging them together”.
Ferrara responded with a laugh, and a cheeky, knowing glance.
While there’s absolutely no confirmation that Barbie will be made into a sapphic icon, that hasn’t stopped the people of the internet from jumping for joy at the mere prospect.
“From what I’ve heard Margot had a bit of creative control and we all know she’s been wanting to play a sapphic character for years,” theorised one person. “Thinking they’re going to make barbie a lesbian might not be as delusional as we think.”
“They’ve got a hit on their hands if Barbie is a lesbian,” said another, alongside a behind the scenes clip of Margot Robbie and America Ferrara roller skating, hand in hand.
“Margot saying they would never let Greta’s Barbie happen because it’s more unexpected … BARBIE LESBIAN CONFIRMED,” concluded a third.
Barbie lands in cinemas on 21 July.
