The Dark Meaning Behind Aqua's "Barbie Girl"
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- čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
- Last weekend, I was randomly recommended the 1997 smash song “Barbie Girl”. At first, I was transported back to being 8 years old and thinking this was an innocent song about a children's toy. But this time I started to listen to the lyrics and after about a minute of listening.......I realized that this was the most perverted children's song I had ever heard. With lyrics like “you can brush my hair, undress me everywhere”, I was shocked and I had to get to the bottom of how this song was ever made and marketed to children. In this video, we are going to be taking a look at the 90s hit song as well as the dark history behind the Barbie franchise. Hope you enjoy!
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playing 1.25x is the most natural thing to do
THANK YOU
you need to help him break yt algorithm by actually watching the video longer
As someone whose english is not their first language, I'm grateful the narrator talks in a soft and smooth tone, is easier to understand for me
Hell I listen at x2. But then again I do that with most essay videos.
You can speed videos up on CZcams?
Barbie actually never gave me image, or body issues. I also never felt like I was being pressured to sexualize myself because of Barbie. I just enjoyed Barbie's many careers and fashion styles when I was a kid. The song does seem to be a bit of a social commentary though.
Same
huh interesting
barbie kinda was the reason i developed body issues at a young age.
i dont think its barbie's fault, maybe its just how my brain has been all my life. or other factors in my life probably contributed to it, that i dont remember or something.
@@Jay-kz4td Everyone is different. I did develop self-image issues, they just came later, after I outgrew playing with Barbie Dolls. I still look at Barbie fondly. Be well!
@@JozieMaXine I LOVED my years with Barbie! Plus, I love miniature things and a lot of Barbie’s accessories were like lovely miniatures. The fashions were fun, her opportunities seemed endless and the gadgets were wonderful! My dad made sure to point out that Barbie had messed up feet from wearing high heels, which scared me from wearing heels and I am thankful for that! I doubt any boys had body issues from playing with He-Man or GI Joe, but I also think the media brought the “problem with Barbie” up far too much.
U lucky
Errors I found after recording:
- I said "living in the Barbie world". It's just "in the Barbie world" as shown on the screen
- I said "make me tight". Its "make it tight" as shown on the screen.
No biggie! I didn't even notice!
Flashy Rocks!!!!! ⭐ 🍭 🌴 🐳 🌹
Its all good
U did a great job 👏
Hanky panky line is so😣
Lene (the female singer) is from Norway, so I did a quick search to see if she's ever commented on the song in Norwegian. This is the only thing I could find (my translation):
"I get real furious when I think about them", Lene says, talking about the parents and teachers who wanted the Barbie-song banned because they thought it was vulgar and filled with sexual references. "This song functions on two levels. It's not really about Barbie, but about women who are being perceived as sexual objects" [...] She thinks that children who listened to the lyrics would not pick up on the sexual undertones. For them, this was a song about a Barbie-doll. The adult listeners should however immediately pick up on the serious underlying message of the song.
This doesn't really add anything new but I thought it was interesting and figured I'd share :)
Also I always thought Barbie sang the lyrics to us, the listeners, not to Ken? So that she's singing lyrics like "You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere Imagination, life is your creation" to the kids playing with the dolls? Is that just me?
yup. that's how I see the lyrics "you can brush my hair". "life is your creation" is basically telling kids that they can do whatever they want with their Barbies. the doll is a dress up fantasy for kids and they can turn them into whatever they imagine.
though, if it's meant to be a social commentary, it could mean how some males have certain expectations on what an ideal female looks like. they "create" this idea of perfection to satisfy themselves. it comments on how the entertainment industry is filled with misogynistic men, basically turning females into an object/a mere product.
the emphasis on "your" in "life is your creation" and throughout the whole song also implies that she is pressured by her (abusive) boyfriend to look a certain way because she's just nothing but a "blonde bimbo girl".
the females in the industry had to go through a lot to make themselves marketable because the "men" said so.
Yea that's why she said " you can touch me everywhere" and "undress me everywhere"
it's definitely intended to be a commentary, Flashy didn't do the research very well haha
true and we (women) isnt an object
@@GABE_is_here the lyrics could have been "Blond bimbo Doll".
Can u do a video on fergie her succes her downfall her leaving black eyed peas and will she ever make a come back please
this is a good one!!!
