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Yes Really – These 11 Things Can Damage Your Brain

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Doctor, psychiatrist and author of Change Your Brain Every Day, Dr Daniel Amen, has shared 11 ways that we’re damaging our brain and minds daily — without even realising it.

Amen, who’s the go-to doctor for stars like Bella Hadid, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, opened up with his advice on how to protect our brains on Steven Bartlett’s Diary Of A CEO podcast, where he said that our brains are so important because it’s “the organ of intelligence, character and every single decision that you make.”

In the episode, he shares how, in one of his books, he prescribes the pneumonic ‘BRIGHT MINDS’ as a guide for keeping a healthy brain, with every letter representing a different step.

Here’s what he has to say about all things grey matter…

The first letter in ‘BRIGHT MINDS’ represents blood, he says: “The B is for blood flow. Low blood flow is the number one brain imaging predictor of Alzheimer’s disease. How do you get low blood flow? Caffeine, nicotine, marijuana, alcohol, having a sedentary lifestyle, and being overweight.”

He says that caffeine “constricts blood flow by 30%” and also increases the stress hormone cortisol, which isn’t great for long-term health either.

We can assume, then, to get the blood flowing would be to do the opposite of the things he listed — cutting out our thrice daily coffee habits (gah!!), not smoking, limiting alcohol and getting moving in whatever way makes you feel good.

“R is retirement and ageing. You want to prematurely age your brain? Drop out of school. Do not engage in new learning. When you learn something new, your brain makes a new connection. When you stop learning, or you start doing the same thing over and over again, your brain starts to disconnect itself. Being in a job that does not require new learning is a risk factor for dementia,” Dr Amen explains.

Research shows that older adults can still learn new languages, form new memories and pick up new skills, and it’s beneficial to never stop learning as we age.

The I stands for — you guessed it — inflammation. The wellness world has been coming down like a ton of bricks on all things inflammation in the past few years, and Dr Amen says reducing it can really help protect the ol’ noggin.

“If you want to prematurely age your brain, eat a lot of red meat as if your iron and ferritin levels are high. Because ferritin, which is stored iron tends to age the brain,” he says.

“If you want to increase inflammation, which is a root cause of so many medical and mental health issues, never floss, don’t care about your teeth.”

He says there’s a fascinating link between your dental hygiene and your brain: “It’s absolutely critical for you not to have gum disease, but if you have gingivitis, odds are you’re at increased risk for heart disease and depression and dementia. It’s fascinating.”

Next up: genetics. Something that Dr Amen says a lot of health issues are blamed on when lifestyle changes can switch things upon. He says: “I have obesity and heart disease in my family, but I’m not overweight and I don’t have heart disease. Why? I’m on an obesity and heart disease prevention programme every day of my life. Because genes load the gun, it’s what happens to us and what we choose to do that pulls the trigger.”

H stands for head trauma. While it’s important to look after our brain through what we eat and how we exercise, physically looking after it is vital, too. He sarcastically says, “You want to damage your brain? Play football, play soccer, play rugby, and box.” We can guess then that he would rather we didn’t do all of those things…

He goes on to say that toxins in our personal care products and should be avoided.

According to a piece published in the National Institutes of Health, phthalates, parabens, PFAS, and triclosan, found in popular personal care products, are endocrine disruptors, which mimic or interfere with the body’s hormones and have been linked to problems with the brain, as well as development, and reproduction.

Embrace positivity for a healthy brain, he says: “M is mental health. Negativity increases stress, plus negativity drops activity in your cerebellum.”

“The second I is immunity and infections,” he explained. “Low vitamin D, which occurs in about 60% of the population, is associated virtually with every bad thing, including a smaller brain.

The UK government actually recommends that everyone in the UK should take a 10 microgram vitamin D supplement a day due to how we get absolutely no good weather, ever.

According to Dr Amen neurohormones are incredibly “important”. Some hormonal balances, such as too much cortisol, can actually alter brain function, impairing memory and causing brain fog.

D is for what Dr Amen refers to as ‘diabesity’ — a combination of diabetes and obesity — as research has shown being overweight or obese, especially in midlife, is associated with dementia later in life.

Finally, S is for sleep. Without sleep, we can’t form or maintain the pathways in our brain that let us learn and create new memories, and it’s harder to concentrate and respond quickly during the day, too.

