“Barbie” Movie Simplifies Feminism Too Much? America Ferrera responds

Barbie It was the most successful film in 2023 and one of the biggest highlights of the film industry in recent years. Grossing almost US$1.5 billion, the film directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie sought to offer a fun portrayal of the popular doll while also addressing social issues, especially machismo in contemporary society — and the balance proposed by feminism.

Although the press highlighted this feature, the film did not go unharmed by criticism. And a recurring comment was that the work would have offered “simplified feminism”, missing the opportunity to discuss the theme in more depth.

One of the actresses in the cast, America Ferreraresponded to this comment during an interview with the newspaper The New York Times. The artist responsible for playing Gloria, a company employee Mattel who helps Barbie in the so-called “real world”, revealed that he not only agreed that there was “simplified feminism” but also highlighted that this was exactly what both the plot and society needed.

Ferrera, in fact, is responsible for a monologue precisely about feminism. “It is literally impossible to be a woman. […] We always have to be extraordinary, but somehow we are always doing it wrong. […] I’m so tired of seeing myself and all the other women trying so hard to make people like us”, says an excerpt from the speech, which will be reproduced in full at the end of this text. When addressing this speech — and the criticism surrounding it — the actress said:

“We can know certain things and still need to hear them out loud. It can still be cathartic. There are a lot of people who need basic feminism, entire generations of girls coming up now who have no words to describe the culture in which they are being raised.”

Impact between men

Still during the interview, America Ferrera noted that the monologue with “simplified feminism” in Barbie may have been important to men watching the film. More specifically, those “who have perhaps never spent time thinking about feminist theory.”

“If you know feminism well, then this may seem like an oversimplification, but there are countries that banned this film for a reason.”

The artist’s mention of countries that banned the exhibition of Barbie is real, even if they did not necessarily occur only because of issues linked to feminism. Algeria and Lebanon did not allow the film to be broadcast because it “promotes homosexuality” and what is described as “other Western deviations”, such as “sexual transformation”, allegedly “contradicting values ​​of faith and morals”.

Finally, America declared that the real “oversimplification” is “to say that it is not necessary to introduce basic feminism or something that is perhaps fundamental.” And when pointing out that not everyone had access to such reflections in the past, she concluded:

“Assuming everyone is at the same level of knowledge and understanding of the experience of femininity is an oversimplification.”

The speech in Barbie

See below the transcription of Gloria’s speech, America Ferrera’s character, in the film Barbie (via The time):

“It is literally impossible to be a woman. You’re so beautiful, so smart, and it kills me to see that you don’t think you’re good enough. Like, we always have to 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 you also have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can’t ask for money because you’re rude.

You have to be a boss, but you can’t be bad. You have to command, but you can’t destroy other people’s ideas. You must love being a mother, but don’t talk about your children all the time. You must be a career woman, but also always look out for others.

You have to answer for men’s bad behavior, which is crazy, but if you point it out you’re accused of complaining. You must always look beautiful for men, but not so beautiful that you tempt them too much or threaten other women, because you must be part of sisterhood.

But always stand out and always be grateful. Never forget that the system is rigged. So find a way to acknowledge that, but also always be grateful. You must never grow old, or be rude, show off, be selfish, fall, fail, show fear, step out of line.

It’s so hard! It’s very contradictory and no one gives you a medal or thanks you! And it turns out that, in fact, not only are you doing it all wrong, it’s all your fault. I’m so tired of seeing myself and every other woman trying so hard to get people to like us. And if all this also applies to a doll that only represents women, then I don’t even know.”