A few months ago, Schumer was cast as Barbie in Sony Pictures’ and Mattel’s live action film about the famous doll. This announcement was met with joy from Schumer fans around the world, as well as considerable backlash from critics. Internet trolls mercilessly criticized Schumer’s body because she doesn’t have Barbie’s iconic perfect figure. While other, more nuanced critics argued that casting Schumer was simply a publicity stunt on the part of Mattel in order to seem more progressive.
Earlier this week, Schumer announced that she will no longer be starring in or helping to write the film due to “scheduling conflicts.”
While body shaming Schumer is terrible and wrong, I do agree with critics who thought that casting Schumer was Mattel’s way of trying to seem progressive and above anti-feminist ideals that people might think of when they think of Barbie.
I think that if Sony and Mattel want to cast a true feminist icon to inspire young women, Schumer is not the person for the job. Schumer is the definition of a white feminist, which is shown by her consistent, racially insensitive content.
This Is What I’m Talking About
In October 2016, Schumer released a parody of Beyonce’s Formation video that was criticized because Schumer is a white woman, and the song is about the empowerment of black women against white supremacy.
She’s also been in hot water for a tweet that seemed to imply that men of color are more likely to catcall women. The tweet was soon deleted. She also received backlash for defending a writer on her show, Inside Amy Schumer, who made horrible comments online about rape and rape survivors.
Schumer’s newest film, Snatched, is about a white mother, played by Goldie Hawn, and her white daughter (Schumer) who travel to Latin America and get kidnapped. That premise alone perpetuates numerous, problematic stereotypes of the Latino community. It portrays Latin America as a dangerous place where white people get kidnapped.
Here’s What I Think
I respect Schumer’s attempts to bring feminism into the mainstream, and I think it is important for public figures to speak out about feminism and other political issues. Schumer has openly advocated for gun control and she has spoken at length about sexual assault and rape culture.
However, until Schumer un-whitewashes her feminism and realizes the impact of her racially charged comedy she will not be a feminist icon that empowers ALL women.
I think Schumer backing out of the Barbie movie is a huge opportunity for Mattel. Clearly, they were trying to make a progressive statement by choosing Schumer, but now’s the time to prove that it wasn’t just a publicity stunt.
I think Mattel should cast a woman who isn’t just a white feminist, but an ally to all women. Someone like Zendaya would be a perfect choice. She openly spoke out about being a feminist, while also speaking out about race.
Your move, Mattel.