Barbie-mania captured American viewers last year in more ways than just wearing pink. The final scene in the ‘Barbie’ movie led to an increase in online searches for gynecologists, a new study has found.
Pop culture has always significantly influenced public awareness and behaviors when it comes to health, and it seems the Barbie movie was no different.
Released in July 2023, the movie was a pop culture phenomenon, selling 12.8 million tickets during its debut weekend and becoming one of the highest-grossing films ever. Its final scene, in which Barbie is shown telling a receptionist that she’s ready to see her gynecologist, had a measurable impact on public interest in female health, according to new research.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that there was a large increase in online searches for “gynecologists” and “gynecologist definition” in the week following the movie’s release.
This is far from the first time pop culture has influenced health behaviors among the general public: Katie Couric’s live-streamed colonoscopy was associated with a transient 21% increase in colonoscopies, Angelina Jolie’s essay about her experience with breast cancer led to a transient 64% increase in genetic testing, and a 29% increase in suicide rates was observed in the months following the controversial season finale of 13 Reasons Why.
Researchers therefore set out to determine whether Barbie had a similar impact. They conducted the cross-sectional study by analyzing online search trends in the United States following the film's release, focusing on a list of 34 queries related to understanding or seeking gynecologic care, women’s health care, or medical care more broadly.
The authors noted that other than the movie’s release, there were no major events during this period that may have led to widespread changes in search interest in gynecology. And no changes in search volumes for broader health queries (such as for general doctors’ appointments) were observed, supporting the assumption that the increase in searches was in fact influenced by Barbie.
But while searches for “gynecologists” and “gynecologist definition” did increase during this time, no changes were observed when it came to searches for actual gynecologist appointments.
However, the authors said changes in actual behavior may not be adequately captured by search trends. And changes in awareness may not immediately lead to behavior changes, though they potentially could over time. Additionally, those searching for information about gynecologists may not themselves require gynecologic care, or perhaps not at that exact moment.
So while it remains unclear whether these findings lead to improved measurable health outcomes, it seems the film did at least result in newfound interest and awareness.
“Our results suggest that Barbie’s closing line may have spurred interest in gynecology,” the authors wrote, “further suggesting the potential influence of popular films on health literacy and awareness.”
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