So…. cut out coffee and smoking, get an early night, keep learning, embrace positivity, brush and floss and move your body?

Sounds like a tall order, but if we want to keep our marbles as we get older, maybe not so bad after all!

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Here’s What Venus In Retrograde Means For Your Love Life

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What happens when the planet that rules all things love and beauty goes retrograde? And while we’re at it, what actually even is a retrograde?

You’ve most likely heard about Mercury retrograde — it’s when Mercury appears from Earth to rotate backwards and seems to send all things communication and technology into a tailspin.

Car broken down? Mercury retrograde. Sent a sext to your grandad by mistake? Mercury retrograde.

But did you know all the other planets of the solar system can go retrograde, too? And Venus’s turn is set to take place from July 22 to September 3rd.

What does Venus retrograde mean?

In astrology, the planet of Venus represents all things beautiful — art, good food, beauty, attraction and love. The Roman goddess of Venus was the human embodiment of all these things, encompassing love, beauty, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity, and victory.

We can assume, then, that this Venus retrograde will have something to do with some of those areas, and we wouldn’t be wrong, as TikTok astrologer Liv confirms in a video all about the upcoming astrological event.

“We may be able to observe relationships falling apart, more people breaking up during this time period,” she shares. “And you may notice that former lovers, even old friends or distant relatives start to bubble to the surface, too, and try to reconnect.”

This could be a time of letting go of past flames and situationships that aren’t serving you and allowing you to thrive. And a new love story could be on the horizon for some of us.

Those whose sun or rising signs are ruled by Venus — looking at you, Libra and Taurus! — should especially watch out this retrograde, as the effects will be amplified.

The dos and do nots of Venus retrograde

TikToker Divine Raven Tarot shared more about the effects on our relationships, plus her ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ in a video: “You don’t want to make any impulsive decisions when it comes to your finances, as well as career.

“Venus does rule over relationships and love, platonic love, but it also rules over finances. So be very careful when it comes to spending,” she shared.

She also says that, as tempting as it might be with the chaotic energy going on, don’t hand in your notice at work. “Once Venus goes direct again, you might end up regretting that,” she explains.

And for those of you who love cutting and dying your own hair during times of crisis, put down the box dye and scissors. She says that it’s important not to be impulsive around your appearance, too, as you’ll likely end up regretting it after September 3rd.

So what to do? Look after yourself: “You should focus on healing during this time. Any retrograde has a lot of lessons to learn when it comes to healing and finding closure from the past,” says the creator behind the Divine Raven Tarot account.

“Do focus on self-love and boundaries during this time. People are gonna be acting crazy. It’s not selfish to set boundaries and prioritise your own peace during this time.

“And lastly, do pay attention to the themes that are presented to you in your life because it can tell you a lot about what’s keeping you stagnant and how to overcome it as well.”

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Labour Blame Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ Scheme For Failing To Win Boris Johnson’s Old Seat

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The Labour mayor of London’s decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to cover the whole of the capital dominated the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election.

Speaking shortly after the result was announced, shadow justice secretary Steve Reed suggested Khan should consider ditching the ULEZ expansion – which is due to kick in next month – in light of the result.

He told the PA news agency: “I think the winning Conservative candidate just said it, didn’t he? He said that if it wasn’t for ULEZ, he believes Labour would have won this by-election.

“Clearly, it did resonate with a lot of people. They didn’t like the fact that ULEZ was going to cost people more to drive around at a time when there’s a cost-of-living crisis going on. That’s exactly what [Labour candidate] Danny Beales was saying all the way through the campaign.

“But I think when the voters speak, any party that seeks to govern has to listen. So that’s what Labour will be doing after this.”

A Labour source told HuffPost UK: “If Uxbridge helps us junk more crap then good.”

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Johnny Mercer Slammed Over ‘Inbetweeners’ Jibe At New Labour MP

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Johnny Mercer has been criticised after launching an extraordinary attack on Labour’s newest MP.

The Tory minister compared Keir Mather to a character from hit comedy The Inbetweeners after his stunning victory in Selby and Ainsty.

He also suggested MPs should have raised a family before standing for parliament.

Mather, who is 25, overturned a 20,000 Tory majority in the seat to pull off the historic win.

But on Sky News afterwards, Mercer suggested the new MP was too inexperienced to be in parliament.

