Barbie

"It is really 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 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 always be grateful. You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never 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 declined to watch this the first time i heard about it, and i saved it for some reason… but it turned out to be really worth it to finally watch it. this is basically a crash course in what it feels like to be a woman, contradictions on top of contradictions, and still somehow your fault in the end. it's exhausting, it's unfair, and yet it's written so sharply. and honestly, it's not just a script, it's a mirror, and the reflection stings. this is just... wow. a masterpiece, just like Margot Robbie is.