Why is Phoebe Waller-Bridge in EVERYTHING?
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2024
- From Solo, to No Time to Die, to Indiana Jones, Phoebe Waller-Bridge seems to have her hands in a lot of multi-million dollar projects. But why - when she doesn't seem to have the appeal or mega star power. Why has the success of Fleabag catapulted PWB into every project?
In this video, I analyze why, and what these producers have gotten wrong about writing female characters.
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Giving her all these action-adventure projects is like hiring Vin Diesel to write and star in every romantic comedy.
Respectfully, I think Vin Diesel can pull out at least one rom-com.
She just seems out of place in an action movie. She's not attractive enough to be the femme fatale, she's not athletic or physically imposing enough to be a credible action star, and she's too arrogant and smug to be a good sidekick. There might be potential as a bookish and quirky side character (a la Marcus Brody in the Last Crusade) but she's not charming or funny enough. She just can't carry a film.
@@victoriamartines5030 haha true. The difference is that as an industry pro Diesel would learn new skills and find help to do a good job. But Waller-Bridge is already perfect, so she doesn't need to do those things.
Well, he's got family to help him write those movies so he's good
How about plugging her into a Fast movie?
Another UA-camr hit the nail on the head, “how Hollywood thinks a strong female character is is really just a toxic guy but with boobs."
does she (even that is a question) have boobs?
she is like Marcy D'Arcy, just taller and not pretty version.
A definition of inclusive womanhood.
Bingo 👏
Lmao. Men are praised for everything
Critical Drinker
I’m a dude who loved Fleabag, because it was excruciating. Like getting your spirit wrung out like a dishrag. Because it was about super super flawed people hurting each other, and needing to find their way anyways. I didn’t relate to the situations, but boy did I relate to the feelings of doing wrong things that you can’t take back, and having such things done to you.
It would be hard to follow up that project.
And that's what compelling art is and how normal people engage with it. We can be sympathetic towards a character without excusing their behavior and without understanding everything about what it "means" to be that person.
Fleabag absolutely destroyed me… i’ve never cried more. what an amazing show.
I feel that Phoebe is a good observational comic who is good at writing what she knows - day to day life as a woman with stuff to work on.
Hollywood basically took someone with a niche that they were real good at, and tried to slap their name on stuff because popular name = money probably.
Feels like the bean-counters can't respect a good niche nowadays
@richardlee3679
Forgive my cynicism, but it feels like they're also trying to condition us to see women a certain way. i.e. these irrational balls of emotion that are hard to understand.
Three problems with movies today are 1) they portray bad qualities as good things, 2) disparaging and degrading legacy characters to uplift their own new bland, souless characters, and 3) flagrant disregard for the fans, sometimes becoming contempt and disrespect for them as well.
so you've watched other baggage claim videos too
Nailed it
Fleabagged.
1) This was always true, it was just different, and arguably more fun, bad qualities.
2) Kind of like every almost sequel/reboot/4th season of a series ever made
3) Could be true, but wouldn't the opposite be mere fan service?
@@siracastori01 nah 1) and 2) are definitely not true back in the 90s
When I was a boy in I learned that writers shouldn't tell their audience a character's traits. They should show them being who they are. We are living in an age where everyone is an "educated" fool.
Show and don't tell.
You tell me that you are supposed to be beautiful, but my eyes report otherwise.
I'd throw " " around educated, to really drive the point you are trying to make, "home."
Suicide Squad was a classic case of why. They just introduce the characters one by one with a woman explaining who they are through dialogue. Sooo boring and amateurish a 12 year old could have done a better job.
@@wefinishthisnow3883 Meh. That's similar to comics. Even comics back in the 70s and 80s did that. For a superhero film, or any similar film for that matter, I see no issue. I was reading a Silver Surfer comic (from Vol. 01) yesterday that did something similar. I loved it though.
@@TheCreatorNFE That's certainly a valid viewpoint, but I'd consider them different artforms that's more comparing apples and oranges. What works in books, comics, movies or TV series might not necessarily work in each other.
6:20 Mission Impossible's Ilsa Faust is the example of how to do great female heroes. They didn't make the character unlikeable, narcissistic and taking a dump on the male characters. But someone who is strong, has warmth and likeability at the same time. Also helps that Rebecca Ferguson have such great screen presence.
Another example is Valeria from Conan the Barbarian
She was tough, witty but also had a vulnerable side that Conan was probably the only person to ever see
The fact she was even willing to throw down with literal spirits and never talked down to her comrades showed she was more than just a pretty face that could cleave a person from skull to crotch with a smirk on her face
she got fridged which is what Hollywood does to great supporting female characters
Love your honesty especially when you admitted that you walked out of John Wick. Not all films are made for everybody.
Yeah but it's already the 4th movie, you'd think she knew beforehand what she was going to see. It's just posturing at this point
You can know what something is and not know if it’s for you. Trying Costco samples and throwing them away isn’t posturing is it?
@@andyfma123 It is posturing if you have tried a bunch of costco samples (let's say coffee), then you go again but this time you throw it away saying "ew coffee is gross!". She went into an action film infamous for lots an lots of mindless gun violence. You could say it's even the entire point of the films to showcase gun violence and action as creatively as possible. Yet she acts as if she is baffled or disgusted when she absolutely knew what she was going in for.
How can you go into the 4th film in a franchise and be surprised at the content? That said the franchise itself should never have been that long, first was good, 2nd was ok-ish, 3 was just boring, and I just couldn't bring myself to watch the 4th.
John Wick is basically a musical but without songs.
She was in her element in Fleabag. However she doesn't belong in Star Wars nor Indiana Jones. And at this point shes fast becoming box office toxicity as much as Kennedy.
She was probably in her element because that show likely mirrors a lot of elements from her own life.
Makes horrible, destructive decisions only to liberate HERSELF from any guilt.
What was wrong with her Star Wars performance? I only ever hear praise
Ugh, Kennedy. Ugh.
