Barbie went to Space | Kate Perry

The Soft Life Debate: 11 Minutes in Space — Feminist Milestone or Billionaire Barbie Fantasy?

This week, the timeline lit up with glittering images of women—polished, poised, and defying gravity—as they soared into space for exactly 11 minutes on a private suborbital rocket. The internet clapped, brands posted pink star emojis, and girlboss captions flowed like champagne: "She needed space, so she went to the stratosphere."

But beneath the glamor and the zero-gravity slow-mo clips, a bigger question hovers:

Is this a true win for women’s empowerment—or just a soft-focus spectacle for the ultra-elite?

Let’s dive into the debate: symbolism vs substance, soft life vs systemic change.

PROS: The Power of Symbolism and Visibility

1. Breaking the Gravity Ceiling

Historically, women have been shut out of space exploration. Of the 600+ people who’ve gone to space, only about 12% have been women. Seeing female figures (especially women of color) in this arena isn’t nothing—it’s part of correcting a deeply exclusive legacy.

Even if it’s not a scientific mission, visibility matters. For a young girl watching from her living room, that image of a woman floating above Earth can seed a lifetime of ambition.

2. Redefining Luxury & Power

This moment adds new layers to what we define as “luxury” and “success.” It’s not just about wealth anymore—it’s about experiential supremacy. The idea that a woman could choose to float above the Earth, to momentarily escape gravity and gender roles, carries weight—even if only symbolically.

3. Soft Life as Liberation

For the Soft Life girlies, this moment represents ultimate detachment from the grind. It’s peak leisure, ultimate “main character” energy, and possibly a metaphor for what we all crave: distance from the chaos. When so much of womanhood is grounded in care work, compromise, and survival, floating above it all—even briefly—hits different.

CONS: Pink-Washed Space Tourism and Performative Feminism

1. Feminism for the Few

Let’s be honest: the average woman isn’t going to space. This isn’t about expanding access or shifting systemic power—it’s about exceptionalism. The kind of woman who gets invited onto that rocket is already exceptional by patriarchal, capitalist standards: wealthy, connected, camera-ready.

This isn’t a door being opened. It’s a high-altitude stage with velvet rope access.

2. 11 Minutes of Distraction

In the middle of global inequality, economic instability, and ongoing assaults on women's rights, this “historic moment” can feel like escapism disguised as empowerment. It’s giving Space Barbie, launched not to challenge systems—but to distract us from them.

The contrast is jarring: women are being stripped of bodily autonomy, banned from education in some countries, and fighting for pay equity—and here we are, celebrating a rich woman floating in a rocket for less time than a TED Talk.

3. The Privatization of Progress

This spaceflight wasn’t government-funded or mission-driven—it was private, profit-fueled, and brand-aligned. Billionaires aren’t advancing gender equity; they’re crafting compelling optics. Women are being used as symbols of diversity and inclusion, but the systems of access, opportunity, and economic mobility remain unchanged.

It’s not empowerment if it’s pay-to-play.

4. Barbie Escaping the Real World… and the Real Fight

In Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, our girl leaves Barbie Land to confront the messiness of the real world. It’s raw, it’s weird, it’s human. But in this case, the “women in space” storyline flips that on its head. They’re leaving the real world—not to challenge it, but to orbit above it, shielded from its consequences.

It’s a fantasy. A pretty one. But it’s not feminist if it doesn’t bring the rest of us with her.

What It All Means: Progress in the Age of Performance

This 11-minute flight isn’t inherently bad. In fact, it can be deeply inspiring. But we have to stop confusing visibility with victory.

Representation without redistribution is just marketing.
Access without equity is just spectacle.
And girl power without systemic change is just a pink smoke screen.

The Soft Life isn’t about glamor alone—it’s about sustainable freedom, joy, and agency. And that means we can celebrate the shine while demanding substance. We can love the image and question the system.

Because true elevation isn’t just going higher—it’s lifting others with you.

Talk to Me in the Comments:

• Is symbolic empowerment better than none?

• Would you float in space for 11 minutes?

• Do you see this as a flex, or just fluff?