Since Barbie was not introduced until 1959, I was too old to be interested in the doll that became an international icon. My baby sister, though, spent hours with her friends clothing Barbie in the last fashion of the early 60’s. By the time my own daughters had Barbies, they also had a Pink dollhouse, elaborate sets, like a McDonald’s, beaches and swimming pools, cars and horse ranches. But the most irritating accessory they had was Barbie shoes! I swear those tiny spike heels were embedded in the carpet, stuck in the vacuum cleaner, and stuffed in the sofa cushions. And when I saw all the hype about the Barbie movie, I vowed I would never waste my time on seeing it.

Of course, my stance did a 360, when Teddy declared it morally unfit. Not because Barbie and Ken had correct anatomical parts–they didn’t. Not because they vaped and drank–they didn’t. Not because they engaged in PDA, or having sex–they didn’t. It was because the movie’s theme concerned the eons old institution of patriarchy.

Far be it for a film about a doll to have an opinion on a male-run world! In my opinion, one of the most powerful and poignant scenes is Gloria’s monologue, which I’ve copied below from MSN.com. Read it and decide for yourself if Ted Cruz is right.

“It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful and so smart, and it kills me that you don’t think you’re good enough. Like we always have to be extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong.

You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but you also have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can’t ask for money because that’s crass. You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas. You’re supposed to love being a mother, but don’t talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman, but also always be looking out for other people. You have to answer for men’s bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you’re accused of complaining.

You’re supposed to stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you’re supposed to be part of the sisterhood. But always stand out and be grateful. But never forget that the system is rigged. So find a way to acknowledge that and be grateful. You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never fall down, never fail, never show off, never be selfish, never get out of line. It’s too hard! It’s too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out in fact that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault.

I’m just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us. And if all that is also true for a doll just representing women, then I don’t even know.”

From my perspective, I have been there and lived that. Next week I’ll share some true stories about the glass ceiling.

In the meantime, please feel free to PM your own stories and decide for yourself if a movie about a doll is anti-male and “morally unfit,” or if it merely told the other side of history.