Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst slammed Hollywood for promoting Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda in the new Barbie movie trailer, which includes a scene showing a world map that appears to include China’s nine-dash line in the South China Sea.
The line marks China’s claim to much of the South China Sea, a claim Vietnam and other southeast Asian countries have disputed. Vietnam announced in early July that it would ban the film over the line’s inclusion, which has also provoked controversy in the Philippines.
Ernst says the film’s imagery is the latest example of Hollywood caving to the CCP.
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 31: U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) speaks during a news briefing after a weekly Republican policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on May 31, 2023 in Washington, DC. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said on Wednesday that senators should be prepared to vote on it quickly if the Biden-McCarthy debt ceiling bill passed by the House later today. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“Take a step back to see through the sparkle and the spin. It isn’t just a Barbie world when it proliferates China’s unlawful territorial claims in the South China Sea; this has an impact on global perception. Under the guise of pink, Hollywood continues their dangerous trend of appeasement toward the CCP – turning a blind eye to blatant human rights abuses, child slavery, and malign intentions,” Ernst told the Caller in an exclusive statement. (RELATED: Vietnam Bans ‘Barbie’ Movie Over Territorial Dispute With China)
SCREENSHOT OF THE MAP HERE:
(Rapid Trailer/Youtube/Screenshot)
“Unless Sweatshop Barbie makes an appearance in the film exposing these human rights abuses, this is hypocrisy at its finest,” Ernst added. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Joni Ernst Calls For Investigations Into ATF Bureaucrats Posing As Law Enforcement, Wasting Millions)
“Barbie,” which stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, hits theaters worldwide on July 21.