Even before Greta Gerwig's Barbie was announced, it was clear that the movie would have some hilarious and clever quotes. The filmmakers have a talent for writing culturally relevant and compelling scripts that audiences remember after leaving the theater. Thanks to the huge box office success of Barbie and the fact that the movie got several Oscar nominations, Barbie is getting as much attention and praise as ever.
There are certain jokes in the film that fans and critics are still talking about, including the Proust Barbie joke that is made in one scene. Although the joke comes and goes quickly, it's worth examining as it has a lot to do with the theme of the popular movie.
Barbie’s Montage Scene, Explained
Barbie's montage scene is one of the most memorable parts of the movie, but who is included in the montage and why did Greta Gerwig include it?
What Is The Proust Barbie Joke In Barbie?
The Proust Barbie joke happens when a character tells Barbie to spend time in the box that she came from. She goes into the box and remembers being there before. She comments on the scent being "a Proustian memory."
Will Ferrell, who plays the CEO of Mattel, makes the Proust Barbie joke:
“Remember Proust Barbie? That did not sell well.”
By the memorable ending of Barbie, the film's message about what it's really like to be a woman in today's society has been made clear. Proust Barbie speaks to the film's commentary on the patriarchy along with a corporation's desire to make products that are, of course, profitable. While audiences see various Barbies in both Barbie Land and the Real World,
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Barbie Director |
Greta Gerwig |
|---|---|
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Writers |
Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach |
|
Cast Members |
Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Rhea Perlman, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Will Ferrell |
|
Runtime |
114 minutes |
|
Release Date |
July 21, 2023 (United States) |
|
Rotten Tomatoes Score |
88% |
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Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
83% |
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Where To Watch |
Max |
Thanks to the success of the movie, it's no wonder that there has been talk for a long time about a potential Barbie sequel. If a second film was made, it's hard to imagine it being as compelling and intelligent without Greta Gerwig's writing and direction.
Why Did Greta Gerwig Include The Proust Barbie Joke?
Greta Gerwig included the Proust Barbie joke because she thought it would be a funny, random reference. In an interview with AP News, the writer and director mentioned French author Marcel Proust's famous book. She said:
"In 'Remembrance of Things Past,' in 'Swann’s Way,' he is literally thrown back into his childhood through the taste of the madeleine. I thought, well, that’ll be a nice Easter egg for one person."
According to The Guardian, the phrase "Proust's madeleine" refers to when someone has a "sensory cue that triggers a memory." The reporter who interviewed Gerwig for AP said that Proust was a favorite author of Oppenheimer's, which was a fun fact that ties Barbie and Oppenheimer together. Gerwig said, "So he would have loved Proust Barbie!"
What Is In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust?
- A book with seven volumes
- "Swann's Way" is the most popular
Greta Gerwig also talked about Proust Barbie in an interview with Radio One. She said, "There’s lines in this movie, maybe one person will laugh at them.... I’m like, ‘I can’t believe we’re writing these jokes into this movie. And it was like, so much of it felt so… in a way we did [write it for ourselves]."
The 11 Barbies In Barbie
- Everything Barbie (Margot Robbie)
- Author Barbie (Alexandra Shipp)
- Supreme Court Justice Barbie (Anna Cruz Kayne)
- Mermaid Barbie (Dua Lipa)
- Physicist Barbie (Emma Mackey)
- Diplomat Barbie (Nichola Coughlan)
- Lawyer Barbie (Sharon Rooney)
- Doctor Barbie (Hari Nef)
- Gymnast Barbie (Kate McKinnon)
- President Barbie (Issa Rae)
- Journalist Barbie (Ritu Arya)
While Gerwig worried Barbie would end her career, she had fun during Barbie's production and must find it interesting that people have picked up on her clever Proust Barbie joke. There are some other hilarious jokes in the Barbie
movie, like when Barbie says: "Come in to my Weird House! Hi, I'm Weird Barbie, I am in the splits, I have a funky haircut and I smell like basement." However, the best joke is definitely Proust Barbie.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gerwig attended the BFI London Film Festival in fall 2023. She said:
“I went around to different theaters and sort of stood in the back, and would then also turn up the volume if I felt it wasn’t playing at the perfect level."
When an audience member laughed at the Proust Barbie joke, Gerwig said:
"And I was like, ‘That joke was for you!'"
You Can Now Own The Barbie Movie Forever
Barbiemania has taken the world by storm, and even though it's still killing it at the cinema, you can now own it forever to watch at home, too!