Why Your Group Chat Is Talking About America Ferrera’s ‘Barbie’ Monologue

Spoiler warning for the ‘Barbie’ movie ahead! You’ve been warned.

After months of anticipation, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie is finally here! The film gave us pretty much everything we could ever want; Dua Lipa as a mermaid, a Helen Mirren voiceover, and Ryan Gosling singing the sad boy song of the summer, “Just Ken.” Since the movie’s release, we’ve been working hard to give our wardrobes (and lives!) the Barbiecore makeover they deserve. And while the urge to buy every piece of Barbie merch we can get our hands on was certainly to be expected, we did not predict the film would strike such an emotional nerve. Margot Robbie gave a touching performance as the titular character, but the true standout moment of the movie was America Ferrera’s monologue about being a woman.

America plays Gloria, a Mattel employee and mother, who gives a powerful monologue right before the film’s final act. Even though Gloria is trying to console Margot Robbie’s Barbie after the Kens have taken over Barbie Land, it feels as though she is speaking directly to every woman watching. Gloria’s words are what wake up the other Barbies who have been brainwashed. Her speech highlights many of the double standards women in America (and everywhere, tbh) face. In fact, the feminist message has many praising (and critiquing) the film.

Margot Robbie spoke to ABC about the complex history of the Barbie doll and the feminist message of the film: “It just felt like we could ignite something with it…it seems like over the last 64 years, it hasn’t taken much for Barbie to ignite conversation or sometimes, you know, revolutions or protests.”

At the heart of this cultural conversation is America’s monologue. The speech was originally written by Greta Gerwig, The Cut reports, but the scene delivery was a collaborative process. The monologue required almost 30 takes, and Greta says everyone on set cried when they listened to it.

“Ultimately, it was about giving myself permission to let go of expectations that had been placed on me,” America said. “I was trying to meet those expectations and be my true self. And those things were at odds, and something had to give.”

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.”

Literal chills. You can see Barbie in theaters now.

SNAG TICKETS TO ‘BARBIE’ HERE

Alexandra covers pop culture, books, news, and fashion! You can find her listening to Taylor Swift, going on hot girl walks, reading a good book with a cup of tea, and searching for the best sushi in the city!