I can't fall asleep because I'm thinking about how the ending to each girl's story in The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (the movie) are actually kind of messed up.

Like, I used to think it was a pretty empowerig movie, helping girls deal with big issues. But looking back, I'm not so sure. Let's go one by one, using actress's names cuz I don't remember the character names.

First, America Ferrara. Her big iasue is her dad leaving and starting a new family. Tough stuff to deal with already, but it's even worse because her soon-to-be-stepmom is a uppity white lady always dressed in pastels.

New stepmom is such a upper middle class, hispanic maid having, can I talk to your manager, smiles while she's talking down on you, kinda racist Karen. America's dad has abandoned his nonwhite daughter for the white picket fence family. And yet...

In the end, guess who has to be the bigger person? America Ferrara, y'all. She has to forgive her dad for leaving AND embrace the stepmom. ALL without getting an apology or ackonledgement from either of them how fucked up it all is. Bad.

Next, Amber Tamblyn. She's the working class girl who didn't get a fun summer vacay, just a shitty retail job. She's a bit of a nihilist, thinks everyone dumb and eveything pointless. She might be an anticapitalist in the making if it weren't for berplot device; cancer kid.

Now imagine you're sixteen, and just started to see how fucked up the whole world is, you start to voice complaints, and then bam! A kid walks into your life and says "Oh, you think your life sucks? I've got cancer. How's that for unfair?" Well, shit...

So your boss is unfair to you, so what? Kid's got cancer. Some customer sexually harasses you, big deal! Kid's got cancer. You starting to recognize the class disparities around you, and wih you could protest but. Oh danv, kid's got cancer, stop your fucking complaining.

What an effective way to silence that young woman. Kid's got cancer, you don't get to complain anymore.

On to Alexis Bledel. Little Rory Gilmore's only problem seems to be, um, she's a bit meek? Kinda shy and quiet, a bit prudish maybe? Are these even problems? Well, the movie thinks so. And guess who has to save her; a hot older boy!

TBF, I can't remember how old his character is supposed to be compared to her, I feel like he's in his twenties though. And she is like 16. That's pretty gross right there. But let's pretend for sake of argument they are closer in age.

Over and over this boy attempts to get intimate with her, and when she resists he accuses her of being afraid of "love". But let's be real fucking clear that that is NOT what she is afraid of, or what he is even talking about. Love = sex.

Alexis Bledel has love. Plenty of it. She love sher friends and her family, even all these distant relatives she barely knows shower her in love. She's got love coming out her ears. She doesn't even resist having a relationship with him, it's just the intimacy she's resists.

As she has every fucking right to resist. SHE'S SIXTEEN AND CLEARLY NOT READY. Leave her be!

She eventually buys the lie that sex=love and gives in to him, and it's portrayed as true love! Of course! How convenient at 16 to have already found true love. (A case could be made that it's only a summer fling, but I don't remember what happens in the sequel with them) :P

Last but certainly not least is Blake Lively. This poor poor girl, still traumatized and grieving over her mother's mental illness and resultig death, and her father is so emotionally distant he may as well be a stranger. Her coping method of choice? Hyper sexuality.

At her soccer camp in a foreign country (is this even a real thing?) She develops a crush on one of the adult camp counselors, he's twenty something. I hate so much of this, ugh, anyway, she makes every effort to seduce him and finally succeeds.

But, it isn't what she expects it to be. She kind of hated it, and now hates herself, and really wants to talk to her mom. When the rest of the sisyerhoid learns what's happened and how badly it made her feel theg swoop in to rescue her emotionally. They do a pretty good job tbh.

I kind of wished her story had ended right there at the slumber party. All the friends together supporting one another, but then we get the most disusting addendum i've ever seen.

Soccer camp counselor dude finds her, and he apologizes. But then she apologizes right back. And the whole thing gets played off like a silly mistake, he even jokes about calling her when she's 18. (Horrified barfing)

I can only imagine this good guy twist was a male executive's idea. He could have easily stayed just some fucking creep that took advantage, and Blake Lively could have gone to therapy and that be that. Ugh.

I just, idk, it feels weird to think of that movie as a lil feminist gem when it is so about shutting down women, silencing them, and forcing them to conform to a shit system. They all arguably have lost some autonimy by the end of the film. Sad really. :(

I still love it though, can't lie, would watch it again right now. All four leads are amazing and lovable, even little cancer girl (who is hilarious in Atypical on Netflix, if you haven't seen it, another kinda problematic fav).

Don't even talk to me about the sequel. It. Does. Not. Exist.