Midwestern Cryptid

Just as much as Cooper is a victim of being exploited by Vault Tech for his popularity as a movie star and as he was exploited by the military to do some heinous shit in the war. Even if he didn't actively do it himself (he did!!) he still witnessed it, still actively participated in the warmachine. Barb is also a victim to the Enclave, she has no choice, but to participate because if she doesn't, then they will kill Coop and her daughter.

Imagine being a black woman in the corporate world set in a 1950's pre-war aesthetic. You are surrounded by people that actively see you as lesser in some shape or form. You're a pawn being forced to push and sell a product by a sleazy company that absolutely does not care about you, but has promised to save your family from an inevitable apocalypse orchestrated by the very company (and secret government) that has informed you to do your fucking job or everyone you loves die.

"Would you let tens and thousands of mothers and children die?!"

Yes. Absolutely. A mother's love knows no bounds and if it means a chance for THEIR daughter to survive then so be it. Is the choice a shitty fucking choice? Absolutely, but if it wasn't going to be Barb it was going to be someone else. They would have easily found someone else who was less outspoken to do the job, so even if Barb said no and told the Enclave to fuck off, everything that was already set in place was going to happen.

It's exactly why we see her behave the way she does. She's actively trying to find a means to escape, but just like Wilzig; she's just a pawn. I believe her actions that we see in the next episode may be an attempt for her to try and go Cooper's route by giving the cold fusion away to someone they perceive as good or use it as leverage to bribe the Enclave more.

The world is gonna end no matter what because lol lore and Enclave is a dangerous Facist collective, but Barb is clearly trying to do what she can by any means to protect Coop and Jainey.

Clear version below the cut because i thought it was funny to destroy the image quality to fit the meme's res

This but its the epic fight of Lucy and Max and their allies tearing up the Enclave/BoS/Legion/etc. and they just impulsively do the ceremony while fighting.

This very particular way the camera lingers on him sitting there all prim and proper, on how he handles his smoke - it's deliberate framing and if he were a woman, people would take this as a typical setup for a femme fatale. You're supposed to Look at this guy. He's different and dangerous. Not because he's armed, but because he doesn't match the masculinity of the room.*

I don't believe Fallout's female characters are ever framed this way. The ladies are all hot, but they don't pose. They get to be the center of a scene, but they aren't lingered on and contrasted to the ruggedness of their male company in such a way. There are no shots of Lucy, Steph, Barb, Moldaver or Claudia where the camera WANTS you to pay attention to that, specifically. Yes, Lucy sticks out in Filly, but less for being a pretty woman and more for being out of place in general. And when she sticks out against the rugged men in the Legion camp, that is a deliberate choice to show she's in danger of gendered violence.

^ In that vein, this framing of House works because he isn't lingered on for the spectator's pleasure, but rather, because the camera work reflects this character's choices. He put himself there. He is very consciously posing for the other characters in the scene. He is there to arouse (the interest and anger of) men that could very easily hurt him, to toy with them for his own gain and pleasure. A classic femme fatale bit, and the direction pays homage to that.