He also accused Mather of robotically “parroting” Labour lines because he does not have enough life experience.

He said: “I think it’s always good to get new people in politics. I think we mustn’t become a repeat of the Inbetweeners. You’ve got to have people who have actually done stuff.

“This guy has been at Oxford University more than he’s been in a job. You put a chip in him there and he just repeats Labour lines.

“The problem is people have had enough of that, right? They want people who are authentic, people who have worked in that constituency, who understand what life is like – to live, work and raise a family in communities like there’s.

“I’m afraid I don’t agree with this style of politics. It’s exactly why people like me couldn’t vote in the 2015 election, because you’ve got people with nothing to do with the constituency just dropped in, put a chip in them and they’ll start parroting Labour Party politics.”

Keir Mather celebrates winning with 16,456 votes the Selby and Ainsty by-election.
Keir Mather celebrates winning with 16,456 votes the Selby and Ainsty by-election.

Ian Forsyth via Getty Images

A Labour source told HuffPost UK: “Johnny Mercer’s response to a young gay man being elected was to make fun of his appearance and criticise him for not having raised a family. The true face of the Tory Party.”

Asked about his relative inexperience on Sky News, Mather said: “I don’t think people mind a candidate with a bit of energy and determination.

I’m a taxpayer too, I feel the pressures as much as anybody else. I grew up in a rural village, very similar to the ones across Selby and Ainsty, so I do also know what it’s like to struggle to get that GP appointment.

“People are really struggling and I really get those experiences because I’ve lived them myself.”

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Major Boost For Rishi Sunak As Tories See Off Labour Challenge In Uxbridge

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The Conservatives have narrowly beaten Labour to retain Boris Johnson’s former seat following a bitter by-election campaign.

In a major blow for Keir Starmer, Steve Tuckwell beat Tory candidate Danny Beales by just 495 votes to become the new MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

The by-election was called following Johnson’s dramatic resignation last month after he was found guilty by the privileges committee of repeatedly lying to parliament over partygate.

The former prime minister retained the seat with a majority of 7,210 at the 2019 election.

Tuckwell received 13,965 votes to Beales’s 13,470 to claim the constituency for the Tories once again.

The Conservatives effectively turned the by-election into a referendum on Labour mayor Sadiq Khan’s decision to expand London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) across the whole of the city from next month.

The result of a huge boost for Rishi Sunak, who had been braced for the Tories to lose the seat, given the unpopularity of the government and Labour’s commanding lead in the national polls.

A Labour spokesperson said: “This was always going to be a difficult battle in a seat that has never had a Labour MP and we didn’t even win in 1997. We know that the Conservatives crashing the economy has hit working people hard, so it’s unsurprising that the ULEZ expansion was a concern for voters here in a by-election.”

Elsewhere, Labour have won the Selby and Ainsty by-election after toppling one of the safest Tory seats in the country.

And in the third by-election of the night, the Lib Dems pulled off a stunning victory in a previously safe Tory seat of Somerton and Frome.

Despite the Conservatives avoiding a three-nil defeat, the swing in the vote went away from the Tories in every seat.

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Trump’s Plan To Expand Presidential Powers Faces Republican Resistance

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WASHINGTON ― Donald Trump’s sweeping plans to remake the presidency ― and give himself more power than ever if he is elected to the White House again ― have met with a chilly reception from members of his own party in Congress.

The former president and his allies are vowing to bring independent federal agencies like the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission under direct presidential control, revive the practice of “impounding” funds appropriated by Congress, and strip employment protections for thousands of civil servants in the executive branch, ostensibly to replace them with Trump’s own chosen political appointees.

The proposals, outlined in a New York Times story earlier this week, stem from years of Trump’s grievances about the so-called “deep state”, the media, and Congress itself standing in the way of his autocratic tendencies. They hinge on a thesis, long popular on the right, called “unitary executive theory”, a model where the president has sole power over the entire executive branch of government, including independent agencies and even federal prosecutors ― like, say, the ones investigating the president himself.

Republican Senator JD Vance, who has already endorsed Trump’s bid for a second term, said Trump’s power grab would be necessary to rein in the power of bureaucrats and agency officials. He called Trump’s plan to give the presidency even more power “necessary to have a constitutional republic”.