She’s Kennedy’s stand in
So other than Kathleen Kennedy & Brie Larson, now you add Phoebe Waller Bridge to the list of reasons to avoid a movie. Say what you will about Jennifer Lawrence, at least she's still a pretty good actress, least I think so anyways 🤷🏻♂️
Modern media loves borderline psychotic women but very few love them in reality, whether male or female. Perhaps those who encourage young women to embrace this type don’t have their best interest in mind
Inverting male and female and family is the big project.
When male-oriented movies glorify violence, we know it's just a metaphor. No male is REALLY supposed to go out and murder a hundred people because he's mad. And every male is trained to this point almost from birth, because men have always been a little stronger and taught that uncontrolled strength is bad.
When female-oriented movies glorify violence, there's a very different tone. It's all too common to find real women who overtly say that men should be hurt, abused, or even literally genocided down to a few percent of the population. Women are being ENCOURAGED to be violent, hurtful, and abusive IN REALITY. And what I'm hearing of the 'Fleabag' show just makes it more of a type - a woman forgiving herself for being a MONSTER.
@@HerculesBallsIncI thought it was just me who had that feeling. Never watched the show, but BC's summation of it kind of said what you'd spelled out. When it's described that way, it def makes more sense why BC said it wasn't for everyone (men) lol
@@ianjones9078 It doesn't seem to be from women with moral compass either.
Well, I think that in the case of Fleabag & comparable shows like it, the lure truth & driving INTEREST is the flaws in/of the character(s).
I mean even in a more obvious comedy like, "It's Always Sunny..." people are attracted (or were, for a time) to the characters because they are so blatantly flawed & so very ignorant of said flaws that it is funny to even those with the same (albeit far less obvious) shortcomings.
It has to with relatability & Fleabag (as B.C. states) may not be as relatable to...
1) Men: because it isn't quite as clear to them/us WTF we are watching (what it's really about) &
2) Women: because they have been conditioned to believe (at least here in the U.S.) that they hold NO culpability for their actions, no matter how reprehensible they may be (remember: The U.S. is where Barbara Walters actually gave time in a sympathetic interview to a CONVICTED female "pedo"/hebephile who m0l3$ted a 12 y.o. male CHILD).
What I think is going on with the fact that this woman is "everywhere" now has to do with Hollywood's need TO CONTROL the narrative of feminism.
They essentially "bought her out" to prevent any further three dimensional creation of flawed "feminists" that might address, or be forced to acknowledge their own reprehensible behavior.
Hollywood's definition of "feminism" is essentially 'be the flawed b1t(h you were born to be, with zero apologies to anyone.'
When her character showed up on Indiana Jones at first I liked her. She seemed earnest and intelligent and likeable. Then you find out that was all an act and she's actually arrogant, obnoxious, and selfish. So then I assumed that her character arc would be her overcoming those things and working for a greater purpose, kind of like Indie. They hint at that progression, and at the end she ends up there, but there's no climactic turning point where she decides to be better. All of a sudden she's just risking her life to save Indie, and it was just a jarring shift rather than a natural character progression.
It was garbage, and I can't understand why these writers don't know these super basic aspects of character writing.
The Strong Womyn trope is anti-drama--to have her grow and change would mean she was WRONG about something, anything--and Hollywood can't have that. So these characters don't go on a journey of self-discovery, they just ARE, and we're supposed to applaud that.
Because these characters are self-inserts meaning since they can NEVER do any wrong neither can these characters.
And if they did any wrong they were tricked into doing by others (mostly old cis white men; Luke, Han, Inidiana, etc). Nothing is ever their fault.
Modern Feminist script writing assumes women are capable of everything, and it's only the patriarchy holding them back. Which is doubly funny because not only is it wrong, it shows a distinct lack of self-awareness.
Hollyweirdos only know how to write one dimensional Mary Sue characters.
It's like the writers wanted to give her a classic villain to hero story arc but refused to make her pay for her actions any serious way.
I think she could have been a good character, but her arc was really half-baked.
Great analysis and insights. I really enjoyed Fleabag and I am a guy. I found the story and themes to be universal and thoroughly enjoyed the blend of humour and tragedy. I think that Ms. Waller-Bridge got hooked into the Hollywood machine and it used her talent and credibility, not for their intended purpose but as a shield to permit their outdated ideas to be accepted by the new generation It's like the television series "Episodes" where the talented wife/husband team have achieved cristal success in the UK and attempt to bridge it to the U.s. Only to find that their vision has been warped and perverted by an insane system that is more interested in self preservation and personal gain than to create anything remotely relevant and honest for the viewers. I hope that now that she has lots of "fuck you money" she might consider going back to her roots and doing something equally wicked as Fleabag.
How all of this translated into "Solo" and "Indiana Jones" is mind-boggling. My grandmother makes great pies, let's give her a 5 star restaurant to manage😮
Not when you remember the first qualification they look at is "woman". That lady who got Eternals put in her lap was another of these "for the sake of diversity" hires. Everyone has to start somewhere, but you don't toss a multi character superhero franchise on a director that just started gaining fame and has zero experience in the action genre, or anything similar. They're setting these women up for failure.
@@sianais"Setting these women up for failure."
How wrong you are.
These women get paid millions of dollars to destroy franchises men love while making malicious, nasty, sexist women appear sympathetic.
They win.
Great analogy
She's posh just like Benedict Cumberbatch, that's how it translated. Posh connections.
@@DeadlyPlatypus Yes, a million dollars is really nice, but if you offered them the choice of having that million dollars right now and no career in movies or having the career as a successful director, actress, or whatever but no million dollars right now, I am willing to bet that EVERY SINGLE ONE would take the latter option. A million dollars is a fantastic consolation prize, but it is not what ANY of them wanted.
This is the best explanation of what is happening in Hollywood regarding the strong female character in movies I have heard.
