America Ferrera Has Spoken About The Barbie Monologue Criticism

The fantasy comedy movie ‘Barbie’ continues to take the world by storm. As well as bringing some of the biggest names in the industry together, the film brought the wonder that was ‘Barbenheimer’ to life when it was released the same day as the biographical drama ‘Oppenheimer.’ As if that wasn’t enough, it quickly broke the $1 billion mark, bringing in over $1.4 billion at the global box office.

Still, while ‘Barbie’ has seen plenty of people singing its praises all these months later, there are some who are less than impressed with the movie. Now, one of the stars of the film has been left to defend her part in it all, as America Ferrera has spoken about the ‘Barbie’ monologue criticism.

America Ferrera had one of the most talked-about monologues in Barbie

Fans of the ‘Barbie’ movie likely remember one of the most prominent moments of it all: America Ferrera’s monologue. Ferrera plays the part of a Mattel employee called Gloria, who helps to inspire the Barbies toward the end of the film with a speech about how important Barbie is in the real world and all the things that they can teach young girls and women to be just by existing. From talking about the double standards women face to helping the Barbies regain their confidence, it was quickly one of the most talked-about parts of the movie. The problem? While plenty of people loved director Greta Gerwig’s monologue addition, there have also been a lot of people with criticism that it oversimplifies feminism.

The actress believes there are people who still “need Feminism 101”

When talking to The New York Times, America Ferrera denied that the monologue oversimplifies an issue that affects so many women across the world. In fact, the actress stated that we “can know things and still need to hear them.” Ferrera didn’t end there, adding there are “whole generations of girls” who are just learning about the world and “don’t have words for the culture that they’re being raised in,” stating plenty of people around the world still “need Feminism 101.” The actress continued to talk about the number of people who needed to hear her ‘Barbie’ monologue, stating there are “boys and men” who “may have never spent any time thinking about feminist theory.”

She stands by her Barbie monologue, adding it’s still needed

According to America Ferrera, she thinks that if people are “well-versed in feminism” and know everything there is to know about the advocacy, then it might “seem like an oversimplification.” However, the actress adds that there are “entire countries that banned this film for a reason.” Ferrera now feels that saying something that might feel “foundational” or that “basic feminism isn’t needed” is actually an oversimplification. In fact, Ferrera claims that people who assume “everybody is on the same level” when it comes to knowing about and understanding feminism is an “oversimplification.”

Blake Lively has stood by America Ferrera’s Barbie monologue

Thankfully for America Ferrera, she’s not the only one who thinks her ‘Barbie’ monologue was needed - and did exactly what it was meant to do. The actress recently reunited with many of her stars from the comedy-drama ‘Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants’ franchise, including Blake Lively, who has defended Ferrera’s speech. Lively took to social media, where she wrote a touching tribute to Ferrera, calling her friend “the heart and soul” of the ‘Barbie’ movie. Lively added that the speech her character gave “felt as close to real as anything I’ve ever seen on screen,” adding Ferrera is “spectacular, passionate, inspiring and full of heart.”

America Ferrera has spoken about the ‘Barbie’ monologue criticism, and thankfully for the actress, it seems she’s not alone in thinking that it’s one of the most needed aspects of the film. While it might have divided some fans, it’s certainly got people talking - and it appears that might have been the underlying goal all along.