Forwarded from Arktos
Barbie and the Plastic ‘Dasein’: An Ontological Odyssey, an essay by Constantin von Hoffmeister, published by Arktos.
Constantin von Hoffmeister looks at the film Barbie through a Heideggerian lens.
In the narrative of the film Barbie, one is beckoned into the labyrinth of plastic existence, drawn to question the essence of Being even within the confines of manufactured reality. The plot not only plays upon the immediate stories of Barbie and Ken but also delves deep into ontological inquiries, reminiscent of Martin Heidegger’s philosophical pursuits.
Ken, whose blond mane is a vestige of an older toy lineage, finds himself within Barbie’s female-centric plastic dominion. Here, he is relegated to a subservient role, overshadowed by Barbie’s reigning plastic empire. His blondness serves as a symbolic echo from a past, an indication of...
Read the full essay here:
https://arktos.com/2023/09/23/barbie-and-the-plastic-dasein-an-ontological-odyssey/
Constantin von Hoffmeister looks at the film Barbie through a Heideggerian lens.
In the narrative of the film Barbie, one is beckoned into the labyrinth of plastic existence, drawn to question the essence of Being even within the confines of manufactured reality. The plot not only plays upon the immediate stories of Barbie and Ken but also delves deep into ontological inquiries, reminiscent of Martin Heidegger’s philosophical pursuits.
Ken, whose blond mane is a vestige of an older toy lineage, finds himself within Barbie’s female-centric plastic dominion. Here, he is relegated to a subservient role, overshadowed by Barbie’s reigning plastic empire. His blondness serves as a symbolic echo from a past, an indication of...
Read the full essay here:
https://arktos.com/2023/09/23/barbie-and-the-plastic-dasein-an-ontological-odyssey/