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Even before Greta Gerwig’sBarbiewas announced, it was clear thatthe movie would have some hilarious and clever quotes. The filmmakers have a talent for writing culturally relevant and compelling scripts that audiences remember after leaving the theater. Thanks to the huge box office success ofBarbieand the fact that the movie got several Oscar nominations,Barbieis getting as much attention and praise as ever.
There are certain jokes in the film that fans and critics are still talking about, including the ProustBarbiejoke that is made in one scene. Although the joke comes and goes quickly, it’s worth examining as it has a lot to do with the theme of the popular movie.
What Is The Proust Barbie Joke In Barbie?
The Proust Barbiejoke happens when a character tells Barbie to spend time in the box that she came from. She goes into the box and remembers being there before. She comments on the scent being “a Proustian memory.”
Will Ferrell, who plays the CEO of Mattel, makes the Proust Barbiejoke:
“Remember Proust Barbie? That didnotsell well.”
By thememorable ending ofBarbie,the film’s message about what it’s really like to be a woman in today’s society has been made clear. Proust Barbie speaks to the film’s commentary on the patriarchy along with a corporation’s desire to make products that are, of course, profitable. While audiences see various Barbies in both Barbie Land and the Real World,
Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach
Cast Members
Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Rhea Perlman, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Will Ferrell
114 minutes
88%
83%
Where To Watch
Max
Thanks to the success of the movie, it’s no wonder that there has been talk for a long time about apotentialBarbiesequel. If a second film was made, it’s hard to imagine it being as compelling and intelligent without Greta Gerwig’s writing and direction.
Why Did Greta Gerwig Include The Proust Barbie Joke?
Greta Gerwig included the Proust Barbiejoke because she thought it would be a funny, random reference. In an interview withAP News, the writer and director mentioned French author Marcel Proust’s famous book. She said:
“In ‘Remembrance of Things Past,’ in ‘Swann’s Way,’ he is literally thrown back into his childhood through the taste of the madeleine. I thought, well, that’ll be a nice Easter egg for one person.”
According toThe Guardian, the phrase “Proust’s madeleine” refers to when someone has a “sensory cue that triggers a memory.” The reporter who interviewed Gerwig for AP said that Proust was a favorite author of Oppenheimer’s, which was a fun fact that tiesBarbieandOppenheimertogether. Gerwig said, “So he would have loved Proust Barbie!”
What IsIn Search of Lost Timeby Marcel Proust?
Greta Gerwig also talked about Proust Barbie in aninterview with Radio One. She said, “There’s lines in this movie, maybe one person will laugh at them…. I’m like, ‘I can’t believe we’re writing these jokes into this movie. And it was like, so much of it felt so… in a way we did [write it for ourselves].”
The 11 Barbies In Barbie
WhileGerwig worried Barbie would end her career, shehad fun during Barbie’s productionand must find it interesting that people have picked up on her clever Proust Barbie joke. There are some other hilarious jokes in theBarbie
movie, like when Barbie says: “Come in to my Weird House! Hi, I’m Weird Barbie, I am in the splits, I have a funky haircut and I smell like basement.” However, the best joke is definitely Proust Barbie.
According toThe Hollywood Reporter, Gerwig attended the BFI London Film Festival in fall 2023. She said:
“I went around to different theaters and sort of stood in the back, and would then also turn up the volume if I felt it wasn’t playing at the perfect level."
When an audience member laughed at the Proust Barbie joke, Gerwig said:
“And I was like, ‘That joke was for you!'”