She won't come back imo
@@jessejameslatimer8686 ok buddy she has a legacy doesn't matter
@@mustafamm1917
When I think of Fergie, all that comes to mind is her hideously singing the national anthem. I forget anything else that she sang prior. Lol.
Back in the early 2000s, the song was still popular and as a child, I found it as a very fun song to listen to and, what I understood back then is that the song is about making a paradox and also making fun of what Barbie was showing back in the '90s.
In that decade, Barbie was all about the luxurious lifestyle she portrayed as she evolved to become the typical stereotype of the blonde girl with a wardrobe filled with pink clothing, etc.
The '90s were great for Barbie not only on sales but, for being considered a huge pop icon. Literally, Barbie was everywhere and it was a big hit for children and made an impact in society for being more diverse in the labor fields, and also in fashion.
Now as an adult, listening again to the lyrics of the song, I find them quite provocative in a sexual context where Barbie is minimized, and Ken is a harsh masculine figure who is "on charge" to force her to do whatever he wants. The whole song is an entire satire of how people saw Barbie back then (and still nowadays).
The ironic part is that after some legal issues Aqua had with Mattel, in 2009 when Barbie had an entire runway show dedicated for her 50th anniversary, Mattel approved this song on the setlist for the final segment of the show.
That's because they could cash in on it
Mattel gave this video a thumbs-down because they didn't win their court case 🤣
To be fair, most songs kids listened to in the 90's were very dirty but it was subtle enough to go over the heads of kids. The Macarena, Genie in a Bottle, Oops I did it again, Push it, etc. I honestly took Barbie Girl as a parody poking fun at how sexualized both Barbie, pop music and the music industry in general is. Like an ironic, dark joke.
You are so right. But you forgot about Next Too Close. We had to do a gymnastics routine in middle school with props. I still see my middle school self dancing that song with a ribbon. My partners did a hula hoop and all ball. Needless to say my teacher was mad and I didn't know why. Lol
@@britanyhayes85 Lol, right, I still remember the day I actually listened to the Macarena and heard the lyrics as an adult and was completely shook, they fully had us dancing to that in daycare and sunday school lol.
@Jaime Lima Lol, our parents really had us out here in the playground singing about playing people for sex but not committing. So many songs too. Who Let the Dogs Out was about ugly women at the club, and one of my favorites is B4-4 Get Down... You want to talk about a song that is SHOCKING listening to as an adult, I was crying laughing.
As someone who was once a naive and stupid child myself, I believe that I speak on behalf of all stupid children in that we saw the song too superficially to notice the darker messages of the lyrics. We saw it as someone pretending they were a Barbie doll or something of that nature.
I would say that it is social commentary. I watched a Swedish documentary called Hitlåtens historia, it's about hit songs and one of the episodes is about this song. Soren from Aqua passed by an art installation in Copenhagen by Master Fatman where he made a face out of Barbie dolls which inspired Soren who thought that it might be fun to write about that. The documentary continues to say that in 1996 Barbie dolls weren't the only things made of plastic since plastic surgery was popular. The biggest TV-show at the time was Baywatch, the ideal woman at the time was Pamela Anderson. Lene from Aqua continues to say that the song makes fun of the view of the perfect/ideal women in a playful way.
As a child I never noticed Barbie's body shape or anything due to self image I see a doll that can be a princess one day and a teacher the next day. My old Barbie dolls are still in my mother's house, there were some I couldn't give away.
When you get older understanding the real meaning of the song I couldn't believe I sang to it or was allowed to purchase the CD with my pocket money.
Makes me think of the song differently and make me give respect Aqua for a unique, clever way of songwriting and social commentary. It’s clear Mattel saw the true social commentary that the group and that’s why they sued them for it.
This song used to be my favourite when i was 8 or 9 years old. But as a teenager i fully understand that it is not a children song because i was listening what lyrics actually means. I really do enjoyed this video that you had created.
the song was played in uk school discos
"I'm a barbie girl in a barbie world.
It's Fantastic!
My heart is plastic.
You can brush my hair and touch me anywhere~
Someone save me, from this bad day dream!"
That´s really underrated! Well done!
This song came out when I was in kindergarten and by the time I was 10 or so I could tell this song was social commentary. That's why so many people I knew loved it. I thought that was obvious and we were all on the same page.