“To have true separation of powers, the president has to have the prerogative over the administration of laws,” Vance told HuffPost. “If you have all these alphabet soup agencies where the bureaucrats can’t be fired and aren’t under control of the president, you’ve effectively created a fourth branch of government totally unaccountable to the people. That’s a real problem.”

“What we’re trying to do is identify the pockets of independence and seize them,” Russ Vought, Trump’s former director of the Office of Management and Budget and a leading proponent of the power grab, told the Times.

There is some debate on the left about how seriously to treat the scheme, and whether it’s just campaign fodder that likely wouldn’t become law. For now, it is clear Democrats in Congress would unanimously oppose the plans, with at least some Senate Republicans prepared to join them. An expansion of presidential power would ultimately come at a steep cost to members of Congress, who prize their ability to oversee industries and appropriate funds.

Top Republican appropriators also voiced their opposition to the idea of reviving the president’s impoundment authority. Congress in 1974 passed a law banning the tactic after a fight with President Richard Nixon, who withheld $40 billion in funding that Congress had passed during in his first term in office. Reviving the practice would require another act of Congress.

“The Constitution is very clear about the role of Congress and the power of the purse, so I would not do so,” Senator Susan Collins, the top Republican on the Senate appropriations committee, told HuffPost.

“I don’t think I agree” with the plans of the Trump team, Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito, who also serves on the committee, said. “I want to have the independence of an appropriator.”

Republicans who serve on the Senate commerce committee were similarly wary of ways Trump could infringe on their power.

“I think those are independent agencies designed to be that way for obvious reasons, so I’m not sure what that accomplishes,” Senator John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, told HuffPost, when asked if he would support bringing the FTC and FCC under presidential control.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz ― chair of the commerce committee, which oversees the two agencies ― didn’t endorse the plan, either. He instead shifted to bashing FTC Chair Lina Khan, a top target of Republicans due to her aggressive strategy in taking on big tech companies.

“I will say Lina Khan’s abuse of power of the FTC is going to add considerable momentum to congressional efforts to rein in out-of-control, supposedly independent agencies,” Cruz said.

Republican Senator Roger Wicker, who also serves on the commerce committee, said he “would have to look very, very carefully” at any proposal to bring the agencies under executive control. He expressed his desire to see the FTC and FCC act in a nonpartisan manner.

According to the Times, Trump’s allies are drafting an executive order that would require independent agencies to submit actions to the White House for review. The move, if enacted under a second Trump presidency, would likely face a legal challenge.

“I think it’s very important for us to remember that he can’t just wave a wand and invalidate the statutory structure for these expert agencies,” Democrat Senator Brian Schatz said of the twice-impeached former president. “It doesn’t matter what he thinks. The law is the law. If he wants to change the structure of the agency, then he’s going to have to ask someone to introduce a bill.”

Schatz said that if Trump wants to change the structure of federal agencies, he should do so by appointing commissioners who agree with him.

“It’s exciting to think of the new ways that Mr Trump would do damage, and it’s always worth worrying about, but the truth is there are statutes in place and he’s going to have to abide by them,” Schatz said.

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Marjorie Taylor Greene Shows Photos Of Naked Hunter Biden At IRS Whistleblower Hearing

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WASHINGTON — A pair of career IRS agents told the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday that the Justice Department stifled their investigation into tax crimes by the son of US president Joe Biden and pursued weaker charges than they had recommended.

But some Republicans did not want to delve into the whistleblower allegations, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who used her question time during the hearing to display what appeared to be naked pictures of Hunter Biden obtained from his laptop.

“What’s even more troubling to me is that the Department of Justice has brought no charges against Hunter Biden that will vindicate the rights of these women,” Greene said, holding up pictures that appeared to show the president’s son making sex tapes with women whom Greene claimed were sex workers.

“Should we be displaying this, Mr. Chairman?” the committee’s top Democrat Representative Jamie Raskin asked committee Republican chair James Comer, who did not answer.

Naked pictures of Hunter Biden are exactly the sort of sordid material that Comer once said he considered “very counter to a credible investigation”.

Comer had called the hearing to hear from IRS whistleblowers who have claimed the Justice Department prevented them from taking investigatory steps they thought were warranted to bring charges against the president’s son.

