What the Barbie movie tells us about workplace culture

The most memorable scene is when Barbie hurtles through a grim, gunmetal set of office cubicles. (Image: Getty)

Sat, 02 Sep 2023

By Julia HobsbawmOscar Wilde’s assumption that life imitates art might need a rethink. Right now, it looks like the other way around. Especially when it comes to work, popular culture is reflecting back what life is like.You might expect me to take this view as the author of a column called Working Assumptions. But take some of the more recent hit movies or bestselling books, and you’ll find that how we work is the subject or subtext of the story.Let’s start with Barbie, the summer’s blockbuster movie. By...

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