After a fairly slow opening weekend, as of the end of July, Barbie<\/em> has made $25.5 million at the box office in China \u2013 not a huge figure but certainly better than other recent Hollywood releases<\/a> like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever<\/em>. However, the film has achieved excellent ratings on China\u2019s most influential movie apps, reaching 9.4\/10 on Maoyan and 8.6\/10 on Douban, and crucially, has penetrated the country\u2019s internet discourse.<\/p>\n The film\u2019s approach to issues of feminism, patriarchy and masculinity (which surprisingly snuck past China\u2019s stringent censors) has struck a chord with Chinese women, many of whom are finding it increasingly difficult to balance traditional societal pressures. China\u2019s feminist movement has seen significant expansion in recent years amid several high-profile #MeToo campaigns, but the subject remains contentious and discussions on social media are often censored.<\/p>\n![\"launchpad](\"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/lp-gateway.png\")
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