The younger Biden has been open about his addictions to drugs and alcohol spiralling out of control following his brother’s death in 2015. He made questionable business deals with foreign nationals that earned him millions and created an appearance of conflict of interest because of his father’s government service. He’s due in court next week on misdemeanour charges relating to his alleged failure to pay tax on income he earned in 2017 and 2018.

The IRS whistleblowers said they recommended he be charged with felonies, but their recommendations were rebuffed by Justice Department officials in an unusual manner. And they said the federal prosecutor overseeing the case, US Attorney David Weiss, a holdover from the Donald Trump administration, told them he couldn’t bring charges outside of Delaware. Weiss and US Attorney General Merrick Garland have insisted Weiss had complete authority to bring charges however he wanted.

The hearing did not resolve the contradiction between the IRS agents’ previous allegations and the denials from the Justice Department. In their public testimony, the agents essentially repeated what they’d already told lawmakers in a private deposition.

“It appeared to me, based on what I experienced, that the US attorney in Delaware, in our investigation, was constantly hamstrung, limited and marginalised by DOJ officials as well as other US attorneys,” IRS special agent Joseph Ziegler told the House Oversight Committee.

The other whistleblower, Gary Shapley, a supervisory agent in the IRS criminal division, said he didn’t know if Garland had deliberately lied.

“I have never claimed to have evidence that Attorney General Garland knowingly lied to Congress,” Shapley said.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said Republicans would move to impeach Garland if the whistleblower testimony proves true. “We need to get to the facts, and that includes reconciling these clear disparities,” McCarthy said in June.

The allegation that the Justice Department went easy on a member of the president’s family has become a centrepiece of an overarching Republican message that there’s a two-tier justice system persecuting Trump and his supporters and protecting the Bidens. The former president has been indicted on federal charges related to retaining classified public documents and he could face additional charges for his efforts to undo the 2020 election.

Democrats suggested the discrepancy between statements from the Justice Department and the whistleblowers reflected their frustration with the common phenomenon of prosecutors not following through on investigators’ recommendations.

“I think you have a tough view on what you think the law should be. This is why we have a prosecutorial system,” Democrat Representative Ro Khanna said. “It turns out, often your recommendations on who should be charged differ from some of the other folks, and that’s what happened in this case.”

Shapley testified that such disagreements occur in “the vast majority” of cases but insisted the Hunter Biden case was different from any other he’d worked on.

Raskin said it appeared Hunter Biden had not received any favouritism.

“The fact that Hunter Biden faced a four-year criminal probe involving dozens of agents and prosecutors from the IRS, the FBI, the US attorney’s office in Delaware,” Raskin said, “demonstrates in my mind at least that he received no special treatment, but arguably tougher treatment than the millions of people who never faced criminal investigation for doing the same thing.”

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Grant Shapps Mocked For ‘Invoicing’ Labour For Damage Caused By Just Stop Oil

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Grant Shapps has faced ridicule for “invoicing” the Labour Party for damage caused to a government department building by activists Just Stop Oil.

Two campaigners from the climate group have admitted spraying orange paint onto the department for energy security and net zero’s headquarters in Westminster on Wednesday after it issued more than 100 new oil and gas licences in the UK.

In a letter to Labour leader Keir Starmer, Shapps, who runs the department as energy security and net zero secretary, made a spurious link between the opposition party and Just Stop Oil.

It’s based on Dale Vince, the green energy entrepreneur, donating money to Just Stop Oil and some Labour politicians, including leader Starmer.

But that’s not the same as Just Stop Oil funding the Labour Party. Yet, Shapps claims Labour are the “political wing” of Just Stop Oil.

It’s a familiar attack line from the Conservatives – and one that fell apart under light scrutiny on BBC Question Time.

By that principle, the Conservatives would be responsible for any of its donors’ actions – which could be eye-wateringly expensive.

In his letter, Shapps said: “I am writing to you to ask you to pay to repair the damage to the department. The British public should not have to foot the bill for your mates in Just Stop Oil.”

Shapps claimed the damages are worth £3,000 to £4,000, adding: “We will send you the invoice.”

Just Stop Oil activists last Friday disrupted the opening night of the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall after running on to the stage, setting off confetti cannon and sounding air horns.

On the same night, three activists interrupted the start of the live Channel 4 comedy show, The Last Leg.

