Dhriti Maharatna #9 - I Want It All
When I hear the word power, the first thing that comes to mind is the musical movie Barbie and the Secret Door. The film follows a princess, Barbie of course, who discovers a secret door in her garden that transports her to a whimsical fantasyland in which the antagonist is a ten-year-old girl attempting to steal all the magic in the land. She does so by kidnapping the mermaids, fairies, and other creatures throughout the kingdom and forcefully taking the only thing that gives them purpose meaning their wings, tails, horns, etc. This whole process is explained and shown in her showstopping musical number “I Want It All,” when she articulates perfectly what she believes power is, getting anything and everything at the drop of a hat. At the end of the movie, she not only loses all the magic she stole but is also forced to clean up the mess created during the final showdown in the castle. Finally, we find out her parents have been on vacation for the duration of the film and have finally returned, they decide to ignore all the mayhem because apparently attempting to take over the kingdom is something their daughter does regularly and instead choose to give their lovely daughter a gift from their travels. I believe that is the true definition of power
Having endless magic, servants, and material things may seem like power to a ten-year-old but clearly, her power comes from her lack of consequences. Real people unlike the antagonist in Barbie and the Secret Door, face consequences for their actions every day. This is what truly defines a lack of power. Billionaires, for example, can escape accountability for their actions. Their money allows them to manipulate legal systems and bypass repercussions. The average people are then constantly reminded of their powerlessness, their consequences include losing jobs, penalties, and systems that hold them accountable for crimes they did not commit.
Power is not just about wealth or resources; it is about being above the rules that control everyone else. The antagonist’s behavior in the movie epitomizes this phenomenon. She takes whatever she wants, almost destroys an entire kingdom, and never actually gives the magic back voluntarily or expresses any remorse, then when forced to confront the mess she has created she still ends up suffering no consequences. The movie may highlight unfairness and cruelty within the real world but honestly, I am just mad that I will never experience being in a Barbie movie where everything works out for everyone no matter what.
Hi Dhriti! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your summary of the movie Barbie and the Secret Door, as I regrettably don’t recall having ever watched this particular film. I do love Barbie, though, and seeing this blog be about her was definitely intriguing. I found your connection with the villain of the movie to the concept of power interesting, and I agree with your points. It’s strange that a movie advertised towards children would advertise the idea of being able to wreak havoc and walking away without any sort of punishment. No matter how old a person is, if they are old enough to understand that they are doing wrong, they are old enough to accept being reprimanded. I appreciated the charm that seeped through your writing and sarcasm when it came to regarding the absurdity of the ten-year-old girl’s place in the story and the world of Barbie. In a way, I suppose children might be some of the most powerful people in the world, with the grasp they hold over adults and tendency to be given a pass for misbehaving simply for being young and cute. I liked your analogy using the lack of consequences the little girl had with the lack of consequences that people with power have in the real world, as well as your closing statement about the phenomenon of power. In particular, like you, being in a Barbie movie would definitely be awesome.
ReplyDeleteHi Dhriti, I must admit that when you started off your blog talking about the first thing you think about when you hear the word power, I was not expecting you to mention this movie. I have personally never seen Barbie and the Secret Door so I appreciated your in depth summary of the film. At first, I was confused how a princess movie like that could make you feel a sense of power, but your second paragraph helped me realize that you were talking more about the power of freedom and having the right to do whatever you want with no consequences. As a teenager, I bet if we had that power, it would feel incredible and as if we were the rulers of the world. However, because we aren't, we have to submit to more powerful figures such as our president and rich businessmen. This is often not conveyed in movies such as they one you described because the main character never gets in any trouble for doing what they do for the sake of the plot. I know that if I were to do what Barbie does, my parents would ground me instantly. Overall, I love the unique aspect of your blog and introducing all of us to this movie.
ReplyDeleteHi Dhriti! I was honestly a little confused when you started off your blog by mentioning Barbie and the Secret Door but it was quickly overcome since I realized how you had meant to tie in the concept of power with the movie. It was really interesting though and I had fun reading your introduction as the summary of the movie brought me a feeling of nostalgia since I also watched the movie when I was a kid and I enjoyed it. I completely agree with you that power does indeed come from this freedom that results primarily from wealth and that can be seen in today’s society a little too easily. This power us attained quite unfairly and is in the hands of a small number of the population but reigns over the majority. This honestly reminded me of the other times I have seen this imbalance of power on tv. An example of this is from the series Avatar in which it can be easily seen due to the layout of the city of Ba Sing Se but also in Attack on Titan in which it is also similarly seen as everyone is left fighting for their lives while one single King remains in power at the top of the hierarchy despite his negligence. I hope I can work with you more this school year!
ReplyDeleteHi Dhriti! When I first saw the image of Princess Malucia on the image icon, I gasped out of excitement, as Barbie and the Secret Door was one of my favorite movies when I was younger. Although I was also initially confused about how this movie would have a connection with power, after reading your blog, I definitely agree how the ten year old girl can definitely represent many people in our world today. I found it quite interesting when you mentioned how power "comes from [a] lack of consequences," as the little girl practically did everything at her own free will without feeling any remorse for the destruction she caused, and related it to how billionaires can "escape accountability" with their money, influence, and power. Your thought made me reflect on the power dynamics we have in the real-world and realize how corrupt various industries can be due to how much power or money people have. I also agree how it is truly unfair that those with power can often escape accountability, while others are constantly reminded of their consequences and have to bear each responsibility on their shoulders, even for some that they may have not committed. I enjoyed reading your blog and look forward to reading more of your blogs in the coming future!
ReplyDeleteDhriti, this was a really creative blog post. I have never watched Barbie and the Secret Door, but your love for its narrative comes through in the way you have discussed it. I really enjoy reading others' media analysis, even when I have not consumed the work of fiction being analyzed, so seeing you tie this story to the quarterly theme was a delight. I love the way you connect this to a larger assertion about power―that it is not defined by "material things" but a "lack of consequences"―and establish a real-world connection from the themes of the story. Although a ten-year-old spoiled child may be an unlikely individual to compare to the billionaires in our world, upon further thought, it isn't much of a reach. Our society and the systems that govern it are, in many ways, designed to shield the most privileged from consequences, just as the antagonist's parents were willing to shield her from the repercussions of her actions.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love how you concluded the Blog Post. I don't think there's a single one of us who wouldn't want everything to bend to our favor, consequences be damned. Yet maybe it is this desire that leads certain individuals to want to escape consequences despite the resulting unfairness. Grounding your Blog Post in that human desire makes for a powerful conclusion, or maybe I'm overthinking it. Anyway, great job; this was a delightful read.