I refer everyone to "The Smug Style in American Liberalism." She personifies it, although she's British.
I appreciate that she used the word "pandering". That's all this is. It's like the early 90's, when D.A.R.E. sent in a cool guy with a backwards hat and sunglasses to sit backwards on a chair and tell us not to do drugs.
hayley atwell in MI:7 was a much better written femme fatale thief lady. in like every single aspect even being 4 years older then pheobe, she was less abrasive, her redemption arc felt meaningful. she had talent as a character but wasn't a mary sue. she had real emotions.
@@stevenmike1878 I agree. Saw MI7 yesterday and all the female characters were well written.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I am a woman and I love every John Wick film. I enjoy good action movies more than romantic comedies. There, I said it.
A really fresh perspective that connects with everything going wrong in Hollywood. Entirely on point. Definitely subscribed.
Her mother is nobility. I'm not kidding, she's landed gentry in Cuckfield.
Her father founded Tradepoint, an international electronic trading platform
There's a place called Cuckfield?
Ah, so you also went looking at her Early Life section for a reason why she's so popular in Hollywood.
Same here, but I was expecting a different reason.
Don't know why, it's the same reason a lot of insufferable women get into Hollywood.
Brie Larson, Daisy Ridley, that chick from Seinfeld, Phoebe Bridge.
There are two ways most women in Hollywood break through, and it's either the men they banged or the men they're related to.
@@SensemakingMartin🤣🤣🤣
@@JohnQ.Taxpayershe's of the tribe.
Your discussion of Fleabag is both illuminating and mystifying.
Illuminating, because it sounds like a well-made and compelling show, so it at least explains the appeal of Phoebe Waller-Bridge to people.
Mystifying, because I cannot see what the heck made anyone think PWB's particular brand of appeal belongs in the action-adventure genre, especially male-dominated franchises like James Bond and Indiana Jones.
It'd be like if they developed a quirky dramedy about a young woman navigating her career, life, and relationships, and put Chad Stahelski on it.
Like Ricky Gervais's power/clout in Hollywood/US coming from owning 'The Office' IP, PWB's clout is mostly behind-the-scenes, not in front of the camera. I would argue that it wasn't Fleabag that gave PWB her Hollywood/US clout, it was producing & writing Killing Eve that did it.
I was so looking forward to Harrison Ford, but this actress overly dominated and was an annoying character
well she's out of her depths and flailing about trying to learn to swim in the deep end, the very deep end ... which makes you wonder how many franchises she will take down while likely drowning, since none of her talents seem to give her any advantages in this.
Well Hollywood thinks that all british humour is awesome by default, while at the same time avoiding anything that is even remotely naughty and British like the plague..
Every critic raved about Fleabag. I could not get through one episode. It definitely is not for guys. But I do love this explanation that this actress is now cast because of a show that is completely misunderstood by the very people hiring her as they just think it is a successful show about their goal of having a popular "strong woman!". When this video clearly demonstrates that the show Fleabag was actually the exact opposite of that and her character was actually a complete mess.
What the video missed was highlighting the surface level thinking of the studios where they do not even get this.
It’s not for anyone who has trouble stomaching self-obsessed toffs either.
Finally, a calm, comprehensive analysis about this question (and not about Phoebe's personality)! Thank you very much for it! ❤👋
I don't understand why modern popular feminism idolizes all the worst traits of masculinity.
Hear hear! Bang on 💯
It's ok when women do it
Because for them its only bad when men do it.
There are no worse traits of masculinity. Every single trait considered masculine/ feminine can manifest as right or wrong -- it is the situation/ environment/ context that we should use to decide whether the trait, at that time, is good/bad.
Violence, in certain circumstances, can literally save lives -- and compassion, in some situations, can ruin lives.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! Also remember it's dumb feminists who think copying the worst men equals feminism. Intelligent feminists understand the flaw in this behavior.
I enjoyed Fleabag, but she seems like someone who belongs in more indie films than huge blockbuster movies and franchises.
Agreed!
I wonder if you say that because of her unconventional looks she’s a fabulous actor and I love seeing her on screen
@@margauxwalson8474if you think shes ugly then call her ugly.
@@margauxwalson8474 I don’t think it has anything to do with her looks, but more so her acting style. I think she’s better in roles with more depth and character arcs than popcorn action/adventure movies
@@margauxwalson8474Ah, I see.
So even girls agree that She's ugly.
They just sugarcoat it to make Themselves feel better for badmouthing someone else.
Thank You for the confirmation.
It's taken me a few days to watch this. This is the first time I've watched your channel and really love your presentation. I do watch several channels that break down issues like this. Although I do know who PWB is, I never watched Fleabag, I did know she was involved in some of these projects, but not all and not as deep. Part of that has to do with the lack of enthusiasm for these projects in the first place. Nicely broken down and presented.
This was so brilliantly done!!! Great video
People want to watch Indiana Jones, not Indiana Fleabag.
you srsly wanna see a harrison Ford Indiana Jones in these days ?
I'd buy you a beer for this comment if my bank account wasn't showing red
@@fan-trailer6987how about neither?
😂😂 exactly
I imagine Indiana Fleabag would have been better, then she'd have actually had a character arc instead of her character being entirely summed up by "stock strong female character #47"
She's in everything as she was born in the right circle and knows most of the top players
And also Hollywood want to push ugly actors for some weird reason. The gaming community have noticed it big time
It's her 15mins of Fame. Most actors have those seasons
Like Chris Pratt, he's in most things quite recently too
You can't put Chris Pratt in that category lmao he been around wth
PWB is a nepo baby. Just so you know.
@@josephbassey1501 not sure if pratt will be in that group. Ashton kucher didnt look like hed disappear but his hot streak was short.
This is the best commentary on this I have seen so far. Well done!!
