There is a purpose why we’re nonetheless speaking about America Ferrera’s “Barbie” monologue months after the blockbuster was launched. Whereas presenting the Greatest Supporting Actress award in the course of the 2024 Oscars, Rita Moreno gave an emotional speech about Ferrera, who was nominated for her position of Gloria within the pink-filled movie. Whereas Ferrera did not wind up taking dwelling an Oscar — the award as an alternative went to Da’Vine Pleasure Randolph for her position in “The Holdovers” — Moreno’s speech left people within the viewers making an attempt to grasp why.
“America. Your highly effective Barbie monologue is maybe probably the most talked-about second in probably the most talked-about film of the previous 12 months,” Moreno mentioned. “Your phrases and the eagerness with which you delivered them about probably the most inconceivable requirements females should attempt to dwell as much as galvanized not solely girls but everybody with a pulse.”
Even the way in which Moreno pronounced “America,” with a Spanish accent and in a sing-song-y voice referencing her iconic position in “West Aspect Story,” was highly effective. It made the assertion that girls like Ferrera are simply as American as anybody else residing on this nation.
By now, many individuals have seen Gloria’s impactful speech wherein she tells Margot Robbie’s Barbie the reality of what it means to be a girl. She breaks down all of the inconceivable and contradicting expectations which can be always positioned on girls.
The transferring monologue pulled on the viewers’s coronary heart strings as a result of it put in plain phrases what girls have needed to endure for hundreds of years and in as we speak’s nonetheless very patriarchal society. The truth that this speech was delivered by a Latina actress enjoying a Latina character made it resonate that rather more for me. For any girl who holds intersectional identities, society’s inconceivable expectations develop into that rather more inconceivable.
As Latinas, we’re instructed we have to be skinny no matter if we have had kids or not and no matter any well being points we’d have. But we additionally must have large boobs, a giant butt, and extensive hips — therefore why cosmetic surgery is so common in our communities. We have now to be sturdy but we are also anticipated to be submissive, particularly with our companions. We’re instructed we have to lead and carry everybody from our spouses to our youngsters, but if we pour into ourselves, we’re egocentric. We’re imagined to be lovely and horny sufficient to make any man lust over us, but if we’re too horny, we’re sluts and we deserve no matter disrespect males throw at us.
Whereas we nonetheless very a lot dwell in a patriarchal society, I’m proud to be a Latina residing in a time the place we’re lastly inspired to like ourselves and acknowledge that regardless of the unrealistic expectations which can be always positioned on us, we’re in truth, sufficient. I’m proud to be residing at a time when girls are lastly throwing these oppressive expectations out the window and giving much less f*cks about current to please the male gaze. We’re loving ourselves no matter our physique form or dimension. We’re embracing ageing and recognizing our price, even when which means being “boy sober” or refusing to permit the organic clock dictate our lives.
Ferrera ends her highly effective speech saying, “I am simply uninterested in watching myself and each single different girl tie herself into knots so that individuals will like us. And if all of that can also be true for a doll representing girls, then I do not even know.”
Whereas the patriarchy has continued to exist for the reason that “Barbie” film got here out and since Ferrera’s monologue went viral, I’m happy with the affect it has had on so many women and girls. Generally all it takes is having our experiences defined proper again at us for us to resolve we’re not giving in to the strain.
Ferrera may not have taken dwelling an award Sunday evening, but just like the true artist and changemaker she is, she left a mark with that speech that’s already creating shifts in our tradition. Her efficiency is only one step ahead towards future generations of women and girls not having to expertise the inconceivable expectations which have given us a lot grief for hundreds of years. That is price greater than any Oscar in my e book.
Johanna Ferreira is the content material director for POPSUGAR Juntos. With greater than 10 years of expertise, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central a part of Latine tradition. Beforehand, she spent shut to 3 years because the deputy editor at HipLatina, and he or she has freelanced for quite a few retailers together with Refinery29, Oprah journal, Attract, InStyle, and Properly+Good. She has additionally moderated and spoken on quite a few panels on Latine id. .