‘Girls5eva’ Star Busy Philipps on Women ‘Reclaiming’ Their Narrative Amid Britney Spears’ Conservatorship (Exclusive)

Cleverly balancing the satire of millennial pop with camp and an appreciation for sugary songcraft, Girls5eva has proven to be a heartfelt success for Peacock thanks to its outstanding writing, even earning its first Emmy nomination for creator Meredith Scardino ahead of this year’s ceremony. But while the series follows a ’90s girl group reuniting after 20 years with new music and a more cognizant image following the exploitation of female artists like Britney Spears or the Spice Girls, the series slickly underscores sexist tropes often disguised as female empowerment tools by way of objectification during the Y2K era, something series star Busy Philipps admits is a “Memento” moment for women everywhere.

In an exclusive with Girls5eva star Philipps ahead of Self-Care Day on July 24 in collaboration with Oui by Yoplait and Essie nail polish, the best-selling author admits women acknowledging this change in dialogue and becoming more cognizant amid such news stories across a changing tide in conversation over the past few years is more than welcome, especially as her show is a “satirical sort of look back at the way that women, especially in entertainment in the ’90s were sort of objectified, but by way of trying to tell them that it was empowering.”

“I think collectively, especially the entertainment industry, many women are having that Memento moment where they put together the pieces of the past and they’re like, ‘Wait a minute. That actually wasn’t okay. What? How did that — what?’” Philipps said when drawing parallels between the show’s characters fighting back against their old manager Larry and Spears regaining her independence amid an abusive conservatorship forced by her father, Jamie Spears.

Philipps adds that having a comedy dealing with the weighty discussion behind the misogynistic culture that built girl groups is an “important” and “big” one to have all these years later. “I think the way that Tina Fey and Meredith and the rest of the writers and everybody handles it is really perfect,” she said. “[And] reclaiming your narrative in your forties and telling the people who told you, fed you lies about yourself, that they can just keep walking.”

While the show has launched into a smart, pointed satire that has fast become a favorite among viewers and welcome addition to our binge-watching routines, Philipps is ensuring we put ourselves first for International Self-Care Day taking place July 24 with the help of OuiFresh Kits from Oui by Yoplait and Essie nail polish. With the world speeding up again and life returning to a sense of normalcy, Philipps is encouraging everyone to take a moment to themselves for what she touts as a “super fun” collaboration with her “favorite yogurt” brand and nail polish.

The two brands, Yoplait and Essie, are partnering to create 1,000 OuiFresh kits for their OuiFresh sweepstakes featuring six Essie nail polishes, each inspired by a corresponding Oui flavor — all packaged in an upscale refrigerated tote that doubles as an accessory. From now through July 22 at 3 p.m. ET, go to @Ouibyyoplait on Instagram to learn how you can enter the #OuiFreshYourselfSweeps for a chance to win a OuiFresh kit delivered to your doorstep on July 23, just in time for Self-Care Day.

The OuiFresh kits also offer easy ways to create delicious, fun self-care moments during their day, as well as a guide for how to upcycle the Oui yogurt glass pots to store manicure and pedicure utensils and create the perfect colorful Essie French manicure as seen by Philipps in our PopCulture.com interview. “[I] genuinely love the yogurt so much. All of the flavors in there are so bright, and I like the really tart ones too and also in the kit are my own tips and tricks of how to remember to prioritize self-care, and also how to do this rainbow tip manicure that I did here,” she said. “Which, by the way, full disclosure, I didn’t do — I actually had my nail girl do it with the Essie colors, but it’s super cute, and you can do it at home. I believe in you. I love the colors. The colors are so awesome, and they match the Oui by Yoplait. I love it.”