I came to this channel after skimming the comments of the Friday Nights Tights episode Baggage Claim appeared as a guest. So many were posting how wonderful a guest she was, so smart, very insightful,interesting, well worth listening to, so I decided to watch a couple of her videos. Now I’ve seen for myself that Baggage Claim is a bright, thoughtful and articulate who’s commentary on culture is well worth listening to.
Nepotism, connections in high places, a generous dash of modern feminism. This woman fits the 'profile'. I thought that including her in the flop called Indiana Jones 5 was bad enough, but her in Tomb Rider? 🤣🤣🤣🙄😮💨😖
And note how this vid is basically dedicated to absolving her of any responsibility. She's just another victim of how Hollywood wants women portrayed, even though she's directly had a hand in writing that narrative.
And she kind of looks like Kathleen Kennedy. Just like Daisy Ridley. On that note the new Galadriel looks like a young version of the head of the Amazon studio. Narcissistic people seem to produce shit art. Who would've thunk.
Exactly. I know people who are as funny as any of these twats and they aren’t in the movies, so something must be going on to distinguish these people from anyone else. I think Bob Dylan calls it “the bargain” 👹
I need Hollywood to stop trying to make Phoebe Waller-Bridge happen. She's never going to happen.
I know a woman's worth is not always in her beauty, BUT My God: Phoebe Waller-Bridge is THE most unattractive actress(?") on the screen right now. She is absolutely a product of WHO you know.
Unfortunately for Hollywood she has happened, they just don't seem to realize people outside of Hollywood don't like her.
Hollywood: *frustrated industry plant noises*
Just like "fetch"
I loved and binged Fleabag and I think PWB has very good comedic timing, but must every role PWB takes be some rip off of Fleabag, ad nauseam. Please, no.
She doesn’t represent women. She represents one kind of woman they approve of. Honestly there is nothing about her that screams leading lady starting with she’s nothing to look at
this was very telling of the moron who made this video...
Exactly. She’s plain and flat-chested, which is an essential starting point. But that doesn’t seem to stop her attracting every man she wants (but doesn’t need). Perfect. And perfectly awful.
Thats so mean and for what
@@eririe1451she deserves it.
You had a good point, until you mentioned her appearance. You immediately lose any logical argument when you say so.
Fleabag probably works because she’s playing a version of herself. The easiest character for these modern women to play is the damaged, cynical, emotional woman with lots of sexual partners, nearing middle age with no kids. Put her in something else and well, we’ve seen the results
That's true, but it was also the framing that's important.
The biggest problem with girlboss characters is that they are often framed as being too good for everyone else. They're just too good for this bigotted world and shame on everyone for not acknowledging how good they are and make me wanna say "Get off my lawn!" This creates this situation where the main character becomes the vehicle to dress down people's intolerance while at the very same time being its very embodiment. She-Hulk gets angry for how she's treated by other people who underestimate her skill and down play her heard work, but then at the same time also downplays Bruce Banner's hard work. And that's framed as a good thing that's she's being so "outspoken" when in reality she's just being a terrible person.
Fleabag does the opposite. She's never dressed up as being generally too good for society. She very much isn't. And that framing makes all the difference.
It's as Oscar Wilde said. There's no such thing as an obscene story. Things are either well written or they're poorly written. That is all.
@@TheRisky9 you know, most of the time a comments section is absolute trash but once in awhile you run into people that have something really insightful to say. I have not watched the show. I only know of it
I think this line from the Dark Knight gets more apt with each passing year. "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become a villain"
You either die a Fleabag, or live long enough to become Indiana Jones
You either die a mother/homemaker or live long enough to become a cat lay
I didn't get past two episodes of Fleabag. I'm sorry to hear that she's in the new Indiana Jones. There is a smugness about her that all her acting can't cover up.
I didnt get passed one . And it didnt get a laugh from me .
She is awful
@@spmoran4703 I couldn't get pass the 5 minutes plug in this clip
the smugness is strong in this one
I never watched it, but I heard it was a comedy. Why do the clips on this video make it look so depressing?
This is such a great essay offering great insight. 👍 really enjoyed this
That was a great analysis - enjoyed that. Subscribed.
She’s like Brie Larson to me.
I personally don’t understand all the hype over them by media, Hollywood, or otherwise.
They just seem…off.
I agree.
Transpose their personality to a man, what do you get? A Andrew Tate or a Harvey Weinstein.
I wouldn't even go bowling with Harvey Weinstein but I'm supposed to be attracted to the Brie Larsons of this world...
Modern women are Andrew Tates with boobs. Once you realise that, it cannot be un-seen. They're just caricature of the male jerk.
The thing is, Andrew Tate can break your nose and Harvey Weistein is well connected... So, really, modern women are like scrawny little men who believe that they are powerful and therefore behave like jerks.
So, the reason why Hollywood likes them, is because they actually love this kind of men. It's their idea of was a strong man is, therefore, that's how they behave in order to feel strong. Basically, women do not not like the Harvey Weisteins of the world, they are jealous of them and wish to be like them.
Oh God, could you imagine the disaster of a Movie if those two were co stars
I pretty much have only seen her in Community. That was funny. Maybe the other stuff isn't in her wheelhouse...
@@user-qc2vq8wo7t I think you mistaken her for Paget Brewster. And community was funny up until the end of Season 3. Then it was EXTREMELY SAD AND PATHETIC.
It's strange how different tastes can be. Based on those clips of Fleabag and Phoebe it looks like I would find it actually painful to watch.
Painful isn't the word. She is a toxic person coming in and toxic going out.
@@noylj1 that is the point. the show depicts a very troubled person who does bad choices. the point is to show more of a real person, not anything close to a role model. the problem with modern reception is that such things are often toned down, turned into an easy-laugh joke or even glamorized.
@@noylj1 that's the show. She's meant to be a fuck up.
@@vekofoto Sir, this is UA-cam. Entry bar is really low.