Protesters have also disrupted sporting events across Britain this year, including the Ashes and Wimbledon, as well as other events such as the Chelsea Flower Show.

No-one on Twitter seemed especially persuaded by the Shapps “stunt”.

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1 In 61 Pregnant Women Say Their Boss Insinuated They Should Have An Abortion

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Shocking new research from the campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed has revealed that 1 in every 61 pregnant workers says their boss has insinuated they should terminate their pregnancy for the sake of their career.

Pregnant Then Screwed, who campaign for the rights of parents and against sex discrimination, surveyed over 24,000 parents to uncover the discrimination that women face in the workplace when they become mothers.

The data shows that over half of all mothers (52%) have faced some form of discrimination when pregnant, on maternity leave, or when they returned to work.

One woman involved in the study, Connie*, told her boss about her pregnancy at eight weeks and was told, “It would be easier for your future career if you just brought a coat hanger”. Three colleagues went on to tell Connie that she had ruined her career and should have had an abortion.

For some women, the consequences of having children can have life-changing consequences on their career, with one in five mothers (19%) making the decision to leave their employer due to a negative experience.

Additionally, one in 10 women (10%) revealed they were bullied or harassed when pregnant or returning to work, and 7% of women lost their job — through redundancy, sacking, or feeling forced to leave due to a flexible working request being declined or due to health and safety issues.

If scaled up, this could mean as many as 41,752 pregnant women or mothers are sacked or made redundant every year.

“These stats show how far we have to go before mothers are truly accepted as equal members of the workplace,” says Joeli Brearley, CEO and founder of Pregnant Then Screwed.

“We know that women are treated differently from the point they get pregnant. They are viewed as distracted and less committed to their work, despite there being no change to their performance. This bias plays out in numerous ways, affecting women’s earnings and career potential. There is absolutely no excuse for bosses, who hold the power, to tell their employees to abort a pregnancy. It is sex discrimination and it is inhumane.”

Portrait of a stressed woman tries to work from home with baby in arms

Abraham Gonzalez Fernandez via Getty Images

Portrait of a stressed woman tries to work from home with baby in arms

The discrimination that women face doesn’t always come from their boss; in fact, 73% of women shared that a colleague made hurtful comments about their pregnancy or maternity leave, and 74% of women said that a colleague insinuated that their performance had dipped due to pregnancy or maternity leave. Some women even experience criticism based on the way they look when they are pregnant – with 64% saying their boss or a colleague had made inappropriate comments about their looks.

“The fact that the majority of pregnant women have experienced inappropriate and degrading comments from a colleague or their boss about the way they look is shameful,” says Brearley.

“Why as a society do we accept women being a target for such abuse? These hurtful comments chip away at women’s confidence, ambition and feeling of belonging,” she says.

“Pregnant women are made to feel like an unsightly burden, no wonder a high proportion of women report feeling depressed or anxious when pregnant and one in five women leave their employer after becoming pregnant.’’

The study’s data and the shocking stories shared by pregnant women in workplaces around the UK highlight the worrying and pervasive attitudes towards women in society — even in a supposedly equal one like the UK.

It isn’t just about having children; women are being treated differently for decisions relating to their reproductive health, too. An especially worrying trend in our post-Roe v Wade world, which is seeing our rights rolled back across the globe.

For instance, a third of women (31.58%) who told their employer about having an abortion felt that they experienced discrimination or were unfairly treated as a result. And the majority of women (57.6%) didn’t even tell their employer they had an abortion, presumably for fear of being judged negatively.

Women being bullied out of the workplace for being pregnant, or choosing not to be, is just one more example of the ways women’s freedoms are being infringed upon, and shows that, in the end, the patriarchy doesn’t want us to win.

It’s something we should all vehemently stand against, together.

If you or anyone you know has experienced discrimination in the workplace, please call the Pregnant Then Screwed helpline on Tel: 0161 2229879

*Name changed to protect anonymity

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We Can Finally Answer The Question Everyone’s Asking – Does The Barbie Movie Live Up To The Hype?

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If you’ve watched TV, gone online or even just ventured outside your home lately, it can’t have escaped your attention that Greta Gerwig’s long-awaited Barbie film is finally almost here.

The hype has been building ever since we caught our first glimpse of Margot Robbie in character as the iconic doll, but things ramped up when the first meme-ready trailer dropped in the spring, followed by a marketing campaign that dominated social media.

