Prisha Khimavat

This is part of a writing challenge. Click here to read more about it.

I have a confession to make. I love barbie movies. There. I said it. And yes, I didn’t say I used to love barbie movies, I said I still love them.

Of the approximately 40 movies that exist, according to this website, I have seen 35 movies. The ones that I haven’t seen are the two oldest and some of the newer ones. (I don’t really like the new animation style.)

I got into Barbie movies as a kid, when my family and I would make a semi-monthly trip to our local video rental store. My sister and I were allowed DVDs each, and I would convince (manipulate) her into getting the Barbie movies. I would tell her that she would become a princess or a fairy if she watched them with me, or that she would be able to pick which character she wanted to be when we reenacted the movies. As time went on and we stopped going to the video store, I started finding the movies online. I would listen to music from the movies on YouTube and stream the movies on other websites. This was all through middle school too. When anyone would be discovered that I enjoyed those movies, I would try to claim that I watched them because my little sister enjoyed them – that was a lie. She watched them for me.

I remember, specifically, when I was in either the third or fourth grade, I was obsessed with Barbie and the Diamond castle. In fact, a really close friend of mine and I were both obsessed with it. (I won’t out her here, in case she doesn’t want people knowing.) However, we were both obsessed and would email each other the different soundtracks we’d find and we would sing them together. There were to particular songs we would sing: Two voices, One song and Connected. Both these songs had two girl parts and were about deep friendship. We would pick a character each, and sing those songs and pretend we were them.

As a child, these movies served, similarly to books, a possibility of something magical happening in my life. Unlike Disney movies that were either based in a magical kingdom or happened to Princesses, the Barbie movies have stories happening to a regular girl, in my world. It had places I recognized, clothes similar to what I wore, and maybe in some way, it felt more real.

I remember for weeks after watching one of them, I would spend my time imagining and pretending that those magical things were happening to me. After I watched Barbie in A Fashion Fairytale, I wanted to design clothes and so I would draw dresses or pull out clothes from my closet and hold fashion shows for myself. After I watched Barbie in A Mermaid Tail, I would spend hours in the pool trying to surf on a floatie or wait for my legs to turn into a tail. And after I watched Princess Charm School, I would balance books on my head and convince my cousins to do it too. I would pretend it was for balance, but really it made me feel like a princess.

Now, when I happen to rewatch a movie or listen to music from one of them, it reminds me of a time when these movies were so dear to my heart. I recognize that it’s not attractive to enjoy these movies, especially being so much older, but it never been about Barbie for me. Rather, it had been about the possibility of magic and adventure that I couldn’t see in my own life. Now, it’s about reminiscing about a time in my life that was wholesome, and free, a time when it was okay to imagine freely, and not be expected to be logical.

I know logic and practicality is crucial, but imagination and creativity is just as valuable, and this is one of the ways I’m reminded of some of the most imaginative days of my life.

In the words of the Princess and the Pauper:

“I close my eyes, and feel myself fly a thousand miles away.”

~ Prisha Khimavat ~

Duration: 23 minutes and 51 seconds