@@user-gj7yt1yn9b The show was marketed as a ribald comedy, with an unlikeable character. It's only later that the relatable aspects of her character emerge. Although they too might miss the mark if the viewer isn't a woman, or already exasperated with the character. At certain points she articulates certain feelings and inadequacies that are common in us, but are probably very alien to men.
I wish I could word things as eloquently as you do. Great video !
YOU are a GREAT STORYTELLER!!! Thank you!
It's funny, I'm a woman and I really loved John Wick 4, but I tried to watch Fleabag twice and both times couldn't make it to the end of the first episode, her character was unlikable and obnoxious. But I know how popular it was so I'm never surprised to see her in every movie. I hope it doesn't last for much longer.
I can't bond with a woman who doesn't appreciate dumb action movies
@@Account.for.Comment interesting name you have there
"Account for comment"
I'm guessing you have other accounts where you do other things like maybe post videos
I am a woman who freakin' loves John Wick. And I'm...honestly, sort of tired of shows about women falling apart. It's kind of everywhere right now.
@Escorducarla Because it's not about storytelling, it's about normalizing it. They want to make it acceptable for women to destroy the world around them and then be fine, or even be rewarded with admiration afterwards.
Way too emotionally unstable for any socially functional adult
Fleabag was great, but lets not forget it was about a truly horrible person. It was like watching a trainwreck. Fun to watch, but horrible. And no one in their right mind would want that person in their life. My point is that fleabag isn't hero material and not a character that make a good leading roll. So putting her into an indy movie was completely inappropriate.
I thought that this video would be about her having rich and influential parents with a lot of connections
I'm a man, I'm an aspiring filmmaker and I am quite fascinated with women characters in movies and ....by women in general. My point is, you are truly different in many aspects, especially in the way you see the world around you...I always found it very difficult to write interesting female characters because it's just difficult to put myself into your shoes, that's why I admire GRR Martin whose female characters in aSoIaF are probably even better than the male ones.
The problem is that what we are getting now from Hollywood is just a shell of what real women feel like...ironically, by making them all flawless they feel boring and the writers come off as sexist even more in my eyes. Storytelling is about stories...yes...but it is mainly about people. It uses human experience that we can relate to and channels it for us in the form of a story. How can you expect to make a good one if you generalize half the population to be a flawless beings and the other half to be the source of all the problems and wrongdoing.
Unpopular opinion but I hated Fleabag. I found her character insufferable in that show, and I didn't see her progressing or learning from her mistakes so much as indulging in self-pity before deciding to forgive herself for destroying the lives of others. The narcissistic Phoebe that's been unleashed into Hollywood was always there in Fleabag, the self-indulgant humour and wink to the audience just made us think that she had more self-awareness than she actually does.
You and I then
I dunno man, I think the writing of Fleabag respects the audience enough to see her act this way and empathise more with the people around her than the character herself.
It's why you immediately understand the sister's "after what you did to Beau", we already knew she was capable of it.
Credit where it's due, and like it or not, I think it is really really well written. IMO.
I will say though, I think the standard of men that were after her is 1000% unrealistic, she's played the card old Hollywood did hiring hot women for the hideous men, something people like PWB protest.
People are complex
I'll be honest, I had never heard of Fleabag until recently. But of the clips played in this video, I'm 110% sure I wouldn't like it for a very petty reason. I don't like Bridge's voice.
@@WhiskyCardinalWesher voice is horrific
One thing that struck me about Fleabag was that it shined a light on how feminism just doesn’t deliver and the unhappiness it can leave in its wake. Fleabag is as sexually liberated as they come, but it leaves her empty rather than empowered. Her sister is a powerful business woman who is deeply unhappy and trapped in a horrible marriage. I love the line when Fleabag says she looks stressed and her sister answers, “Well, I’m successful, so…” Admitting that doing the things feminism taught her she should do has made her life more difficult.
These are definitely not things you’ll see discussed in Hollywood but, as you said, they really speak to the truth of modern womanhood.
Feminism isn’t about being sexually disinhibited or running a company. It’s about having the same rights socially and under the law. How you choose to use that is up to you. You could argue it’s feminist because it shows the struggle under the pressures of what it means to be a modern woman. You have to have it all, including great sex, a career, skinny thighs, a Guinea pig but that is not what makes you happy. Feminism here is in shucking that off, even if it means you’re a mess in the process.
Lol you think fleabag would be happier as a homemaker?
Fleabag is about trauma - bad parenting, loss, grief, flaws - and how they make it hard to function in a healthy way. If fleabag didn’t have feminism she’d just end up as Madame Bovary (a book you should read, by the way, if you think feminism is the root cause of female misery. Or, like, any old book ever…)
Glad they are learning how it sucks to be a man. But they get to live in both worlds, men do not.
That's a pretty heinous misinterpretation
@@LeMonsieurBananecan you stop with that lie. Feminism has never been about equal rights. Women have more rights than men.
You do a great job of summing up the issues.
last week you had less than 1k subs, now you have 12k!!! keep up the good work
Phoebe Waller-Bridge is in everything in order to give hope to awkward British brunettes everywhere.
As an awkward British brunette, I resent that remark! 🧐
@@staceya5149 Hah!
I still theorize that Kathleen Kennedy is using all these British brunettes as some sort of self-insert. You've got Daisy Ridley and Felicity Jones from the new Star Wars, and now PWB.
@@channell11 obviously Kathleen Kennedy hated bing Irish, and fancied herself as British.
kinda like how Mr. Gatz was in "The Great Gatsby".
nope, it's because Kathleen Kennedy sees her as her alter ego.
I actually know a woman who described getting railed by a cavalcade of men as 'expressing her feminism.'
Well, now she's staring down the barrel of 40, single, deeply unhappy, and showing signs of impending meltdown.
If people want to sleep around, by all means go for it, but don't try to pretend it's some grand philosophical act with no downsides.
