“Girls should not be punished for a boy’s lack of self-control,” junior Isabella Chau said about the new movie “Moxie”. Moxie tells a story about teenage girls, and their fight to be treated respectfully and equally by the boys at their school. 

Many girls struggle with sexism and harassment in their daily life, especially high school girls. The movie “Moxie” gave everyone a peek into the issues that girls deal with, whether it is in school or out in the world. 

Educator Jill Tinkham thought it was an honest reflection of how society continues to ignore the blaring sexism in daily life. 

These issues are not just because of other students, but also the school and faculty. Schools enforce rules like dress codes that really only apply to girls, and these dress codes are meant to keep “distractions” minimized. Just like in “Moxie”, real high schools dress code girls wearing outfits they deem too revealing. 

Chau believes, “These rules right now are completely unfair to girls, and put way more restrictions on what girls can wear” and barely any restrictions on what guys are able to wear. 

Although “Moxie” did reveal the issues that women face, it also had a message behind it that empowered women. The girls in the movie did not stand up for themselves for a long time, but that did not help change anything for them. The main character, Vivian, started writing zines that inspired the girls to stand up for themselves, and what is right.

“The message was that staying silent and just taking it won’t help anyone. It was trying to inspire girls, especially younger girls to stand up for themselves and what’s right,” senior Mira Williams said. 

Even though the target audience was the younger generation, the movie also serves as a great reminder for educators. Teachers and other staff members do try to prevent bullying and harassment, but sometimes they fall short. In the movies, when the character, Lucy, tries to report harassment the principal warns her to not use that word, and basically says “boys will be boys”. It’s understanding that usually teachers can not do much, or just do not have enough proof, but sometimes teachers do need to get a little more involved and help show that they are on students’ side.

Tinkham said educators need to teach about women and the contributions women make in our world – and not just during women’s history month. They need to break down barriers and raise women’s voices. 

“Moxie” not only includes the feminist movement but also tried to include race and identity as well. Adding race, although not a lot, helps point to another big issue people face. It showed powerful, confident women of color, but also timid, unsure characters of color as well. Moxie held a wide range of characters, as well as a diverse cast that gave representation to people of color. 

“They definitely could’ve taken race into account, since it’s such a big issue. Like stereotypes, slurs, and other comments are hurtful,” Williams said. However, she gets that it was mostly based on women empowerment, which she’s okay with. 

All things considered, “Moxie” was a great movie to help bring attention to racism, sexism, and just your average growing up problems. It showed that no matter how little the change is it’s still a step forward, and no matter what, do not sit silently. Stand up for what’s right, even if it’s hard.

“We should try, fail, learn, and get better with any issues that we may come to face as teenagers now or later in life as adults,” Chau said. 

The movie Moxie was another step forward to raise awareness about hard issues like women’s oppression, and hopefully, inspire people to work towards change.