Barbie Isn't A Box Office Success In South Korea - Here's Why
In case you didn't already know, "Barbie" has blown everyone away at the box office. In just its first few weeks in theaters, the Greta Gerwig-directed, Mattel-produced comedy has earned over $800 million at the worldwide box office and is on track to cross the $1 billion mark in no time. The film, which has received largely positive reviews from critics, is shaping up to be the biggest movie of the year. However, just because "Barbie" has seemingly charmed most of the people who have gone to see it doesn't mean it has been a hit everywhere.
On the contrary, it turns out that "Barbie" has made little-to-no impact in South Korea. As was recently outlined by The Guardian, the film sold just over 460,000 tickets between when it opened on July 19 and August 1. "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One," meanwhile, has so far sold well over 3 million tickets in the country, despite only opening a week earlier than "Barbie." To date, Box Office Mojo reports that the latter film has only earned a little over $3 million in South Korea.
According to Haein Shim, a South Korean women's rights activist, the underperformance of "Barbie" in South Korea can be attributed to its feminist themes and female-led ideas. "Women might be hesitant to go watch the film. The fear of being labeled as a feminist in South Korea is real," Haein told The Guardian. "The word 'feminism' has become a dirty word to a lot of individuals in Korea, and people are unwilling to recognize — and are uncomfortable confronting — the deeply rooted patriarchy that has driven society for so long."
Barbie is a deeply and profoundly feminist film
Knowing that feminism is a hot-button issue in South Korea, it makes sense that "Barbie" hasn't been received quite as warmly there as it has elsewhere. As those who have seen the film can attest, it has a lot more on its mind than just its hot pink sets and musical numbers. Not only does "Barbie" offer its own take on the patriarchy, but America Ferrera's Gloria also speaks extensively at points about the unfair expectations society pushes on women.
In an interview with ABC News in Australia, both Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie spoke about the film's feminist themes. "It's feminist in a way that includes everyone," Gerwig explained. "It's a rising-tide-lifts-all-boats version of [feminism]." Robbie, for her part, added, "I think some people hear the word 'feminist' [and think that] means it doesn't mean men, and I'm like, 'Anyone who believes that men and women should be equal is feminist.'"
There are, notably, some who argue that the feminist themes of "Barbie" have nothing to do with its lower performance in South Korea. "Some female-driven films have struggled locally, and anti-feminists will undoubtedly attack such films, but I don't see this as the only reason 'Barbie' is not performing here," Jason Bechervaise, a film critic and researcher into the Korean film industry, told The Guardian. "Korea is a unique market — some films like 'Elemental' overperform, while others do the opposite, which we are seeing with 'Barbie.'"
Regardless of whether or not its feminist ideas really are the reason why it's underperformed, it seems safe to say that "Barbie" will be able to continue climbing to some impressive financial heights even without South Korean moviegoers giving it the same level of support as others have around the world.