Did anyone ever say to you, “who do you think you are?” Yep, and the trigger may still sting in your heart. How dare you act like you are somebody! This theme played out in the double-header stories on the big screen this summer when a scientist was co-opted by government, and a young woman became aware of her true identity.
Oppenheimer and Barbie! Two totally different perspectives about life stirred up emotional heat in the audiences in record numbers.
Moral dilemmas came alive with the consequences of Oppenheimer’s brilliant work as a scientist known as the creator of the atomic bomb, and his advocacy for diplomacy over war in the aftermath of the testing in New Mexico and subsequent bombings in Japan to end a war.
The heart has reasons that reason does not know. ---Blaise Pascal
Oppenheimer felt the pain of using his reason for destructive purposes. At least that’s what I felt from his story.
Along comes Barbie eliciting memories of girls and their dolls in the first scene. Baby dolls. What else might a girl possibly consider in life other than birthing babies? Beyond the marketing genius of Mattel, the story revealed the truth of how women are still coopted to be what others expect of them.
My heart felt resonance with the Ken world who also have been socialized to be the macho, hero-in-charge males. Sadness for both sides of the coin.
What I came away with from both movies is that it is time for each of us to take an in-depth look at who we think we are. Decision time to find the truth of the heart to carefully choose how the world sees us in our own terms as men and women of all flavors who are equally valid and capable of creating a world that is fair and just and beautiful for everybody.
