Barbie didn’t manage to fix the patriarchy, but it did shed light on some of the struggles that women face every day. America’s Gloria speaks about the societal expectation for women to look, act, and conduct themselves a certain way. You can read the full monologue from the film here:
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.”
When I was a little girl, there was this really interesting day when my mother came outside and found a gigantic pyramid (about 3 feet high, actually) standing off to the side in our backyard. The bricks had been leftovers from a project my Uncle Kenny had finished a couple months before. She called me outside, pointed to the strangely perfect pyramid of red bricks and said, in probably the same weary tone as the mother in the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, “Pam, WHAT the heck is THIS?”
I said, “It’s a pyramid, Mommy. My dollies are having adventures.”
She gave me this look like I’d gone completely mad. “WHAT??”
I reached down and pulled off a few bricks. Inside were my Barbie and my GI Joe doll, which I’d made Mommy get me for Christmas just because of my uncle Arthur who’d served in WWII. She looked, cocked her head, and finally said, “I thought Barbie was supposed to go with Ken.”
“Ken’s not an action figure, Mommy. He’s one of the Beach Boys.”
This was 1972, folks. 😀
|
What Was I Made For? – Billie Eilish |
Many others posted reactionary gifs or videos after Robbie’s snub. “Margot Robbie you deserved so much better I’m sorry,” wrote @meradceu.
America Ferrera, who played mom Gloria in the film, earned a best supporting actress nomination.
