'Barbie' Viewer Lashes Out at Women Playing 'Fart Sounds' During Film—Video

Comedian Blaire Erskine has complained that her Barbie viewing experience was tainted by women sitting in front of her who constantly played "fart noises" in the movie theater during the screening.

The hit comedy, which stars Margot Robbie in the titular role, opposite Ryan Gosling as Ken, was released on July 21 to much fanfare. Bringing Mattel's enduringly popular doll to life, the Greta Gerwig-directed movie earned $162 million domestically, and more than $356 million internationally, on its opening weekend.

Barbie's success has seen it leap into the top 10 of highest-grossing movies of 2023, and handed Greta Gerwig the crown of having the best opening weekend for a film with a female director.

Erskine, who is a staff writer on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, revealed in a series of Twitter posts that she was among the moviegoers who went to watch the film on Monday. However, her experience, she said, left a lot to be desired.

In her initial post on the matter, Erskine stated on Tuesday that she "finally went to see Barbie last night and the girls in front of me did this the whole movie."

The accompanying footage showed a darkened theater with audience members laughing along with the movie as it played out on the big screen. The sound of laughter was then punctuated with a blast of seemingly strained flatulence.

Capturing the source of the aural intrusion, Erskine's camera zoomed in slightly on a phone screen held by one of the theater patrons seated in front of her. It showed a video bearing the title "Fart Sounds—Over 1,000 Farts."

After one such gaseous expulsion was played, the person in question appeared to quickly obscure the phone from view, before the clip ended.

The bizarre video, which has been viewed more than 9 million times, sparked a strong reaction among Twitter users, many of whom had follow-up questions.

In a series of tweets, Erskine shared more information about her experience, which she said took place at a movie theater in Georgia.

"I should have clarified that the girls were in fact grown women!" Erskine explained, adding that she "did laugh the first couple of times! I'm not a monster! But I couldn't CRY during the big MONOLOGUE because all I heard! was! 1000! farts!"

"I just wanted to cry in the dark at the movies is that too much to ask," Erskine added in a separate tweet.

The writer further clarified that she "did ask them to stop" playing the sounds, before quipping that she found it "cute that you guys think it's possible to talk sense into grown a** women playing fart sounds."

She also said that the option of getting a manager to deal with the situation would have involved her calling on the aid of "a nineteen year old guy named Logan," and also would have led to her "missing even more of the movie."

When one Twitter user told Erskine that they found the antics of women "hilarious and adorable," the comedian responded that it was "neither of these things."

While a number of the responses were comedic and lighthearted in nature, Erskine had a prickly exchange with alternative health advocate Erin Elizabeth.

In response to Erskine's clip, Elizabeth joined the chorus of Barbie critics, when she tweeted: "Reason number 5982 why my audience and I don't want to see the Barbie movie."

"Erin you're the last b**** on earth I want to agree with me," Erskine clapped back. "You're dumb and no one likes you girlie go get vaccinated."

When other Twitter users criticized Erskine for the language she used, the comedian responded by saying that "Erin's entire brand is being viciously polarizing and mean."

In turn, Elizabeth shared a poll with her Twitter followers, in which she encouraged them to share their thoughts on Erskine's response to her.

Newsweek has contacted a representative of Erskine via email for further comment.

While Barbie has proved popular with audiences, some have spoken out against the movie's themes, including journalist Piers Morgan and political commentator Ben Shapiro.

"If I made a movie mocking women as useless dunderheads, constantly attacking 'the matriarchy,' and depicting all things feminist as toxic bulls***, I wouldn't just be canceled, I'd be executed," Morgan wrote in his columns for British newspaper The Sun and The New York Post after seeing the Barbie movie.

For his part, Shapiro went as far as to burn Barbie and Ken dolls last Saturday, after seeing the movie the night before. The following Monday he claimed he had received death threats for his stunt."

Meanwhile, Shane Vaughn, a pastor who is a supporter of the conservative Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, recently warned that the film will turn people's daughters "into the lesbians."

"We're living in a world that hates men, especially white men, and they hate patriarchy, they hate the head of the house. It's toxic feminism...and this is what the Barbie movie promotes," Vaughn said in a video posted to Twitter by RightWingWatch. "The hatred of men, turning men into boy toys, emasculating men, while they rule."

"There is a spirit that if you take your daughters or your granddaughters to watch this movie, you are turning them into the lesbians," Vaughn added.

Newsweek has contacted a representative of Warner Bros. via email for comment.