Barbie and Jason Aldean: Summer Cultural Flashpoints of Controversy

The new Barbie movie has made conservatives go up in arms about its feminist and other liberal content and themes.  Jason Aldean’s song “Try That in a Small Town” has created furor on the other side of the aisle for it’s video imagery and some of the lyrics to the song.  These are two different forms of entertainment that has triggered the Internet world.  When in reality, the topic of the debates are the same but coming from different perspectives.

She’s a Barbie Girl in The Real World

Let’s start with the new Barbie movie.  The basic premise of the movie is bringing the iconic Barbie doll to real life and asking the question, “What would Barbie do and what would it be like if Barbie came to life?”  It’s a comedy with some serious  overtones, but it has a heart and it’s what has made this movie very successful.

So what are some of the criticisms, especially on the conservative side?:

1. A strong feminist message that tends to put men down.
2. Some have found subtle LGTBTQ messages within the movies.

These are the two main “issues” that people have with the movie.  Yet, what they are missing is the fact that most of us have grown up, did grow up and continue to make a connection to Barbie.  Now that the movie is out, Barbie is hotter and more popular than ever.  From little kids to adults, everyone has a connection to the brand.

Try That With a Country Song

On the other side of the aisle, you have hot country singer Jason Aldean who is now one of the biggest country stars out there today.  In fact, most songs at the top of the music charts right now are country songs these days and he has become a part of that way.   It’s a genre that a lot of people connect to with not just the song writing but the stories they tell.

In Jason Aldean’s case, the song “Try that in a Small Town” is one of those songs.  When it first came out, there was no video attached and it seemed like everyone was enjoying the song.   The lyrics spoke to a lot of people, especially to those who come from a small town and would love to see those values in every town.  When the video came out recently, so did the complaints.

Here is what some of those are:

1.  The images of Black Lives Matter as critiques and coded threats to black people.
2.  It’s too pro-gun.

Supporters of the song say that they know what life is like in a small town according to the title, because they have lived it.  There’s nothing in there about racism or what is being read into.  In fact, Jason Aldean himself said that he came up with the idea of the song after he saw how the local and communities around the country came together after the Boston marathon bombings. In his heart, he was wishing for that same energy to happen everywhere.

Are we in an Existential Crises?

So why are these two forms of entertainment suddenly becoming the hot topic of debate for the summer? Isn’t it because we are tired of the politics on TV?  Do we just need something to complain about?  Maybe its a distraction from something bigger?

Whatever you feel about the Barbie movie or the Jason Aldean song, they are the “it” things right now.  They are getting press, ratings, views, etc. whether you support them or not.  The more attention we give it, the more press they will get.  So, logically if you don’t want the press, don’t think, talk, or pay attention to it.

However, it’s not as easy as it seems.  In our current, 24-hour, 7-days a week news world, we want to know everything about everyone.  We want to praise and we want to criticize just so we can get noticed too.  It’s just becoming our culture..  For the things we criticize, we make people or things the target of our own aggression or because it just feels good to criticize.  When we love it, it becomes a part of our DNA and worship it until it burns out.

But why make any form of entertainment the bane of our criticism?  Barbie and Jason are not the only ones to face their forms of backlash, nor will they be.  There will always be something, or someone in the entertainment world that will be the trigger for critiques.   It’s up to us whether we want to pay attention to it or not and whether or not we allow it to affect us.

Is it the Medium or the Message?

When it comes to art and entertainment, the old debate of blame the medium or the messages comes to the forefront.  In terms of the media, the Barbie movie is essentially meant to entertain and bring smiles to the audiences young and old.  Jason Aldean’s song is meant to be something to listen and sing along to, and for some seen as a form of poetry.  That’s what they do at the basic core (without the basic politics added in).

If we look at the history of Barbie, she was ahead of her time when the doll was first created.  And the message still carries on today for young girls and even young boys.  Barbie has become a part of our culture for years.  The movie just gives us the what-if Barbie and Ken lived in the real world thought?

As for “Try That in a Small Town”  the message is about coming together as a community, no matter where you come from.   If you experience a sense of community where you live, then you’re living that song.    If you don’t have a sense of community, where can you find it?  How can you create your own sense of community?  How can communities do better?

So if these mediums have these messages at their core and the exert a positive or negative reaction within us, the question then becomes: are we just reading too much into it?  And if we are, why are we getting the messages that we are?

Perhaps it’s not the medium itself.  It might be something within us that is surfacing and calling our attention.   However, instead of figuring it out and looking within, we tend to lash out and blame the messenger for that trigger or offense.  It’s almost as if we fail to see the mirror that has been placed in front of our face.

Instead of criticizing Barbie and Jason for how they offended you, I would propose thanking them for creating a conversation.  It doesn’t matter if you agree with the conversation or not or what your critique is.  The point is that we are all talking about them and discussing what they mean to us together.

But what are we going to do when that “sense of community” dies down?  What are we going to do when the next entertainment controversy comes up?  Are we going to still stay in the same place?  Are we going to grow and learn from it?  Is it going to be the next distraction from our own conflicts that we need to face and make peace with inside us?

If a form of entertainment triggers you, express that trigger and why.  But instead of blaming the medium and the “messages” that you see, take a step back and listen.  Look at both sides of the issue.  Count to ten and reflect if these conversations are really worth it, especially when there are so many other important issues that need to be discussed and worked through mentally, spiritually, and in community with one another.