“In the week following Barbie‘s release, there were increases in online searches for terms referring to gynecologists … and gynecologist definition,” a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association said.
There was a 154.1% increase in searches for the term “gynecologist definition.”
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Other than Barbie’s release, there were no major events that had led to widespread changes in search interest in gynecology.
“We were surprised to find that there was a measurable effect of a single joke in a two-hour long comedy movie,” study author Christopher Worsham, a critical care physician at Mass General Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School, told PsyPost.
The movie may have sparked more interest in learning more about gynecological care, but the study said “searches for information about gynecologists did not translate to searches for new gynecologic care.
“When we did some research into the film, we read that one of director Greta Gerwig’s goals with the final line of the movie was to make it clear that gynecological care is normal and so it was fun that we were able to find concrete evidence that it was effective in some way.” Worsham said.
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As Gerwig has said, the line was a way to normalize gynecological care for young women.
“Growing up and being embarrassed about my body and just feeling ashamed in a way that I couldn’t even describe, it felt like everything had to be hidden.” Gerwig said.
“And then to see Margot as Barbie, with this big old smile on her face saying what she says at the end with such happiness and joy — I was like if I can give girls that feeling of, ‘Barbie does it, too,’ that’s both funny and emotional.”
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