1 Trillion Won Revenue 'Barbie' Promotes Homosexuality? Banned Screening in Lebanon

The Hollywood movie "Barbie," which has grossed 1 billion dollars (approximately 1.3 trillion won) worldwide, is not available for viewing in the Middle Eastern countries of Lebanon and Kuwait.

According to major foreign media, Mohammad Mortada, Lebanon's Minister of Culture, announced on the 9th (local time) that "'Barbie' promotes homosexuality and transgenderism and violates religious values, therefore its screening in cinemas is banned." Minister Mortada requested the security agency under the Ministry of Interior, which is responsible for censorship, to enforce the screening ban. He even demanded necessary measures such as deploying the Lebanese General Security to prevent the film's screening.

[Photo by EPA·Yonhap News]

Foreign media noted that the Lebanese government receives support from Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist militant group. Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, has urged Lebanese authorities to take action against things promoting homosexuality, claiming that homosexuality poses a danger to Lebanon.

Lebanon had a relatively inclusive culture toward sexual minorities, having hosted the first-ever "Gay Pride Week" among Arab countries in 2017. However, foreign media reported that while Lebanon had been considered a safe haven for the LGBTQ community in the conservative Middle East, LGBTQ gatherings were banned this year.

Lebanese non-profit organizations criticized Minister Mortada's measures as stemming from prejudice, stating that it was "the result of focused campaigns against sexual minorities by Hezbollah, Christian far-right groups, and other religious leaders."

Kuwait also banned the screening of "Barbie" on the grounds of protecting ethics and social traditions.

Additionally, in countries like Vietnam and the Philippines, the film was banned due to references to disputed territorial claims.

'Barbie' Main Cast Members
Photo by Yonhap News

"Barbie," which was released domestically on the 19th of last month, tells the story of Barbie (played by Margot Robbie), who lives in Barbieland where she can be anything she wants, discovering a portal rift connected to the real world, and embarking on an unexpected journey with Ken (played by Ryan Gosling) to resolve it.

Greta Gerwig, who is active as both an actress and director, directed the film, with Margot Robbie participating as producer and lead actress.

"Barbie" cleverly satirizes feminist realities and succeeded at the box office overseas. It earned 155 million dollars (approximately 199.7 billion won) during its opening weekend, setting the highest opening score in North America this year.

In its third week, it earned 53 million dollars (69.642 billion won) in the North American region and 74 million dollars (97.236 billion won) in other global markets. The total worldwide gross since its release has surpassed 1 billion dollars (1.3 trillion won).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.