This Barbie Is Not For Everybody: A Study on the Impact of Character Engagement Factors, Age and Gender on the Enjoyment of a Woman-Centric Movie

The underrepresentation of fictional female characters in films continues to be a significant problem. However, in the last few years, the number of movies featuring a female protagonist, as well as the number of female directors gaining recognition in the international movie landscape has increased almost exponentially. Even though recent movies have tried to challenge the idea of women’s cinema as primarily associated with chick flicks, the response to films with a woman lead has not always been a positive one, due to factors such as the way female characters are depicted. Therefore, the present study examined to what extent character engagement factors, as well as the gender identification and age of the viewer could have an impact on their enjoyment of a woman-centric movie, whereby the film Barbie was used as stimulus. In total, 170 viewers who fit the criteria completed the survey. The respondents, who were asked to answer questions related to recognisability, wishful identification, parasocial relationships, and enjoyment, were divided into four different groups, according to their age group and gender identification. The analyses revealed that females and younger people (aged between 18 and 29) score higher than males and older people (aged 30 and above) on all character engagement factors, as well as on hedonic and eudaimonic entertainment. When analysing specifically character engagement factors and the enjoyment of the film, the hierarchical regression analyses showed that personality recognisability (e.g. the character’s approach to life) and attitudinal recognisability (e.g. the character’s opinion on social problems) can be considered positive predictors of wishful identification. For parasocial relationship, personality recognisability and attitudinal recognisability, as well as situational recognisability (e.g. the character’s reaction to stressful events) and wishful identification were significant positive predictors. Instead, the only positive predictor in common for both eudaimonic entertainment and hedonic entertainment was wishful identification, thus showing how important the extent to which the viewer wishes to be like the fictional character is for the enjoyment of the movie. The outcomes of the study indicate the importance of visibility of women’s stories and female protagonists, as the movie Barbie was shown to be an enjoyable and relatable experience not only for the young female audience but also for other audiences, albeit to a lesser extent. Therefore, this film could definitely help in paving the way for other films to challenge stereotypes and foster change, while still targeting people of different age groups and gender identifications.