The new Barbie movie is already generating tons of headlines for causing women to dump their partners left, right, and center and another break-up is gaining a lot of attention following one couple's viewing of the film.

A Reddit user by the username of u/notalaskakidd posted in the subreddit forum "Am I the a**hole?" to ask if she was in the wrong for breaking up with her boyfriend for the way he reacted to the film.

The user revealed that she had been "really excited" to see the Greta Gerwig blockbuster as she is a big fan of the director but then realized that her now ex-boyfriend was becoming "more and more uncomfortable" as the film wore on.

“I was aware of its feminist themes and was secretly hoping my [boyfriend] would get the message. Over the duration of the movie, I could tell he was getting more and more uncomfortable/upset.

“And I was getting really sad (both from the movie and his reaction). And I knew we would end up having a conversation about it afterwards.”

The 23-year-old Redditor then explained further that her boyfriend didn't talk to her after the film reached its conclusion until they reached their car, at which point he declared that he "was really offended by the movie" and said that she should have seen it with her "girlfriends" instead of him.

While the Redditor "understood where he was coming from" she opted against explaining why she disagreed with him.

However, her boyfriend's reaction wasn't the sole reason the break-up occurred, with the Redditor explaining, "We have been having problems with his weird comments about women...maybe it was a long time coming but this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“I was tired of having to always deal with his attitude and disrespect, and I was also maybe on this girl-power high. So I told him it was over.”

The break-up was also further complicated by the fact the Redditor's ex had moved in with her six months earlier while he was between jobs.  Just days after the break-up she told him to leave the apartment after she "couldn't take it any more".

“I stayed at my friend’s house while he packed up his stuff. He said he understood and that he ‘didn’t want to live with me another second anyways.’”

The ex's brother also called to ask where he was, claiming that he was now "MIA" since the split, while the Redditor also revealed that his friends had been calling to ask where he was. However, the 23-year-old also signed off by explaining how she had his iPhone location, which was currently "two states away".

“I can’t believe this is all because of the freaking Barbie movie.”

At the time of writing, the post has over 9,600 upvotes, with most readers backing the poster. “He sounds like he was an awful person. It’s a movie,” one user replied. “If he was so deeply offended by a movie with feminist themes then that’s his problem, and it shouldn’t be yours.”

Another user commented, “Whatever is going on here, I don’t think the Barbie movie has anything to do with it. I mean unless Mattel destroyed his employment prospects, car, and ability to take care of himself. Maybe he should go to Oppenheimer next and learn the valuable lesson that playing with bombs is not a good idea.”

While Barbie is empowering women all over the world, it has also, unsurprisingly, sparked outrage amongst conservatives, especially Ben Shapiro. The controversial political commentator shared a strange 43-minute-long rant on YouTube about his disagreements about the "woke" film and then included a segment of him setting fire to Barbie dolls.

He also stated that the 40-year-old filmmaker's movie was "explicitly designed to divide men from women," describing it as "angry feminist claptrap that alienates men from women."

Then again, anybody under the age of 75 who uses the word "claptrap" to criticize anything in the year 2023 doesn't deserve to be taken seriously about anything, so we doubt Greta Gerwig is bothered about Shapiro's critique.

Featured Image Credit: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu Agency/Getty

Being able to see yourself reflected in the world can make a powerful difference, particularly when it comes to children.

That’s why Mattel’s decision to introduce its first autistic Barbie has been met with widespread approval.

The release follows the launch of its first Barbie with type 1 diabetes just six months earlier, signalling a continued shift towards more inclusive representation.

The new doll joins the Fashionistas line and has been created to help a broader range of children recognise themselves in Barbie, while also encouraging others to engage with toys that better reflect real-life diversity.

The new Barbie was developed in partnership with the US-based Autistic Self Advocacy Network and is intended to represent some of the ways autistic children may navigate communication, sensory input, and social interaction.