You hear things like "Living your best life" "Exploring the world and what it has to offer" and "Getting to know yourself and your worth"
I'm a 40-year-old woman and I've never understood how it's supposed to empower me to give men what they want. I want a house in the suburbs with two kids and a dog. How is fucking a guy without 2 rings going to give me that?
@@MamaMOBI'll take this one:
Because you aren't supposed to want those things. Those desires are a false consciousness, imposed on you by the evil patriarchal capitalist system that keeps you oppressed.
To liberate your TRUE self, you need to demolish those desires by destroying the FALSE you. The best way Marxian feminists (all feminists) believe that can be done, is by giving in to your most base and disturbing desires, no matter how much doing so troubles or hurts you. Let as many men inside you as possible and you'll be physically and emotionally and spiritually fulfilled.
The pain it inflicts is a sign that it's working to reshape you into the woman on The Right Side of History.
Responsibility, family, and self-control are all signs of white and masculine oppression. Break free, sister!
(Legit explanation, said sarcastically...it's what they actually believe)
@@josephbassey1501 The irony in that is that when you control access to something (sex), it becomes worth a lot more when it's rare. If you're promiscuous you're making it less valuable. That's where women got conned by the sexual revolution. It was sold as liberating, but in reality it meant that men started getting easy access to sex while women gave up the leverage of using that access to secure commitment and resources. Now those women are waking up in their 40s finding that no man wants them outside of sex. The patriarchy wins again, lol.
@@MamaMOB Bingo. Back in the day women could leverage regular access to sex and ability to have children into securing commitment and resources from the man. If you're just giving it away for free you've got nothing to bargain with. Now guys use Tinder because you've got these empowered women giving it up without even getting dinner/date out of it. Maybe the sexual revolution was just a master plan by the patriarchy to make feminists think it was their idea. It all ties into the big lie of feminism-that women acting like men is somehow going to work or make them happier.
You made the case.
Good video.
Really entertaining video. Thanks!
You said it fleabag was about dealing with grief. The show doesn’t want you to like the character but to see that she’s truly a troubled person and is trying so hard to hold onto the family she has left. On a side note your videos are absolutely genius. Please don’t stop your work.
no, it really wasn't
@@jasonvoorhees5640 it’s called having a perspective, you can hate or love a show, people are different newsflash
Why do people want to watch a show about dealing with grief? We have enough grief and pain in our lives. I want to escape for a while.
It's quite simple really. She was a new feminist "It girl" when these projects were being green lit a few years ago and Hollywood underestimated how unsuited she was for the action-adventure genre.
So....ok. She has no background for the target audience. But KK loved her show and decided to cast her in Indiana jones...
@@nosuchthing8 Yes
Great vid 💯
I haven’t seen “Fleabag”, but I knew the second her friend committed suicide to punish her boyfriend that Fleabag slept with him. That’s not a twist ending, it’s the most obvious one.
and unbelieable one.
no man will cheat with a horse face.
@@davidjacobs8558 Well, not when horse face is close friends with the current GF. Dating apps kind of prove that successful men with bang even middling women, but not make brides of them.
@@davidjacobs8558 Well, the girlfriend ain't a beauty either. And as Fleabag's bestie, I doubt she's a gem herself. They get together with guys as profound as they are.
Yeah
@@davidjacobs8558 you don't know many men lmao
Great video. I get that content can appeal to men or women, or both. I would not like Fleabag, although that line "Well, you get all that from your mother" made me laugh out loud.
Hollywood is now written and run by insufferable people who take the worst of both worlds and make something nobody enjoys.
That was a stunning, insightful review of both Fleabag and Indian Jones. Thank you. I subscribed and upvoted.
This video is amazing. The first half with the breakdown of Fleabag actually made me want to watch a show staring and written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Well done.
Chris Gore from Film Threat said something the other day to the tune of "PWB is the sort of woman gay men in Hollywood like".
Hollywood diversity goes as far as black people and androgeny.
Let me know when arabic, chinese, korean, japanese etc are main characters.
Hollywood follows history. White women criticised white men for making men the normative experience of the past.
White women start writing history and non-white women are like "this is the same thing."
You have to check out the actual Japanese or Korean movies to find some of those actors. They are out there, but you probably have to deal with subtitles, if you can. Or things like Squid Game, Parasite, Minari, etc.
@@garyspence2128 i know
That wasnt really the point
Very good video and very good points, nicely done
Very well analyzed. Loved the comparison with Fleabag. Thank you
Phoebe Waller-Bridge is the UK version of Tessa Thompson
Well we all know how Tessa gets her roles...
Not that there's anything wrong with that....and she easier on the eyes.
Thank you for analyzing it so beautifully and accurately.
This was an informative video, I learned quite a bit.
'One victory does not make you a conqueror.'
Is Akwafina in the same category as PWB where Hollywood really wants to make them a thing?
It feels like they are pushing to have her in projects just because.
And at the expense of other talented actresses with better range and more charisma
i despise seeing akwafina in every single movie aimed at Chinese audiences or as the obligatory asian character in whatever. she clearly acts as a stereotypical black woman and it's annoying af
Another unbearable woman in a race filled with beautiful(I mean steaming hot), talented and hard working actresses.
I still want to see The Farewell. I heard good things about it.
But she's soo funnyyy
I swear the writers of these sequels and remakes are constantly asking themselves "how can we upset people the most with our choices?"
Translation: "How can we make the least amount of money with our choices".
@@marcmarc1967 And now they're on strike asking for more money. As writers, they should appreciate the irony.
We need more voices like yours! Not every film is for men nor women.
Phoebe Waller Bridge is a one hit wonder.
No, credit where it is due, she has a decent resume as far as writing/producing goes. She is just a bad choice for all of these current acting gigs because she can only play herself in a role, she isn't a character actor.
Most of her other projects are unknown in the US though, apart from KIlling Eve, which is where she actually got all her financial clout from I suspect, not Fleabag. Crashing is a much better all-round show than Fleabag but largely unknown outside the UK.
