With seven wins, La La Land broke Golden Globe records, edging out other nominees like Lion and Moonlight, far more topically significant and socially relevant films. When Oscar nominations are announced on January 24, we can expect another cascade of nods and accolades for Damien Chazelle's nostalgic musical vehicle for Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. I get it, America wants to be entertained. I was entertained, too. It was great fun watching candy-colored sets and beautiful people flailing their limbs, and I didn’t think about politics for two hours, which, in itself, is worth the price of a ticket and popcorn. But by the end, I was bitterly disappointed by the movie's latently sexist assumptions and its dated portrayals of gender stereotypes. The film follows the story of two young, talented, and driven artists — Sebastian (Gosling), a musician, and Mia (Stone), an actor. The movie starts off well in terms of parity between the two; Sebastian and Mia mutually support and encourage each other in their creative dreams. In a refreshing break from Hollywood norms, their romance is fueled by genuine connection and creative ambition, not quick sex and imbalanced power. It is even fairly feminist in that Mia instigates the relationship, pursuing Sebastian several times until he allows himself to be won. But as the movie progresses, its division of focus along gender lines becomes troublingly skewed. Sebastian’s story line is devoted to his musical talent, passion, and expertise. Mia’s story, and the majority of her screen time, centers on her relationship to Sebastian and her support of his art. We see Sebastian at his piano, creating, composing, practicing. We see his gigs and venues and meet his bosses and collaborators. We’re witness to his creative struggle and dedication up close, and we see him in at least a half a dozen shows. But the only glimpses we get of Mia acting are a few failed auditions. Mia watches Sebastian play, but he never watches her act — he doesn’t even come to her show. We learn a whole lot about jazz, and Sebastian’s passionate thoughts on it. But what do we learn about acting, and Mia's relationship to her craft? Sebastian mansplains jazz to Mia, but when does he take the time to consider Mia's passion? The production and execution of Mia’s one-woman show remain conspicuously absent from the movie. Sebastian convinces her she can put up a show, and there are a few scenes of her typing and arranging papers, but that’s it. We don’t see Mia in Paris, where she supposedly gets her big break. We don’t know what kinds of roles she takes, or if she’s creatively fulfilled. The majority of her scenes show Mia relating — being a great girlfriend. We watch her big, loving eyes as she listens to Sebastian play, compassionately supports him in his decision-making, and attends his concerts, eventually getting lost in the crowds.