After that came the star-studded soundtrack, a seemingly-never-ending line of tie-in merchandise and a glittering press tour that has made Margot and Ryan Gosling pretty much unavoidable for the last few weeks (until, of course, the whole thing was brought to an abrupt halt by that whole SAG-AFTRA strike debacle).

As a result, the film has undoubtedly become the most talked-about of 2023, and while we’re happy to hold up our hands and say we’ve been as swept up in the pink tornado as much as anyone… it’s also been hard to ignore that tiny voice in the back of our heads that just kept on questioning: “Can the Barbie film – or, indeed, any film – actually live up to all this hype?”.

Well, we’re pleased to report that it can. Not only is Barbie an effective dose of candy-coloured escapism, and one of the funniest new comedies to come out in recent history, it’s also genuinely thought-provoking and, at times, quite devastating. What a relief.

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as seen on the poster for Barbie
Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as seen on the poster for Barbie

Warner Bros

In case you’re one of those who hasn’t spent the last three months watching the Barbie trailer at least once a day (we can’t be the only ones, right?), the film centres around the titular doll, played by Margot, who spends her days in Barbie Land hanging out with her Barbie pals, having Barbie dance parties and generally living her best Barbie life. Until she’s not.

From nowhere, things quickly start to unravel in her life. Her unnaturally-arched Barbie feet suddenly hit the floor, her perfect routine is thrown out of whack and, oh yeah, she starts to be consumed by thoughts of impending death. Fun!

Guided by the oracle “Weird Barbie” (and accompanied, begrudgingly, by her always-eager right-hand man Ken), Margot’s character ventures to the “Real World” to help set things right, where she discovers she and her Barbie pals haven’t quite impacted society for the better in the way they’d hoped.

It also turns out to be an eye-opening experience for Ken, who – after a lifetime in Barbie’s shadow – begins to flourish in his new surroundings, with genuinely unsettling results.

Ryan Gosling in character as Ken
Ryan Gosling in character as Ken

Warner Bros./Jaap Buitendijk

This is just one of the areas the Barbie movie managed to surprise us. Our biggest worry heading into the film was that a lot of the plot may have already been given away in the trailer. While admittedly much of the first act plays out like an extended version of the teaser, with a few clever gags added in , there were still plenty of satisfying twists ahead – particularly involving Ryan’s Ken and Rhea Perlman’s mysterious character – that we’re happy were kept under wraps until now.

It’s hard to play favourites among the cast, but we have to shout out Margot for her stand-out performance, helping us root for a character who could so easily have become one-dimensional or even irritating in the wrong hands.

Much has been made of Ryan’s performance as Ken, and he deserves it, taking the character to places we truly didn’t expect, and supporting players Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera and Will Ferrell all deserved to be singled out for praise, too.

But it has to be said, the true star of the show is Greta Gerwig, who directed and co-wrote Barbie. The three-time Oscar nominee created a film that’s visually stunning and so jam-packed with fun details and Easter eggs that the only way to spot them all would be through repeated viewing.

She’s also gifted film fans with a script that manages to be both laugh-out-loud silly and heart-breaking – often within the same scene – and it’s pretty much guaranteed to be a quote-along sleepover go-to for Generation Alpha, akin to Clueless, Mean Girls and Easy A before it.

Ken and Barbie prepare to take a journey to the "Real World"
Ken and Barbie prepare to take a journey to the “Real World”

Warner Bros

The filmmaker mostly manages to toe the line between irreverence and outright disrespect, sending up Barbie and pointing out its critiques without turning the whole thing into a hatchet job. She also makes it clear that there’s room for all viewpoints on the brand – love, hate, apathy – in her Barbie Land.

Of course, a Mattel-endorsed Barbie movie is still a Mattel-endorsed Barbie movie, and even the teenager who at one point brands the character a “fascist” who’s responsible for “setting the feminist movement back 50 years”, glorifying capitalism and “destroying the planet” is won over by her in the end.

Still, to anyone nervous about Barbie living up to expectations, take a sigh of relief, gather up your Barbie pals and get ready for some big laughs. Life in plastic, we’re relieved to say, is every bit as fantastic as Aqua promised all those years ago.

Barbie is in cinemas from 21 July. Watch the trailer below:

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