Sooo much English upper middle class , sarcastic , smarter than thou snootiness. Tiresome.
Let me know when she makes it please.
@@dohadeer8242she’s a garbage writer
@@dohadeer8242Well, she's a woman (as far as I'm aware), so she'd be an actress.
That John Wick/Fleabag example is so on point 😂
hey, I'm a guy, and I hate movies like Wick. Bang bang flicks are boring as hell.
Watching a promiscuous woman ruin her life or watching a guy go on a 4 movie murder spree over a dog? Pass
In general terms it's a good example though
@@johntabler349 It was not just his dog, it was the last reminder of his girlfriend, but they've also stoled his car, a well priced Ford Mustang.
@@jesustovar2549 I know but jeez, I remember riding on the school bus when Death Wish whatever came out joking that if Charles Bronson ran out of relatives to avenge maybe they'd do a movie where he avenges his dog or goes on a killing spree because someone keys his car turns out instead of laughing we should have copyrighted the idea
Great video, although I do have to say I was surprised to hear the same instrumental music at the end of this that is also featured in Normal World. Seems to be becoming a popular track.
You should totally do a review of Sound of Freedom. The wife of main character Tim ballard is a great example of true feminine genius. She doesn't have a huge part in the movie but the story is based on reality and it is an incredibly important story to be told.
If they ever remake The Wizard of Oz she'd make a great Wicked Witch of the West.
she's ugly enough, yes
They're going to actually, but I'm not sure of the cast.
Exactly
Fleabag is a character with zero accountablity for the concequences of her actions, even when she knows it isnt good for her she does it anyway. She cheated and led to her friend dying, she wrote that off and moved on putting it down to a "learning" experience. No, you can just not sleep with your friends boyfriend, that isnt a character flaw, it shows she is a piece of crap that doesnt even care about her supposed "best friend" whos she said she "loved".. She has zero morals as a person and felt entitled to everything and everyone. Awful character. But their are many woman like her than you think.
If you've ever met middle-class British women in their thirties, you've likely met Fleabag.
Once a cheater always a cheater.
Brilliant analysis - and much needed reflection on what is now 'valued'.
as always incredibly astute and timely... thanks for this channel hopefully it will reach the right people and not circle around the same crowd
Your analysis is flawless. Not just a criticism of the mistakes, but an explanation of what PWB's initial popularity was built on
Just another idiot with a magic key to get in everywhere
Wait, so the moral of the show is for Fleabag to forgive herself for hurting other people? How is this a good thing?
I get where you're coming from, but, genuine forgiveness is always a good thing. And, its definitely not the same as failing to be accountable or held accountable for your actions.
It's not good, it's modern
I liked most of the first season but that reveal... I hated her character from that point out. Didn't bother with the second season.
i listen to the description and thought myself , what a shitty person. i mean she really is an awful one. she doesn't deserve to forgive herself. she deserves penance.
I haven't watched the show but as @jamesrad6317 says forgiving yourself is not the same as not taking accountability.
This is one of the best videos that describes the current movie landscale. Amazing work
PWB wrote an amazing and engaging story with Fleabag. That’s worth seeing what else she can do. HOWEVER either PWB herself or Hollywood doesn’t care for the next step. Just rinse and repeat. That’s where it loses me
Phoebe may be the only actor I've ever seen who has made a "successful" run as someone truly hateable. Even her successful show, she is playing somebody I would rather leave in a park during a heavy rainstorm than hang out with. And she got typecast into that role, then inserted into scenarios where you do not want that kind of person. It's incredible.
I don't know how she is outside of the studio, but I hope she has more sense than we are led to believe. This is not a typecast she should want, and she needs to get out of it NOW. Or she's going to live the rest of her life known as "The girl we love to hate."
Ouch.
Her and that F*CKING Urkel! 🤣
she's meant to be kind of unlikeable in fleabag I think? like it's an unreliable narrator sort of thing/her perspective, not a "good" character/person
Naw. She's unwatchable.
Christopher Lee is a wonderful villain actor. Xavier Bardem is amazing as a villain. Just about anyone in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul is wonderful as a horrible character.
Those are characters we love to hate.
PWB isn't a character we love to hate. She's a character we hate to hate. And nobody loves.
Except people who cast her in movies because they have lost the concept of love and can't tell the difference between love and hate...
Any she only has one role she can play.
I've seen Karens being horrible on tiktok videos.
I've never seen one and said "I'd love to watch that for two hours as the central character of a feature film."
Yech.
That's a good way of looking at it. And that type of character isn't a bad thing. People like that are real and it is part of the human condition. The problem is the framing. She's being put in these situations and then it's framed as though its a good thing. Where in fleabag it very much isn't.
I watched Fleabag purely because late night American hosts would not shut up about it. I still don't understand why they were so enamoured with that show. She has semen leak out of her in a pub. ... I think it's because her character defied stereotypical gender norms and was decidedly "unladylike". American late night hosts saw this and commended it for social Brownie Points. Then, after giving interviews across the pond, she made some contacts within Hollywood. ... And here we are.
[Edit: Spelling error.]
I can't speak for American comedies, but we've had "unladylike" female characters for donkey's years at this point, on UK telly. It's not remotely special. One of our biggest sitcoms, Absolutely Fabulous, is about two middle aged alcoholic, chain smoking, drug users getting into trouble of their own making and falling on their arses (or into open graves) in a drunken stupor. There was Gimme Gimme Gimme in the 90s, starring Kathy Burke as the vile Linda La Hughes. Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps from the 00s starred a group of "ladette" young women.
@maxsommers6843 that explain the movie Bridget Jones. Im not sure if it appeared before or during the donkey years. Good opaque term there.
Finally, a calm, comprehensive analysis about this question (and not about Phoebe's personality)! Thank you very much for it!
IT's real shame because she is very talented. Fleas Bag is fantastic and she was also involved in writing a lot of Killing Eve, another fantastic show.