You’re the best I love and chill with your videos
Great video! I’m not sure if this song is a social commentary, or if we’re just projecting present day morals / values on a song made over twenty years ago. Maybe it really isn’t that deep, but we’ll never know. It’s fun to discuss tho
S EXACTLY!!
On the back of the CD, the band literally says that the Barbie song is social commentary.
No, it was commentary. But it was also meant to be absurdist.
My new favorite channel
I love it because of it social commentary and because in the 90s it seemed like ignoring problems by acting like their are no problems.
The ESSENTIAL POP SONG! 🙏🏼
Can you please do an analysis on Britney Spear's unreleased album Original Doll! There are a lot of theories going on about it.
so this song is about a girl being treated like a barbie and being sexualized like a doll?? Right?
:/ if I'm wrong please correct me I just found out what the lyrics mean after 10 years- lol
And I'm pretty sure this song is about women who are being perceived as sexual objects and Barbie is minimized and Ken is a harsh masculine figure who is forcing her to do whatever he wants
Yes and it doesn't sound right
Would it still be wrong for you if it was "consensual"
Definitely not..first of all this song is abt Barbie saying abt herself. Like undress me everywhere and brush my hair..cmon we all do n play with the dolls like that only right..we undress the dolls and dress them make them tight..we brush their hair..and ofcourse the doll is plastic so it's saying that..don't know why all people are thinking like a sheep. Be mature
I would most definitely believe this song to be social commentary. Great job breaking this down
It is a commentary on relationships and society. From the get-go, Ken is taking Barbie for a ride, and he is driving the car, representing the men's role as leading. "If you say I'm always yours" is equivalent to put a ring on it. Despite the intention of the doll creator for girls to imagine themselves in any career of choice, the social pairing dynamic is still prevalent, and intimacy is a component of that dynamic. The "Barbie world" in some regards can sometimes be described as a man's world, but also how women operate socially within that world under a certain regime of societal norms and traditions. One more point on the undress line--that works from a first-meaning child perspective because the two main interests young girls have with these dolls is 1) grooming the hair, and 2) changing their clothes. Then as girls get older, the focus shifts to social play where they will have dolls act out scenarios, and thoughts about how the interactions affect the feelings and social status of the participants. In the third chorus we have a representation of a separation of the physical body and the internal person. Ken engages physically with the broken arm rather than the rest of the doll/person, which is disappointing to Barbie (scowl). But later, Ken reattached the arm (but still, Ken is connected to Barbie *through* the arm). Thus men's love language is physical (the arm and hand touches and is an instrument of labor, and the reattaching of the arm is labor in service to the woman), but the female's love language may be more verbal--needing kind words and meeting of the minds.
On the back of the Aquarium album (North American CD version), directly underneath the tracklist, there's a message that says verbatim "The song "Barbie Girl" is a social comment and was not created or approved by the makers of the doll.
Even when this song came out no way did I see it as a song directed at young children. Listening to it several times and finally seeing the video no way would I have allowed my young children to listen to or watch the video. When you compare what some want children exposed to today this song is church music!
I always like pop music
I LOVE THE SONG PERIOD!!!!
I had a quick look at the lyrics, before I came to watch this video, and I arrived to the same conclusion, that this song is irony and a jab at how society viewed young women.
The people who made the Barbie movie didn’t include this song, because they’re incapable of sitting down and analysing a song, and therefore view the lyrics as sincere.
They always played this song when I was young in the school gym as we played games, never even thought of the lyrics!
In fact was there are some women who has a resemblance of a Barbie Doll which are mostly blondes (obviously a Barbie Doll is blonde-haired) naturally like Karen Mulder, Claudia Schiffer, Candice Swanepoel Rosie Hunington-Whiteley etc.
This is the most interesting song in your childhood? Damn.... That's a social commentary in itself lol
Song's still fire tho 🔥
We love a pop song with an ironic undertone. I don't think it's dark or damaging... it's funny, campy yet a critique
Can you please talk about Ava Max and her debut album?
I wanna know too, is just late 00's sounds in modern music, redone hasn't updated his sound at all.
@Harajuku Barbie I haven't heard the whole album so I'm wondering what's the name of the song where she copied Marina in?