If you were unaware, autism is a type of neurodivergence that affects how people perceive, process, and interact with the world. Experiences of autism differ from person to person, but it is estimated that more than one in every 100 children globally is autistic.

The design of the new doll has many details that reflect some of the signs that are associated with autism. Its eyes are angled slightly away, a nod to the fact that some people find direct eye contact uncomfortable. Her elbows and wrists are fully flexible, allowing for repetitive movements such as stimming or hand-flapping, which can help with sensory regulation or emotional expression.

She wears a (pink, of course!) fidget spinner to support self-soothing, along with noise-cancelling headphones designed to reduce overwhelming sounds.

The doll also comes with a tablet displaying symbol-based augmentative and alternative communication icons, offering a visual aid for everyday interaction.

Another detail is her clothing, which is a loose-fitting purple pinstripe A-line dress to reduce friction against the skin, and flat purple shoes to provide stability and allow for easy movement.

Barbie has existed since 1959, but the dolls only began representing disabilities in 2019. Since then, Mattel has expanded the range to include dolls who are blind, use wheelchairs, have Down syndrome, prosthetic limbs, vitiligo, or hearing aids.

The Ken range has followed suit, featuring dolls with prosthetic legs, wheelchairs with ramps, and hearing aids.

Jamie Cygielman, Mattel’s global head of dolls, described the autistic Barbie as a natural extension of the company’s broader commitment to inclusion.

“Barbie has always aimed to reflect the world children see and the futures they imagine,” she said, adding that the new doll helps broaden perceptions of inclusion, “because every child deserves to see themselves in Barbie.”

She also stressed the importance of collaboration with the autistic community, noting that autism is not always visible and is experienced differently by every individual.

The design elements, she said, are intended to reflect some, but not all, autistic experiences, with the goal of showcasing a wider range of authentic stories.

New Barbies have been introduced to better represent society. Credit: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The announcement was shared on Instagram and was quickly inundated with comments, with many people welcoming the doll.

One person wrote: "As an autistic mother to a non verbal daughter this is literally everything we could have asked for! Thanks for representing us so beautifully. Seeing diversity and representation in the doll world is just so beautiful it makes me feel immense joy."

Someone else asked: "Can you please make a Ken version too? My Autistic son would like one."

However, another follower wrote: "Autism doesn’t have a ‘look’ though… mine doesn’t wear ear defenders." And another person added: "I’m autistic and so confused…"

Featured image credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Can Rihanna do any wrong?

No, the answer is no.

Fans were made very happy again this week when they realised our girl had ensured a New York pop-up shop selling her Fenty collection had curvy mannequins on show.

We adore Rihanna - but that didn't stop us from mispronouncing her name for years:

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A far cry from the size zero figures we often see in stores, the singer's clothes were modeled on size-inclusive mannequins, something that is rarely seen!

The dummies came complete with stomach pouches and hip dips, making women all over America feel seen.

Many fans took to social media to praise the We Found Love songstress for not caving into pressure in the fashion world.

Twitter user @Lavlish_Lay heralded Rihanna, writing "Wow this mannequin shaped like me," while @dollfacedemon commented: "I....think i look like a fenty mannequin??? dysmorphia has left the chat".

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Fellow social media user @karemandaniele also personally thanked the 31-year-old for doing the seemingly impossible, writing: "I was today years old when I seen my first mannequin with hip dips like me ! Thank you Fenty."

Rihanna has spoken out previously about how important it is to her to see real women represented in her line, with the concept of diversity central to the collection.

The singer’s collection goes up to size 18 and she has said that her own fluctuating body inspired the range.

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"Whether it’s through fashion, lingerie, music, make-up, we try to get everybody involved and included in our brand," Rihanna told E! this month. "We have our fit models, which is the standard size from factories, you just get your samples made in one size. But then, I want to see it on my body, I want to see it on a curvy girl with thighs and a little bit of booty and hips."

