Barbie banned in Kuwait and Lebanon for ‘promoting homosexuality’; Deets inside

After Vietnam, two more countries moved the motion of banning Barbie. A week ahead of the film’s release in Middle Eastern countries, Kuwait and Lebanon announced to ban the movies. Both states have put forth their set of grounds for banning the screening of the movie in the theatres. While the news is not being looked at with fair eyes around the world, the move persists in the nations. The Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling starrer has been called ‘man-hating’ by multiple critics. However, the grounds for this recent ban are inversely different this time. 

Kuwait bans Barbie movie

With Barbie touching the USD 1 billion mark this week, the movie was to open in the middle eastern market on August 10, 2023. However, before it could hit the multiple cities of the countries, Kuwait’s authorities were quick to announce that the film would not be screening within their borders. The culture minister Mohammad Mortada said on the matter that Barbie “promotes homosexuality” and “contradicts values of faith and morality,” by diminishing the importance of the family unit. On the other side, the movie will open this week in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. 

This will continue to gross more numbers for the film. According to Reuters, the Kuwait authorities have asked overseas film censorship to review the film and give its recommendation. If the movie passes, there might be a chance that it debuts on the screens soon.

Lebanon tags Barbie for ‘promoting homosexuality

On the other side, Minister Mohammad Mortada of Lebanon came forward to declare the grounds for the movie’s ban. According to Reuters, the minister said the movie was found to “promote homosexuality and sexual transformation.” In addition, he also states that the film “contradicts values of faith and morality,” as it lessens the “importance of the family unit.” Warner Bros. is yet to comment on the matter of the ban. While the movie will not be screening in these two territories, it will be interesting to watch out how it performs in the other regions of the middle east. This space will be updated with all the latest happenings around the film’s release and collections. Thus, keep an eye on Pinkvilla for more. 

ALSO READ: Barbie: Is the film’s adult-oriented content appropriate for its young fanbase?