Barbie in China: feminist ideals or consumerist realities on RedNote?

The Warner Brothers live-action film Barbie made a global impact in 2023, including in China. Few studies have combined textual analysis with investigation of para-textual promotional strategies, despite the fact that research has examined the negotiation of gender conflict in the film’s narrative. This study explored the presence of Barbie in the Chinese-origin social media platform RedNote, arguing that while the film has been celebrated by some as a feminist production, its circulation within the wanghong economy emphasizes consumer opportunity as well as the retrenchment of stereotypical gender roles. After analyzing the film’s plot and promotional materials, we comprehensively examined all 935 posts on RedNote® using the hashtag #芭比 (Barbie), categorizing them into 19 groups. The top three categories to emerge were “Attire,” “Doll & Toy & DIY Handicraft,” and “Beauty & Makeup.” The findings revealed the intricate relationship among Chinese content creators on RedNote, co-branding companies targeting females, the operational mechanisms of RedNote, and the Chinese wanghong economy. This study underscores the commodification of feminist discourse on Chinese social media, revealing how platform economies and influencer culture reshape gender advocacy into consumable experiences.