Should MJ Lastimosa Be Cancelled For Her Opinion on 'Barbie'?

While largely loved by the general public, Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated Barbie movie has caused some division. Some have greeted Barbie’s pastel dreamland with open arms (despite having left the cinema with an existential crisis), while others simply could not get behind it. Beauty queen MJ Lastimosa was part of the latter and she didn’t shy away from expressing her dismay on social media. But as with any opinion on the Internet, hers was met with hostility which ironically proves a crucial point in the Barbie movie. So, what happened?

MJ Lastimosa didn’t enjoy Barbie

This Barbie is a deleter 🤩 hahbznsksjab pic.twitter.com/wKAmijPD62

— Issa V 💗💜💙 (@issaberds) July 25, 2023

“Sobrang waley ng Barbie movie, sayang 600 ko,” said Lastimosa in a now-deleted tweet, immortalized thanks to Twitter users who were quick to take screenshots.

“Okay naman some parts but in general mehhh parang school project film,” she replied to a comment that said they also heard negative reviews from those who’ve watched Barbie.

This sharp and no-holds-barred-review review (aside from the shocking P600 ticket) ruffled feathers online. For those who’ve watched Gerwig’s masterpiece and understood it as a campy, meta-humorous flick packed with thought-provoking philosophies, Lastimosa’s comments came across as combative, if not haughty. Many assumed that she simply missed the movie’s empowering message.

“She’s a privileged woman. So baka di nya gets yung pinagdadaanan ng mga normal na babae sa araw-araw,” read one comment.

“Pahiya siya eh! Di niya ata nakuha yung message nung film,” said another.

“Naloka ako sa comment nya hindi nakaka-beauty queen,” said yet another.

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MJ Lastimosa defends herself

Wait lang naman sobrang online bullying naman agad kayo. Nakakatakot naman mag ka opinion dito minumura nako ng iba sa ibang socmed ko only because I did not like a film? I liked Little Women and Lady Bird naman, why attack me if I say I didn’t find it as good. It’s just my

— MJ Lastimosa (@MJ_Lastimosa) July 25, 2023

With the way social media was coming at her, arms raised, Lastimosa had to address the issue. In a tweet that has already reached 2.7 million views, she clarified that Barbie‘s themes of feminism and women empowerment had nothing to do with her opinion.

“Wait lang naman sobrang online bullying naman agad kayo. Nakakatakot naman mag ka opinion dito minumura nako ng iba sa ibang socmed ko only because I did not like a film? I liked Little Women and Lady Bird naman, why attack me if I say I didn’t find it as good,” she tweeted.

Wala akong inapakang tao 🤦🏽‍♀️
Natatakot din akong itweet to kasi magagalit nanaman kayo kasi dapat in unison ang opinion naten dito or else bobo na agad kami? sorry na agad mga mare kalma na maxado na kayong galit ☺️

— MJ Lastimosa (@MJ_Lastimosa) July 25, 2023

“It’s just my opinion and it has nothing to do about the movie being feminist, which is the only part that I liked, especially the speech of America [Ferrera], parang dapat nga wala na si Will Ferrell dun. But it’s just me, you’re entitled to like and dislike a movie. It’s not that deep mare,” Lastimosa added.

The Internet has different takes on the matter

Even though Lastimosa explained her less-than-stellar Barbie review, folks on social media couldn’t resist taking jabs at her.

Some criticized the way she delivered her message: “It is your delivery, MJ. Using the phrases ‘sobrang waley’, ‘sayang 600’, and ‘school project’. If you did not like the movie, you could have said it in a better way. Remember, public figure ka at former Miss Universe candidate. Think through your tweets next time.”

Another Twitter user gently reprimanded the beauty queen: “Mare I love you so much and I think napaka eloquent mong tao kaya ang disappointing lang makita na nareduce to ‘waley’ and ‘parang high school project’ ang Barbie na movie because it’s far from that. Sure, you can dislike it naman or hate it even pero you can elaborate din why.”

Meanwhile, others strongly defended Lastimosa from her critics, saying she’s entitled to her opinions.

“MJ Lastimosa — you like what you like, you don’t owe us anything,” comforted one Twitter user.

“No. No need to explain MJ Lastimosa. It’s your own honest opinion. And people should get used to seeing public figures giving opinions on something that a normal people is experiencing. Don’t give us the feeling na, ‘we affected you as a person’. If ayaw mo, eh di ayaw mo!” said another.

Different tastes, different opinions

Who exactly is right here? Should the public be throwing stones at Lastimosa and ‘canceling’ her for her unpopular opinion on a well-loved movie?

At the risk of sounding preachy, here’s a short answer: No.

Lots of virtual fingers are being pointed at each other here and one can’t help but think this whole hullabaloo is helping prove Gerwig’s point in Barbie. One of the things that makes Barbie an excellent film is that it puts a spotlight on women and how society holds them to unrealistic standards.

That’s why America Ferrera’s monologue is a painful reminder of every woman’s struggle and of how far we have to go as a society. Instead of fostering an environment of care as in Barbieland and helping other women gain confidence, modern feminism in the real world is guilty of bringing women down. And Lastimosa’s case is a great example.

This tweet pretty much sums up the whole issue:

Is she entitled to disliking a movie? Sure, we have different tastes and different opinions. In fact, if she worded her review properly and pointed out the movie’s flaws, it would’ve opened the floor for a healthy discussion. But folks on social media didn’t have to go too far to curse her and call her dumb. If they actually watched Barbie, then they failed to realize its important lessons.

At the end of the day, Barbie remains a critically-acclaimed live-action movie (slash advertisement for Mattel, if we’re being honest). And if it makes us reflect on who we are as individuals and as a society, then we daresay Greta Gerwig’s work here is done.