I'm the rare guy who not only likes Fleabag a lot, but just like you, I go back and rewatch it from time to time.
(To be fair, I'm also a straight guy who has Downton Abbey on constant rotation and I watch a lot of British period dramas)
Also, I'm one of few dudes that actually does find her pretty attractive.
What I think went wrong is that a lot if female executives - women in general - took all the wrong things from "Fleabag".
I think Waller-Bridge was masterfully trying to say something about the shallowness of modern metropolitan women and critique modern feminism. But a lot of those same - mostly 30 something Millennial- women instead took pride and venerated the flaws of Fleabag that she was trying to correct. It was the same energy as the previous generations doing the "that's so me" relation to the "Sex and the City" characters.
Now, because of the success of "Fleabag" both on the London Stage as a one woman show and on TV, along with the reaching of so many women with the relatibility of her writing, there's become a fashionable trend of clout involving association with Waller-Bridge. Both from London based actresses and female Hollywood Executives.
And because of her ability to reach women and because "Me Too" has placed so many opprotunist female executives in charge of male franchises. They think that Waller-Bridge is some ticket to a make believe untapped female audiences for these male dominated franchises.
So they've dumped a ton of money at her doorstep to do projects that she isn't exactly qualified for. But 20 million dollars is 20 million dollars, and is she not supposed to take it and fake it like anyone else?
I don't think she's to blame as it is the clout chasers that keep setting her up to fail by giving her projects she isn't right for.
I've never seen Fleabag, but I'm a straight guy who actually loves period dramas and especially european/british.
Perhaps she should get together with some other people who keep getting 20 million payouts for things they are not suited for (??)
There's a reason why she's is referred as Fleabag, she's the same character that left her own show and crossing over into other entertainment in search for validation without facing judgmental.
I think one of the best scenes in Fleabag are the scenes with Hugh Dennis Banker, because he is a man who made harsh mistakes and mistreated his female colleagues and he gets redeemed for it, because he came to terms with that and wants to leave that behind and start again. Fleabag has a nice balance of drama, comedy, deadpan humor and an overall good message. PWB in Hollywood has been stripped of everything that made Fleabag great in the first place and i have no idea how that was possible.
Great work, love it
Phobe Waller-Bridge = Melissa Mccarthy. It doesn't matter what role they have in a production, producer, writer, actor, etc., if their name is in anyway associated with it, it is the kiss of death.
She was good enough in Mike & Molly
I think the difference is that McCarthy is just a "taste" issue. I don't care for her most of the time, but I think it's because of how she acts and the projects she's in.
PWB seems to project her own nasty, unbearable personality and beliefs onto characters.
Spy was funny
Melissa McCarthy has a place in certain things. She fills the the "It's funny because she's fat" trope, while also being crass and unapologetic. It works for some things, but it also gets tiresome real quick.
@@channell11 She can also be really sweet and endearing IF the writing and directing allows for it.
As I recall, she got to do this a little bit in Bridesmaids.
Your praise for Fleabag made me almost want to check out the show. Key word being "almost". I'll stick with my violence and explosions for the time being.
I will sit with my wife and watch Hallmark Mysteries anytime (though I prefer John Wayne movies) but Fleabag sound like well written torture with descent production value
I love your videos so much, dear Baggage Claim. Love from Russia for your intelligent, smart, insightful videos❤
That scene in season 2 was most frightening for me, I just saw Mr. Moriarty in that scene.
Season 2 was just awesome.
I'm glad I heard your opinion about the fleabag show, I don't know why they are trying to throw writers/stars from shows/movies that are complete opposite of what the target audience would be seeking. Personally I'm really not big on tv shows/movies with unlikable characters that you have to grow to like (unless your laughing at em like in The Office) regardless if they are male or female (I couldn't get into Barry on HBO) but for them to try to inject this into Indiana Jones, James Bond and Tomb Raider it doesn't work and you're asking for the target audience to go away.
Simple answer:
Hollywood is out of ideas and resorts to tricks. Sadly, they've got only one trick right now: DEI.
As for PWB, she is actually funny. What she needs to do, is write original scripts and projects. Fleabag was an original idea, that had some influences from her own life.
The golden rule : Write what you know!
Every writer has their genre. Hollywood doesn't see that.
Very great breakdown of Fleabag. Such a beautiful show indeed!
As a woman, I grew up loving Crocodile Dundee, Indiana Jones and latterly watching the Matt Smith and David Tennant eras of Doctor Who with my teenage daughters. So many studios have become so overwhelmingly patronising by thinking that they need to patronise women by creating these two-dimensional female characters and leaden scripts - we are just normal humans who want good writing, well-rounded characters and clever, entertaining plots! We are not weird, sensitive pot plants who can only survive with a particular kind of highly filtered water and minimal sunlight.
You are becoming my favorite creator on UA-cam… your views compliment how most of us feel in a way that is extremely satisfying.
I only heard of Fleabag after Solo, so I wasn't keen to look it up, but after this I might just to see what she is capable of, when there isn't a already established male character to tear down.
Indiana Jones and 007 were male fantasy figures that gave boys, young and old, a few hours escape from reality. The female counterpart was Elizabeth Bennett and just about every rom-com and costume drama. They all have pretty unrealistic characters and relationship in common. I just don't understand why men aren't allowed to have their old fantasy stories anymore?
I mean if it's all about fighting "toxic masculinity" we shouldn't have Phoebe here displaying the very worst elements of it and proclaim it the GOAT.
Elizabeth Bennet, one literature’s strongest, most intelligently rendered female characters. Sure, dude 😂
@@sampal5352 Yeah sure.
And how many women like her have you personally meet in your life?
She is, in her own way, as gifted and simply lucky as James Bond. - Or he is as gifted and lucky as her, if you prefer. Her being the senior.
I didn't even know who this woman or Fleabag was before all the Indy 5 publicity.