I'll think you'll all join me when I say "Yas Queen!" Thanks for being you, Rihanna.

Given the immense popularity of Greta Gerwig's recently released Barbie film, we thought it would be a good idea to remember when people began realizing just how dark the meaning behind Aqua's song 'Barbie Girl' really is.

The song, released in 1997 by Danish pop group Aqua, was an instant phenomenon and topped charts worldwide. And 26 years after it initially dropped onto the airwaves, it is receiving a new lease of life with the Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling-fronted Barbie film dominating box offices.

But behind the fun lyrics and the catchy beat of Aqua's 1997 dance-pop classic, some people realized that there is a dark, borderline sinister, undertone to the entire song, which doesn't feel all that fitting for a heavily gimmicked late '90s Europop tune.

The hit quickly had the world hooked, and for good reason, too. Not only was it easy to sing along to, but it was also accompanied by a stone-cold classic of a music video that was seemingly never off MTV for almost all of 1997.

However, if you actually dig a little deeper into the lyrics, you'll actually stumble across some pretty disturbing themes which - especially for song that has filled the dancefloor at one too many children's parties - seems completely inappropriate.

Let's go through some of the lines in the song together.

"I’m a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world / Life in plastic, it’s fantastic."

Pretty tame, plus the song is about a Barbie doll, so it kind of works.

"You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere / Imagination, life is your creation."

OK, veering into some pretty dark territory here. A plastic children's doll encouraging the owner to undress it everywhere? Don't seem to remember Mattel advertising that feature back in the day.

As per an article posted to Medium, Bertilla Niveda broke this down by writing: "I mean, if she’s singing to Ken, that’s good for her, but seriously? This is the song that millions, probably billions of kids listened to. Little girls chanting 'Undress me everywhere' mindlessly? Hell no."

Yikes.

Things only continue to get worse the deeper you get into the song.

"I’m a blond bimbo girl in a fantasy world / Dress me up, make it tight, I’m your dolly."

Firstly, the word "bimbo". I'm sure many parents would agree that it may be a tad inappropriate for a child's toy, but beyond that, the second part of the line, especially the lyrics "make it tight" seem to have a double meaning. While they could be referring to outfits, Niveda suggested that it could be referring to something "more sexual in nature."

"Kiss me here, touch me there, hanky panky," is the next line, which is followed up by: "Make me walk, make me talk, do whatever you please / I can act like a star, I can beg on my knees."

Anyone else feel like they need their entire childhood back? Yeah, us too.

Now, if you're thinking that Niveda's theories are a bit of a reach - "it's just a fun little song" - then you would be interested to know that Mattel, the owners of the Barbie brand, actually sued MCA Records - who released the song on behalf of Aqua -  in 2002 stating that it violated the Barbie trademark and "turned her into a sex object."

Though Mattel ultimately lost the case, with the conclusion stating that "the music companies' use of the doll was not an infringement of the toy company's trademark," many listeners did reassess their initial thoughts on the song in older age:

Aqua lead singer Lene Nystrøm didn't agree with the idea that the chart-topping hit was sexist, however.

In an interview with Nylon, the Danish singer stated: "I do believe that Mattel saw an opportunity to get some attention because the song was quite innocent, and it wasn’t sexist at all; it wasn’t our point to make the song sexist, at least."

Nystrøm also added: "It was kind of more making fun of the Pamela Anderson kind of girl that was existing at that time, and still are, of course. But it’s a super-innocent song if you listen to all the other s**t that’s out there, you know?"

However, after breaking down the lyrics, I think some of us would use the word "innocent" very lightly.

Despite these controversies in the modern era, the song has been given a new lease of life on the soundtrack to the new Barbie movie. Aqua has collaborated with rappers Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice on 'Barbie World', although with lyrics like "Rad, but he spank me when I get bad" we doubt Bertilla Niveda will be playing it much.

Featured Image Credit: Michel Linssen/Getty