BoJack the Feminist is the fourth episode of Season 5 of BoJack Horseman, and the 52nd episode overall. It premiered with the rest of Season 5 on September 14, 2018.
Synopsis
When Princess Carolyn casts a disgraced celeb in Philbert, BoJack inadvertently takes a stand. Mr. Peanutbutter tries to toughen up his image.
Plot
The episode opens, with a montage, of actor Vance Waggoner's scandalous behavior and remarks. In the present, Flip and Princess Carolyn want to cast him as Philbert's partner, Fritz.
Princess Carolyn has dinner with Vance. She tells him about Philbert and he agrees to star in it and reveals he's getting the lifetime achievement at the We Forgive You Awards, a Forgivie.
Princess Carolyn then remarks he must have a really good publicist. She also says, once he starts in Philbert his career will be revived, and offers will start rolling in.
At Girl Croosh, Stefani tells Diane in disgust with the news of Vance getting a Forgivie. Diane is also disgusted by this. Stefani wants Diane to go the award show to take Vance down and do some "Hollywoo hob-nobbing," and ask BoJack why Vance is going to star on his new show—a fact that shocks Diane.
Mr. Peanutbutter is hosting the red carpet at the Forgivies. Princess Carolyn comes along, and Mr. Peanutbutter asks her about the reboot of a movie. Princess Carolyn tells him that he isn't tough enough for the role. Mr. Peanutbutter decides to try and toughen up his image.
BoJack, Diane, and Princess Carolyn sit at a table at the show. Diane questions Princess Carolyn, about her decision to hire Vance, and what kind of message that sends.
Princess Carolyn says the industry is screwed up, and they need a big star. As they argue, BoJack takes some cheese from a cheese plate. When Vance goes on stage to accept his award, BoJack sniffs the cheese, and makes a disgusted face. They catch it on camera, and the news claims that BoJack refused to forgive Vance, at the Forgivies.
At VIM, Vance is upset with Princess Carolyn, because the whole point of the award was for people to stop talking about his past; and now because of BoJack, everyone is talking about his past. BoJack retorts back, that they should've had better cheese, at the award show. Princess Carolyn assures Vance, that they'll fix everything, by having BoJack go on TV to clear everything up.
Mr. Peanutbutter goes to WhatTimeIsItRightNow, telling Todd, that Hollywoo producers don't think he's tough enough. He asks Todd to teach him how to be tough.
BoJack goes on the show The Squawk and tries to explain what happened, however, the hosts don't really let him speak; but he ends up taking a stand against Vance due to the positive reception it gets. This angers Princess Carolyn. After she calls Vance, and he tells her he's not doing Philbert anymore, since he did indeed get better offers. She then tells BoJack "they're gonna take Vance down."
Princess Carolyn brings Diane and BoJack together in her office. She tells them that she brought them together because with Diane's feminist brain and BoJack's male face they can actually say things that people will listen to.
Mr. Peanutbutter realizes that they need video evidence of him being tough. He approaches a rhino smoking a cigarette and tries to get in his face, and he tries his cigarette away. Unfortunately, the rhino doesn't get mad at Mr. Peanutbutter, but thanks him for getting him to stop smoking.
Diane tries to teach BoJack, about the media cycle, and how pop culture normalizes things—for good and bad. However, BoJack is bored and doesn't really take it seriously. Diane gives up and tells BoJack to just sprinkle in a few words like "intersectionality" or "micro-aggressions" and Vice News will name him Feminist of the Year.
Diane leaves and goes to her car. Inside waiting for her is Ana, who wants her to stop harassing Vance because he's her client. Diane goes off on Ana, saying all Hollywoo does is let men like Vance off the hook over and over again. As a result, they never learn, and people who support them are culpable for their actions. Ana calmly tells Diane, she's given her a lot to think about, and leaves.
BoJack is on MSNBSea when he learns that Vance came out as a feminist, and says he left BoJack's new show Philbert because it was sexist.
Todd takes Mr. Peanutbutter to the baddest bar in Hollywoo, where the paparazzi birds are waiting outside. Mr. Peanutbutter tries to be tough with them, shoving them into some trash cans, but actually cures them of their ailments.
BoJack and Diane are at Diane's apartment looking over the scripts for Philbert. BoJack tries explaining the plot lines to Diane, admitting he doesn't understand them either—but what's important right now is to prove their not sexist. However, Diane says they are sexist, but BoJack counters he has to go on a show saying they aren’t, and he wants her to tell him what to say.
Diane admits what Vance said was right, Philbert is trying to deconstruct toxic masculinity, but it's just using that as an excuse to relish in its own excesses. She then vents about how more people will watch Philbert than read anything she writes, and how being a woman isn't just a hobby, and men get a lot more advantages than women do.
BoJack tries to cheer her up, saying they can promote feminism and destroy the patriarchy, if they take down Vance. Diane tells BoJack in a resigned tone, to say whatever he wants, and asks him to leave because she has work to do.
BoJack is on Deep Dive with A Ryan Seacrest Type. BoJack tries to explain how the audience isn't supposed to like Philbert as a character, or agree with anything he does, and realizes that what the show is doing is normalizing Philbert's behavior.
BoJack leaves and goes to Diane's. He asks her to come work with Flip on the show, to make it something that they can all be proud of. BoJack tells her that this is her chance to change society for the better. Diane says that nothing she does causes any real change to happen, but BoJack says that she changed him.
Mr. Peanutbutter goes into the bar. He tries to be tough once more, but it doesn't work out again. Instead, he gets cheered, for keeping them informed. Mr. Peanutbutter decides he isn't cut out to be a tough guy.
Meanwhile, Flip and Princess Carolyn are trying to think of another actor to be Philbert's partner, Fritz. This time, Flip wants someone who everyone likes, and has no baggage. Princess Carolyn gets a call from Mr. Peanutbutter, which gives her the idea to cast him as Fritz.
Diane arrives onset, but Flip tells her to just sit in his office, don't bother him, and collect her paycheck; and get recognition for being a woman working on a TV show so that people won't think it's sexist.
Diane sits in her car, where Ana is waiting for her again. She tells Diane she was right about Vance, as he created another controversy. Ana dropped him, he's finished with show business, for a few years—until the public decides to forgive him yet again. Ana also tells Diane, she was right about how men are always given cover for the bad things they do, over and over again.
She pulls out a tape recorder and tells Diane to listen; it's the recording of BoJack telling Heather, the Manatee Fair writer, about what he almost did to Penny in New Mexico from Start Spreading The News.
Cast
| Actor | Character | |
|---|---|---|
| Will Arnett | ... | BoJack Horseman |
| Amy Sedaris | ... | Princess Carolyn |
| Aaron Paul | ... | Todd Chavez |
| Alison Brie | ... | Diane Nguyen |
| Paul F. Tompkins | ... | Mr. Peanutbutter |
Trivia
- The eyewitness of the champagne flute incident received Mr. Peanutbutter's autograph in the pilot. In Ruthie she works at a jewelry store as a shop girl.
- MSNBSea Tickers:
- Buffalo buffalo sues buffalo buffalo for buffaloing buffalo buffalo
- Jerk chicken wins humanitarian award
- Victims' families breathe sigh of relief as authorities declare mass shooting by white man "not terrorism"
- Department of Education mandates black boards be replaced with woke white boards
- Beloved comedian graciously dies before truth of his horrible past comes to light
- No-More-Excuses Guy from What Time Is It Right Now is seen in a bar with Vance Waggoner.
Intro Differences
- Gina now appears in BoJack's house, first standing in the living room, then eating an apple in the kitchen.