#WeAreAllBarb: Understanding Stranger Things' Breakout Character
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#WeAreAllBarb: Understanding Stranger Things' Breakout Character

A closer look at the phenomenon behind the Internet's new poster girl.

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#WeAreAllBarb: Understanding Stranger Things' Breakout Character
The Celebrity Auction

Spoilers Ahead.

With Netflix's successful sleeper hit "Stranger Things" making a huge splash this summer with viewers, we've begun to experience many wonderful things happening due to its popularity. One of these wonderful things include the Duffer brothers realizing Winona Ryder needs to be working again. And bless them for it, the early 2000's weren't very kind to Ryder but we can all collectively agree she's made an outstanding comeback. "Stranger Things" also gives us good ole genuine and refreshingly original 80s monster flicks getting a much-deserved homage and the birth of the internet's newest sweetheart, Barb Holland.

Before I proceed, I will warn you that this article contains spoilers from the entire season of "Stranger Things."So if you haven't seen "Stranger Things" yet, leave your cursor here and get to Netflix and watch it.

Caught up? Good. Let's proceed.

So you may have seen many social media buzzing tributes, discussions and think pieces surrounding the tragic death of Barb Holland, which is thus far the biggest Internet Tear Tsunami of 2016.

You may also be wondering why anyone gives a crap about this seemingly throw-away co-star who only got less than an hour of screen time in the entire series.

Well, you can't understand the essence of Barb unless you were or still ARE a Barb.

Barb Holland could have easily been a really sloppy 80s archetype of the tragically un-hip and nerdy best friend to the more popular and socially evolving protagonist, which in the case of "Stranger Things," is Nancy Wheeler. They could have easily had Barb either be the comic relief by harping on how "un-cool" she is or played her off as an accessory to Nancy's own budding character development.

The key word here is they "could have". But they didn't.

The creators of the show, the Duffer brothers, were smarter than that. They played Barb Holland truthfully. Barb was portrayed exactly how Barb and every other underwritten "dorky" and "bumbling" best friend/sidekick should have deserved to have been played; with genuine care and respect.

Barb was a delightfully full-figured gal with a messy (though stylish) red hair and an "I'm-on-to-you" attitude to buffer the antics of that wishfully naive waif, Nancy Wheeler. Barb wouldn't tell you want you wanted to hear, she would tell you what you needed to hear. And most importantly, she was there to be a true friend. Barb knew that Nancy was dancing with the devil but she did what a good friend would do; stood by and tried to be cautiously optimistic for Nancy's evolving popularity.

This is exactly what makes Barb's character so relatable, especially to those who consider themselves part of the #Barbdom. She didn't pose any real threat to anyone (well, not including the Demogorgon), she seemed to be emotionally level-headed (unlike Nancy the temper tantrum teen queen), and most importantly, she didn't seem to go after any sort of power and her desires were seemingly in check.

Barb's own blissful existence is what makes her death that much more heartbreaking. When Barb died, it felt like a true representation of all of us self-deemed "Barbs" died with it. This is especially hurtful as Hollywood was finally starting to get with it and give us a character that we could really rally behind. And, to me, that is the most tragic consequence of her death.

Maybe we will see justice for Barb in the next season of Stranger Things. Maybe we won't.

Unfortunately, Barb's gooey corpse was needed as a reminder of how effed up the "Other Side" can be. So, in a way, her death wasn't all for naught, which we Barb mourners can take solace in knowing.

Here's to hoping that we'll see her on the other side.


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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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