Explained | Barbie map controversy: What's all the fuss about a world map?

First Vietnam and now the Philippines, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie seems to have run off the road with several countries over the representation of the “nine-dash line” which reinforces China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. The film’s trailer depicts eight lines in the Barbie map and it doesn’t look like the actual global map that the current world countries recognise (barring China).

Barbie is of course a toy doll that most girls and boys remember playing with or seeing in their homes, in their growing-up years. Now that a film based on Barbie and her beau Ken’s life is ready for a mega worldwide release in theatres, the Warner Bros. studio explains why a lot of people are complaining about a problem with the film’s trailer.

What is the problem with this 'real world'map in Barbie?

The Barbie trailer features a scene where Barbie (Margot Robbie) stands in front of a world map that had triggered a controversy. In the scene, Margot’s Barbie is with Kate McKinnon (known in the film as “Weird Barbie” as they stand in front of the map. After days of this issue sparking headlines, a spokesperson for the Warner Bros. Film Group spoke to Variety and said, “The map in Barbie Land is a child-like crayon drawing.“The doodles depict Barbie’s make-believe journey from Barbie Land to the ‘real world.’ It was not intended to make any type of statement.”

The said childlike map, has invited criticism for not treating this sensitively, with countries now pulling down the release of Barbie. First, it was Vietnam, and now the Philippines. The controversial nine-dash line is a tricky subject for most Southeast Asian countries where China has alleged territorial claims. These countries includeVietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. These territorial claims of China have time and again been repudiated by an international tribunal but who's to explain China?

As for the Philippines, anotice shared by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board of the Philippines on its website read: “We confirm that the Board has reviewed the film Barbie today, 04 July 2023. At this time, the assigned Committee on First Review is deliberating on the request of Warner Brothers F.E. Inc. for a Permit to Exhibit.”

This comes after Vietnam decided to ban the film. "We do not grant a license for the American movie Barbie to release in Vietnam because it contains the offending image of the nine-dash line," local media cited Vi Kien Thanh, head of the Department of Cinema, a government body in charge of licensing and censoring foreign films.Vietnam called for Barbie to not screen in the country as it believes it violates the country’s sovereignty.

These two countries could make a turnaround if Warner Bros. studio was to make any amends to the controversial scene, edit or rework the same. But that would mean reapplying for certification in China where the fantasy drama has been approved and given a go-ahead. Considering China is a huge market for films, this looks difficult for Warner Bros.

In defence, Warner Bros. studio wants everyone to not take the scene too seriously and just like a doodle that some child would conjure out of fantasy or wild imagination. If you look carefully, the map looks like a child’s imagination ashashtags float around Earth’soceans and continents are drawn with maroons and yellows. There are chalk-scribbled dolphins and whatnot. But countries have a problem that the world map has been organised in a way to appease China. It looks like China’s “nine-dash line,” which reinforces China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Where does this controversial map scene feature?

The Barbiefilm is all about how the famous doll toy faces an existential crisis and ends up leaving her perfect world for the “real world”. As she tries to settle in and goes on a journey of self-discovery, McKinnon’s Weird Barbie encourages her to see the “real world” and provides her with a map of the same. This map is made with whimsy by a fellow doll.

Here, the Warner Bros. studio claim that since this controversial world map is made by a doll, it has no hidden meanings and doesn’t imply or state anything. The “nine-dash line” that has irked many is actually “journey lines” that animation and kid’s drawings usually feature, so as to show where a character has travelled to or from.

The studio, without commenting on the plot of the film, claims that there are other “journey lines” too with the map also featuring arrows and boats. Now this could mean something else but only that it doesn’t. While filmmakers are sensitive to the geopolitical issues raised by the map, the studio told Variety that the drawing in Barbie is simply the doll’s own road to enlightenment.

Facing an existential crisis, Barbie, a perfect person in a perfect world (read all-pink world), leaves it all for the “real world” to unearth the “real” her. Accompanying her on the fun, trials, and tribulations is her longtime partner, Ken. Both Barbie and Ken face new dangers and adventures while on their journey.

Directed by Greta Gerwig from a script written by her and her husband, the film stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, Hari Nef, Issa Rae, and Simu Liu. The film is set to release theatrically on July 21.

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