Moxie's Feminism

Moxie, directed by Amy Poehler, hit home for me. It’s about sexism in a high school, and I still remember several sexist incidents that happened to me as a high school student back in days of yore. I thought such situations would have been relegated to history by now. But Poehler’s contemporary dramedy, based on a novel by Jennifer Mathieu, makes me wonder if anything has changed much. Yes, I know the film uses lots of exaggeration for entertainment purposes. And yet, what’s happening on screen cries out to be believed.

In this high school, boys rule the roost.

What do girls need? A great big boost!

One girl decides to write her rage

and secretly on each ‘zine page.

 

Her chosen nom de plume “Moxie”

calls down sexism; don’t you see?

It soon stirs up a hornet’s nest

 but brings more fairness and that’s best.  

 

Serious theme with comic turn,

“Moxie” includes a lot to learn.

Not just for girls but guys also.

The more you know, the more you grow.

It’s a pleasure watching how “Moxie” and her ‘zines result in a feminist movement uniting the girls at Rockport High School without her real identity being discovered. The enjoyable background music also adds to the fun -- and all’s well that ends well, as Shakespeare once wrote. Or was that Moxie?            

(Released by Netflix and rated “PG-13” by MMPA.)