Laugh Lines
This week, I saw the Barbie movie. Now I'm sure we’re all sick and tired of hearing that sentence, but bear with me. I’m not the first person to write about it and I certainly won’t be the last, but I want to share my perspective on a theme that caused me to pause and reflect.
Hollywood recoils at any signs of aging. As technology progresses and cameras get sharper, we have become quicker to “correct” the slightest hint of a wrinkle. We see actors airbrushed, nipped, and tucked to preserve the illusion of youth for as long as possible. And, if we’re being honest, we often prefer it that way. That is why it caught me by surprise to see that in this film, older women were the ones who had the answers.
Learning to uplift each other as woman is a popular topic. One that, in my opinion, has become diluted with buzzwords and “good intentions”. But why not go back to the beginning? When it feels impossible to exist amongst the onslaught of contradictory expectations, let us not forget the women who did it before us. Our mothers, grandmothers, and chosen maternal figures all have so much to offer us. We just need to have the humility to see it.
Each generation, since the beginning of time, has had its flaws. We are right to critique history. However, that habit of critique can feed into the attitude that those who came before us were all either ignorant or morally reprehensible. What follows is the view that we are the enlightened generation, no matter which generation we are from. We continue to chase youth and physical beauty, equating them with worth and success. As on any journey forward, it is far too easy to forget the role of those who walked before us.
Even at 27, I’ve begun to see my appearance shift, and have panicked at the thought that I may not look young one day. Without youth, will I lose relevance? But after a deep breath, the moment of vanity passes, and I think about all the things I find beautiful about the women I look up to. I am comforted by the fact that they know more than I do, and that I see them thriving. I was not expecting a few moments from a bubblegum film to leave me so grateful, or so deep in thought. There is so much more to unpack about this topic, and I look forward to continuing that reflection. But in the meantime, I’ll smile and hope that someday a little girl will look past my laugh lines and see that her worth, wisdom, and beauty will only grow with time.