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“It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful and so smart, and it kills me that you don't think you're good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we're always doing it wrong.
You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can't ask for money because that's crass. You have to be a boss, but you can't be mean. You have to lead, but you can't squash other people's ideas.
You're supposed to love being a mother but don't talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman, but also always be looking out for other people. You have to answer for men's bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you're accused of complaining. You're supposed to stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you're supposed to be a part of the sisterhood. But always stand out and always be grateful.
But never forget that the system is rigged. So find a way to acknowledge that but also always be grateful. You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line. It's too hard! It's too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you!
And it turns out in fact that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault. I'm just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us. And if all of that is also true for a doll just representing women, then I don't even know.”
America Ferrera's character - Gloria
There's a lot of power in being disliked. Embrace it. Takes time and work to get to this stage.
Best part of the movie.
A lot of people said it was too on the nose, nothing new, not deep enough, etc. but I loved it for many reasons.
#1 doesnt matter if its on the nose if all of it is true and gathering all of these points in one speech in a movie that can reach as many audiences as Barbie did is literally perfect. It lingers just enough on JUST the female experience for it to be uncomfortable for all the misogynistic men in the audience or even just the women aware of the misogynistic men in the audience. Its not necessarily about what is said but rather what it means to us. My favorite points were the gratitude you have to always show even when people are literally stripping you of your humanity and the "never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear". Women are ruthlessly scrutinized for looking out for themselves, its ridiculous. To the point that you get a bad rep when you generalize men as dangerous, which they straight up are. Women are gold diggers, a woman who fails is evidence for every womans incapabilites, when you choose yourself you are full on labled a bad person. Women are not allowed to live as the flawed people we are and I loved that that was included.
#2 I liked how they finished it with Barbie feeling the same way even though she is just a representation of a woman, I didnt expect that.
#3 When I watched it I thought thats so nice to put all that in but did it teach me something new? Then the scene where Gloria is doing Barbies make up showed up where Barbie feels guilty for having to reject Ken and saying she is afraid to hurt his feelings. Cut to Gloria telling her, he stole her house, brainwashed her friends and wants to overthrow her government and she is worried about his feelings. Y'all I felt so called out. I know for a fact I would have reacted the same way as Barbie did (remember, this was after Glorias speech!) because of the still unhealed programming of having to be kind to men for safety/out of empathy/they didnt mean it like that/you know how guys are/whatever. Yes I knew about everything that was said but did I actually internalize it? Clearly not. And these are the layers I wanted from Greta! Made me question myself and I loved that.
I love this movie as an introduction to feminism, it sparked so much discourse and may have opened more womens eyes to mens cruelty, simpy through their reaction to it.
The entire theater clapped after her monologue. I'm so happy.