Last summer was a buzz with Barbie fever. From viral marketing trends that encouraged users to join in the fun to the world literally running out of the color pink, Barbie was boss. The highest-grossing movie ever directed by a woman, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie made $1.4 billion worldwide and garnered eight Oscar nominations. Many worldwide celebrated its female empowering storyline with hopes that it would open even more doors for big-budget female-led (both in front of and behind the camera) movies. But it also inspired many women to look more into their reproductive health.
A recent study published in the journal JAMA Network Open discovered that the blockbuster’s ending influenced online search interest in women’s health. Soon after departing from her pink paradise and entering the real world, Barbie walks into the doctor’s office, ready for an appointment with her gynecologist. By examining search queries, researchers found that the week following the film’s debut, there was about a 51% increase in searches for “gynecology” and “gynecologist.” The search queries “gynecology definition’ and ‘what does a gynecologist do?’ saw a 154% increase compared to definition searches from the previous week.
Pop culture has been proven to influence culture, including health behaviors. In 2000, when Katie Couric live-streamed her colonoscopy, the procedure increased by 21%. Shortly after Angelina Jolie published an article about her experience with breast cancer, there was a 64% increase in genetic testing.
Eva Sénéchal, the study’s lead author and a graduate student researcher at McGill University in Montreal, explains: “By making these topics seem less abstract, scary, or intimidating, by just alluding to them in movies…it will also help people be more aware of something that women deal with in their everyday lives.”
While the study cannot determine if Barbie’s visit to the doctor actually influenced women to schedule their own OB/GYN appointments, it offers insight into how media can spark curiosity and potentially lead to increased awareness and proactive health behaviors. By portraying a beloved character like Barbie taking charge of her reproductive health, the film subtly encouraged women to consider their own health needs. This kind of representation is crucial in normalizing conversations around women’s health and empowering individuals to seek the care they deserve.
SOURCES
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/25/health/barbie-movie-gynecologist-influence-wellness/index.html