06:59 No it does not... the song is strongly condemning it and suggesting that her lifestyle is not as empowering to modern women as the Barbie brand or brands like it might suggest.
This is not a kids song its supposed to bring adult girls memory back
Just 3 dollars? That's 30 bucks in todays money
barbie isnt the only problem, some kids and adults just happen to picture the entire song.
Ok but was the song targeted towards kids or adults
Adults. Kids ate it up due to their parents naiveness
kiddo's which dont even know until they are adult
both. kids will understand in a shallow level(just play with their dolls), (smart)adults in a deeper level (misogeny, women objectification)
I was 5 when it came out and we loved it. We literally thought it was about Barbies lol
yes
Video starts at 05:00
believe me there are MORE music/song out there that you guys should be worried about. especially the recent ones.
Barbie girl is like pumped up kicks
The beat is pure ear candy and hides the darker meaning like
Duh duh duh bum bum bum
And
Bun bun bun nun
All I Gotta say is this song came out like 20 years too early if it came out in 2021 it would have been totally OK
"Life in plastic" can be read as using credit cards and live in debt.
My class girls performed a dance on this song in our assembly 🤮 and I was part of it ...but was kicked out coz I was bad at dancing 😂 I was sad at first ,but now....... i feel no regrets 😂😂😂😂😂 Lol and they performed the entire song 💀💀 WTF
The song wasn't marketed towards children at all it was a satirical view on society.
I still don't understand till this day how people ever think this was a kid's song, for goodness sakes it's by aqua that should be enough to know
The Brazilian version of The song has Barbie in a more dominant role compared to the english version.
as i’m an adult now it all is obvious now.
The fact that Barbie irl would be on all fours is freaking me out
When i was 5 years old actully it sound good tho but im starting to realizing the lyrics and then the lyrics was actully dirty but now im 9 yrs old thats because you know why is dirty look at this! when ken said kiss me there touch me there hanky panky search hanky panky in google its kinda disturbing i don't wanna tell you😳😳😳😳
look at the right hand of the singer in 0:50 of original video clip. she's doing hj with a phallic object.
I find it really ironic that Mattel tried to over this song only to use it themselves in a few Barbie commercials, a Cd, and toy MP3 player a decade later.
As a kid we knew "undress me everywhere"was bad to say but still sung it 🤣Jordan Knight's "Give it to you" is so upbeat until you listen to the lyrics like so many other pop songs in the late 90s to 00s.
I'd love for you to do a compilation of the sexually suggestive songs in the late 90s to 00s when you have the time.
i thought this song had more to it!
04:51 stupid critics hate the song... the song is satire of the barbie brand and the mixed messages it can send to young girls. That's it!!! The 90s and 00s were full satirical art pieces in film, movies, music, and tv. If you weren't a adult or very very sharp you would not have caught it and weren't supposed too. The bubbly popyness was supposed to appeal to everyone including young kids. The biting satire on the other hand was intended for adults with the intent of getting them to think about certain issues via a light hearted medium.
You got it right. As a Dane I can not hear it in any other way.
I love the BARBIE Girl Song !!! It makes me HAPPY !!! You’re statements are true - yes !!!However, I think it is All In FUN !!! Little Girls and their Mums are going to see it together and I think it is a useful tool for Moms to address very important issues with their daughters !!! And Some Fathers will go to see the movie with their daughters and that too will open up conversations between fathers and daughters that are very important !!! Little Girls need to to learn how to protect themselves and RESPECT their own bodies.
So many of y’all have pointed to Ken having the power in the song making her do stuff. yet in the video he is kind of waiting for Barbie half the song…
whaaaaaa- im 11 here and i understand its very....inappropriate
wait hear me:
Ken is a person that forced barbie to do whatever he wants
Barbie is a person that ken views as a object
correct me if im wrong (sorry for the confusion explanations)
so ken is her sugar da-
u dont need me to say :/
I always got that from this song like Barbie is in an abusive relationship with him. Idk if I’m stretching but I totally see what your saying
@@Someone-lf2si i think its about a man r@ping barbie
if u can see the words
@@fjfhdhdhdhdychiuovjoihcyxt3422 Im pretty sure Barbie is a Submissive to Ken so basically the same thing.
