One user on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu shared a guide for how women can test their boyfriends based on their reaction to the film.

For some women in China, “Barbie” is more than just a movie — it’s also a litmus test for their partner’s views on feminism and patriarchy.

The movie has prompted intense social media discussion online, media outlets Sixth Tone and the China Project reported this week, prompting women to discuss their own dating experiences.

One user on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu — a photo-sharing site similar to Instagram that’s mostly used by Gen Z women — even shared a guide on Monday for how women can test their boyfriends based on their reaction to the film.

According to the guide, if a man shows hatred for “Barbie” and slams female directors after they leave the theatre, then this man is “stingy” and a “toxic chauvinist,” according to Insider’s translation of the post. Conversely, if a man understands even half of the movie’s themes, “then he is likely a normal guy with normal values and stable emotions,” the user wrote.

  • Gaywallet (they/it)MEnglish
    4•1 year ago

    Absolutely amazing, I love hearing about little cultural phenomenon like this. I also often bring up subjects as a litmus test for people I think about dating (or have started dating) to understand where they fall. For things that are essential to my survival and thriving, however, I’m often much more open and direct about it. I make it very clear that I’m trans up front, for example, to help weed out the transphobes. I’m not sure how to do that around feminism, however, but I do probe to see how emotionally intelligent the people I’m interested in dating are.