Greta Gerwig is a multi-talented artist that works in the acting, writing, and directing industries. Gerwig got her start in the film industry as an actress, but following the success of her first directorial effort, “Lady Bird,” and the subsequent success of “Little Women,” she has gone on to become one of the most successful and recognized women filmmakers working in Hollywood today.
“Barbie” is a fantasy comedy film that Gerwig directed and that she and her filmmaking partner, Noah Baumbach, wrote together. The film, which is based on Mattel’s Barbie fashion dolls, is the first live-action rendition of Barbie after previous animated adaptations of the character.
It was on July 21, 2023 that the first showing of “Barbie” was held in theaters all across the globe. The film was an immediate success and is now regarded as a valuable piece of pop culture. People who went into the film thinking it would be nothing more than a lighthearted comedy about a well-known doll were surprised to find out that the movie was really very relatable and had a number of touching moments.
After Barbie goes through an existential crisis, the plot of the show “Barbie” follows Barbie and Ken as they go on a quest to find themselves. The movie is nothing at all like any of the other CGI animated versions that were previously made available. It is progressive in that it portrays a matriarchal society in which all women are successful, self-confident, and self-sufficient.
The monologue that America Ferrera delivered on women was without a doubt the highlight of the show, even if Margot Robbie’s portrayal as “Stereotypical Barbie” received a lot of praise. Continue reading to find out more information on the aforementioned speech, as well as how individuals responded to it.
The premise of the movie depends heavily on the character Gloria played by Ferrera. In point of fact, Ferrera was the third most significant character, behind Robbie and Ryan Gosling, who plays the role of Ken. Ferrera’s performance in “Barbie” was praised by both reviewers and fans, most notably for her feminist tirade that caused audiences in cinemas to wipe away tears.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Ferrera discussed the monologue and noted that she was aware of how significant her speech was even before the movie was released.
“I read the monologue, and it hit me as powerful and meaningful,” she said regarding the speech that she practiced anywhere from 30 to 50 times. “Also, as an actor, I thought to myself, ‘Wow, what a gift it is to get to deliver something that is so cathartic and truthful.'” But at the same time, I had the impression that this was a critical juncture that I couldn’t afford to screw up. There was a moderate amount of positive pressure that surrounded it.”
According to comments made by Gerwig in an interview with The Atlantic, both the cast and crew of the film had “strong reactions” to her speech.
“When America was giving her beautiful speech, I couldn’t help but break down in tears, and then I looked around the set, and I noticed that everyone else was crying as well.” The males are sobbing as well because they each have their own speech that they believe they will never be able to deliver, do you get what I mean? They also have to walk their own parallel tightrope, which is just as excruciating. There is something about some of these constructions that makes me want to scream out, “Someone make me stop!” That’s kind of, I think, the sensation that goes along with Ken.
Ferrera has received praise from a lot of journalists and fans for her performance of the now-iconic speech, which was incredibly emotional and tragic. You may read the whole text here.
To be a woman is figuratively speaking impossible. It breaks my heart that you don’t believe you are worthy of being loved since you are both beautiful and brilliant. We have this expectation that we should constantly be exceptional, yet for some reason, we never seem to get it quite right. You must be lean, but not an unhealthy amount so. You should never admit that one of your goals is to reduce your weight. “You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin,” her character remarked in the movie. “You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin.”
Those who have seen the movie have commented on social media platforms on how they feel about the monologue that Ferrera delivers.
“Think I’m going to frame the speech that America Ferrera gave in #Barbie. Is it really possible to be a woman who was raised during my period and not cry when you hear it? One commenter said, “Here’s hoping that when my 11-year-old daughter is all grown up, she won’t have a clue as to why that speech is so emotional.
“Reading America Ferrera’s monologue in #Barbie before I go to bed every night like it’s my Bible,” one user said. “Reading America Ferrera’s monologue in #Barbie before I go to bed every night.”
An individual noted that “a lot of these people forget that this is also Barbie’s first intro to feminism,” which was a statement made by another individual. “SHE required that speech, which others have criticized for being too fundamental. She is a stand-in for all of the individuals in real life who have to begin someplace, but most of them have forgotten that she represents them.
In the meantime, though, not everyone was content. Both the speech and the movie have been labeled by some as being examples of left-wing propaganda. Notably, Ben Shapiro, a conservative online star, has published a video in which he criticizes the movie and everything about it that he finds objectionable. Christian Toto, host of a podcast, described the movie as a “two-hour woke-a-thon brimming with feminist lectures and nuclear-level rage against men.”
During this time, CBS journalist Aubrey Gelpieryn first believed that the speech had a lot of redundant material, but her mother helped her to see that this was not the case.
“..She called me after asking if I knew how she could get a text copy of the speech because that was the first time she’d heard someone talk like that about being a woman and she wanted to be able to read it back,” she said on TikTok. “That was the first time she’d heard someone talk like that about being a woman and she wanted to be able to read it back.” “And then it dawned on me that this is the reason why the speech was given. Because not everyone who watches the movie had the same kind of upbringing that I had, and because for some individuals, the speech in “Barbie” will be the first time they feel noticed by a movie they’re watching.