I was the 1000th like
Can you please do the breakup of abba if you haven't already done so
I went to a swimming party my mom organized and the teenagers put on the Barbie doll song and I did not like it at all
It was criticised for unrealistic body proportions, not for "lack of diversity"
eh, it was also for lack of diversity because most of the barbie's were white and it wasn't until 1980, 21 years after the Barbie doll was created that the first black barbie doll was created. so there was a lot of out cry about that.
well it is a novelty song.
And can you also do artpop by Gaga
Call me thirsty but the bald guy who represented Ken looks ridiculously hot 🔥in that video.
This is social critique. Not hard at all to understand .
Can you please do nicki minajs career!!!
Can we get into how the song wasn’t marketed to kids though just cause it says Barbie!!!!!!! All people were kids once, they used a toy to make a statement about SOCIAL CONDITIONS not about actual Barbie’s....... jeez
universal beauty standards is what has given people body issues, and over sexualized appearances and attitudes, not am 11inch doll! For the parents that blame the doll, i blame the parents for not teaching the kid otherwise!
According to Lene, it is a fun parody of the harmful ideal that women had/has to live up to. She had personally struggled with an eating disorder earlier in her life. It was a body image that was especially prevalent in the 90s and that was perpetuated and enhanced by a TV-show like Baywatch.
I like that song
Plus that is the most popular song from aqua
The song was funny and catchy whether you knew what it meant or not
Took you long enough to find that out. As a kid this song was banned but like literally most songs this was overly sexual
Its not worst or prevet its not its just a song about a girl toy and its what we do with it we undress the doll and brush her hair and play with her
Play at 1.25x play credit @FELIX LI
I 🩷 Barbie!
It's a parody and it's a totally unapologetic performance
Catchy tune watch video on Everything you missed in Taylor Swift’s video You Need to Calm Down or listen to what The Beatle’s once said
There isn’t always a meaning to every song it is left up to the listener to create their own interpretation.....the visuals on both songs
are similar in concept
whimsical, colourful, fun
Funny how the song was and still is misunderstood , just like Barbie you know at the end of the day Barbie is an human like piece of plastic , the problem is what society put on her
Seriously??? Its a doll singing a song abt her man..we all play with the dolls and we undress & dress the dolls and we brush their hair too..dont knw what the big deal in it
In a video called "Aqua - Roses Are Red + Barbie Girl" there is a short interview where aqua explicitly expresses that "We're not trying to change the world with our lyrics, we are just trying to have some fun and hope that people who listen to it have a good feeling". Yes, not everything has to have a meaning. Humans can be fun.
The Barbie Song gives us severe headaches, we prefer listening to the Ben 10 and Transfromers theme song.
Bro i had a barbie doll when i was kid necer had self esteem issues id usually id just play n not care wat doll action figure it was lol cuz shes just a toy and action figurs rolls always had weird both heck some have 4 arms
Dude something makes me feel like they did not even create this song non of them are American and had to learn English and the dude has an accent but he sound completely different in the music video also they lip sync on their "live show" videos
I think the song is a criticism of misogyny but I may be wrong
Oh you ended up saying this lmao
When I was child I was more afraid of Barbie Girl instead Evanescence
true and im 11 rn
@@fjfhdhdhdhdychiuovjoihcyxt3422 why r u here lol.
Im late
The fact the author meant it as social commentary is completely irrelevant(death of author.)
You can and should drive every meaning a peace of art can convey.
Be it the face value it's a song about Barbie dolls
Or a "mysoginistic" song which dares to express some mature fantasies.
Or it might be a social commentary about Kent being stuck in a "Barbie world" forgoing everything else other than his desire to party with Barbie.
All are messages one could get from this piece, from different perspectives.
How about you just ask the band (not you personally) many songs get over-analyzed and completely misunderstood; ask the writers of said song you get the true answer....
ken is very creepy also just y
tf
Illumanity stuff
Can you do a video on Melanie Martinez?
I wonder which direction Melanie will take after the After School EP
Still not as bad as Hey Ya
By who?
Outcast
I'm sorry to say I didn't like the video for some reason.
There's something in what you talked about that seems like overreaction, but may be I'm wrong, who knows.
If some people was a kid at that time and. Now is an adult who believes this song was targeted for kids no doubt this song fucked you up beyond repair