‘Dollface’ Turns the Hypocrisies of Femininity Into a Funny Good Time

Jordan Weiss’ Dollface starts as a show about a woman who can’t get anything right. Throughout the Hulu series’ first season the hapless Jules (Kat Dennings) is criticized for not being enough of a feminist, for being so feminist that she’s overly judgmental, for being too boring, for trying too hard to be fun, for being too independent, for not being assertive enough. No matter what’s going on it seems that Jules is always wrong when it comes to her own femininity. And despite how calculatedly wrong this notion is, few other ideas feel as true as that when it comes to being a woman.

When we first meet Jules, she barely qualifies as her own person. She’s completely wrapped up in the life of her jerk of a boyfriend, so much so that when he dumps her on the side of the road she has to return his sweatshirt. It’s when a literal cat woman drives up beside her with a bus full of crying women that the magic realism of this world begins. It is Cat Lady’s (Beth Grant) job to guide Jules back to a place where she can talk to other woman. That’s a feat that’s easier said than done.

Once Jules breaks free from relationship world, she learns that all of her female friendships have expired. Literally. That’s what Season 1 mostly covers, Jules desperately trying to mend things between the two best friends she’s ignored for half a decade. It’s through these friendships with the intensely type-A Madison (Brenda Song), the perpetually cool party girl Stella (Shay Mitchell), and hyperactive newbie Izzy (Esther Povitsky) that Dollface blossoms into something truly lovely.

Dollface is packed with gripping and funny imagery that wonderfully reflects distinctly feminine insecurities. At one point Jules has to physically run after the cool girls table as it slides away from her. At another her decision about whether she should stay in or attend Madison’s work event is turned into a gameshow with all options pointing to the same answer: yes, she needs to go to the weird vegan chef party.  These over-the-top moments are reminiscent of Simon Rich’s Man Seeking Woman. But it’s Dollface‘s friendships that transform it into something richer.

No matter how over-the-top or ridiculous any woman in Dollface may seem, there is always pathos to their madness. Yes, Stella is effortlessly cool but she’s also smart with aspirations for something bigger in her life. Madison may be controlling but every criticism and question comes from a place of wanting her friends to be their best selves. Even Jules’ Gwyneth Paltrow-esque boss, who is head of a company that looks eerily similar to the women-only co-working space The Wing, isn’t an angelic monster. She’s just impulsive and a bit too ethereal to be approachable.

None of these women attack or rebuke Jules when she fails to do what they expect. That would miss the point that there is not one definite way to be a woman. There are a million, and all are valid. That more than all else is the lesson Jules struggles with the most when it comes to Girl World.

Kat Dennings excels as our overwhelmed entry into Dollface. As relatable as Dennings makes Jules with her love of Snuggies and creased eyebrows about bizarre new rules, she also adds desperation to the role. Yeah, this show is weird, and no, not everything makes sense, but it’s clear that Jules desperately needs the support and empowerment of this world. She already belongs in the selfless, kind bubble of female friendship. That’s a given and this world has no problems with her. She just needs to stop looking down at the women around her, realize the good of this community, and stop fighting against it.

Dollface starts as a show about a woman who can’t do anything right in the world of woman, but of course none of that is actually true. As the show progresses all of the arbitrary rules Jules’ friends seem insistent on enforcing are just that — arbitrary. There is no right or wrong way to be a woman in the world. There is no binding contract that states you must accompany your friends to the bathroom or go to a certain amount of brunches a month. Being there and actually showing up for friends is the only thing that counts. Dollface isn’t a mockery of the countless “rules” that are related to being a perfect (presumably) straight woman in 2019. It’s an exploration of how these rituals and relationships keep us all sane in a time filled with countless hypocritical expectations.

Dollface premieres on Hulu on Friday, November 15.

Watch Dollface on Hulu