Celebrate women in STEM, and by that we mean watch the #MadeOniPad music video for “brutal” by Olivia Rodrigo. Directed by Petra Collins, the high-femme fantasy is soured by the literally ankle-breaking work of being a woman, even at Rodrigo’s fresh-faced 18. Aesthetically taking after Rina Sawayama’s “XS,” Rodrigo plays all of the parts the of machine. She’s the young celebrity being “exploited,” the newscasters sensationalizing it all, and the disillusioned teen absorbing all of these mixed messages through her iPhone. In one scene, she breaks down on IG Live as “spiceypiscesnyc” and watches it all go down as a teen girl in her room with an oblivious boy (played by Nico Hiraga). Panic sets in (where else?) in the middle of traffic and ends with Rodrigo on top of a hood, stopping cars with her backup ballerinas. You know what’s really brutal? Having to weigh the pure elation of a teen girl getting to rage against society in front of the world with the #BrutalMasks functioning as Apple ads in every scene. At least the costume budget reflects the ethical costs! Watch Olivia Rodrigo, Lukas Gage, and more guest stars in the “brutal” video above.
