Given that the Pixar SparkShorts are highly personal from their individual creators, Purl stands out as a surprisingly fascinating commentary. Not only does it satirize the workforce's flaws of discrimination towards women, but it might actually be a subtle jab at the boy's club mentality within the animation industry. The film tells the story of an earnest yarn ball named Purl who gets a job at a fast-paced male-centric company, thus forcing her to fit in with the group as something she is not. If that doesn't symbolize a lot of women's roles working in the competitive industry, then I don't know what else does.

What's really interesting is that this short was based on life experiences from its creator, Kristen Lester, a veteran Pixar story artist who was often the only female storyteller on feature films before coming to said studio. Lester stated that she had to "sort of became one of the guys" in order to fit in, which is still very prevalent amongst the common "bro culture" in certain work forces, with the short's company literally entitled B.R.O. Capital. These key notes help portray the seemingly fluffy and cute Purl as a fish out of water in a modern and aggressive male-dominated occupation. In addition, Lester really nailed down the themes of hiding your identity just to fit in, which can severely affect anyone from childhood to even adulthood. No matter how much you may want to be apart of a certain group, it will never be worth it if it means to strip away what makes you as an individual. What's funny is that, without spoiling anything, the short subverts what could happen when you venture into toxic masculinity, standing as a healthy reminder for future companies to take careful notice.

As for other cool aspects, the animation does a good job at portraying a realistic world with pseudo-natural humans to contrast well with the simplistic cartoony Purl. What's even more interesting is that Purl's movements are choppy yet broad compared to all the humans around her, almost like she belongs in another world (which actually compliments the short's themes). On a side note, all the voices were performed by Pixar staff members, including veteran animator Bret Parker as Purl, and one can tell they had a lot of fun in the recording studio portraying their respected counterparts. The voices help give the short a more authentic feel to the short's relatable tone, whether you're into bro-talk or have been in a similarly isolated position like Purl. Lastly, it is a nice added bonus for the short to be more edgy than most Pixar products, complete with mild swearing and innuendos. It's nice for a short film to appeal to a broad audience that still coming with teeth to bite off of, something we could use more of in today's entertainment.

With a brisk albeit strong commentary on the workforce, let alone in animation, Purl is surprisingly more timeless in its message than at first expected. In this day and age of sexual harassment and discrimination being brought to light much more than ever before, this short has the potential as a stepping stone for the importance of inclusivity and diversity in otherwise alienating workforces. They say it's never too late to change, and that's why through brilliant works like this, people can prosper through welcoming others in companies and other social gatherings for the benefit of a better future.

Purl is the symbol of misrepresented community in a white male dominated workplace. She adapt and changed to finally make a difference that include everyone to achieve their dreams.

It's theme and message apt for praise but the delivery could've been better if they did put more effort.

Watched it with my 8 year old. Then I had to rewatch when I read people complaining that Purl curses because I didn't catch it the first time. I asked my son if he heard the bad word and he responded "wait, there was a curse word?!" The jokes and swear word went right over his head. I can't help but laugh at how offended people are getting over this.