herpinkshades

[herpinkshades]

Seeing this episode of ways of seeing by John berger was eye opening, to the concept of gaze, not only did it open my eye on the male gaze in art, but it brought to my attention to investigate my very own gaze, and how I view the world, through my ~pink shades~.

[herpinkshades]

[herpinkshades]

Regina George.

The OG mean girl.

Growing up, I’ve always hated characters like regina, the spoiled, entitled, full of herself type of girl whose main role was probably to make the protagonist’s life a hell pit.

However, the more I grew up, I started see that these characters were purposefully demonized, and as a a girl, growing up, if you wanted to be the main character, you had to pick a side.

Do you want to be the mean girl? Taking in accountability her entire persona, glam, popularity and sass? Or are you going to be the mysterious, misunderstood kind girl who ends up fixing Regina’s past trauma?

It is funny how it just had to be that way, as if girls who are actually nice and supportive to their friends can never co-exist as popular cheerleaders. Like it is something of another universe..

[herpinkshades]

We’ve all fell into the trap of being a pick me at some point, the ironic misogynistic point of view targeted to women from an early age would find it’s way to get to you in a way or another.

The funny thing is, the same men who shun women for being the “typical” female, are the same ones who admire those women and run after them. Being a girl myself, most media I grew up with was promoting a type of competition between women, the more you’re “different” the more all other women fail to compare to you.

Instead of letting every women embrace her femininity the way she desires to without having to bring down other women.

I’ve always thought to myself, why have such an idea been sold for so long? Is it out of boredom? Is it some sort of passive aggression towards women? Are men subconsciously trying to make sure that women don’t become “too powerful” so that they are still always seeking male validation?

So many questions to ask, however, in my blog, I will only be focusing the divas who embrace their femininity and own it!

[herpinkshades]

Marilyn Monroe. The Siren.

You can never think of a classical feminine persona without one of her images popping in your head.

Her legacy lives long, not only was she an icon of sex and glamour in the 1950s and 1960s, but she is yet an icon till this day. Little did the smart, charming girl know she’d be an idol for many.

No matter what your artistic background is, you must recognize this pop art piece of Marilyn from somewhere, the internet, a random billboard or even your local hair salon.

Her blonde hair, red lips and mole are evident signifiers of femininity. Many girls still recreate her look for a “classic feminine” look. Her look may even be the feminine stereotype, however, this is what makes it even more subconsciously appealing to many women.

It wasn’t only her looks that made her that famous, but also her attitude. Her soft spoken words, the way she was fearlessly presenting her exaggerated feminine appearance. She was a mix of both playful, and seductive. No shame in showing her sexually flirtatious attitude. She embraced her feminine side and highlighted her feminine qualities to the most. From being funny, kind and smart to being the glamorous star desired by all. This, according to the 9 archetypes of seductions is the Siren.

[herpinkshades]

I couldn't think of a better way to start off my blog than featuring a song by the icon herself, LDR. For me, and I believe many other Gen-Z and millennial girls, Lana represented a big part of the feminine persona for us. I related to how she viewed her world and reflected on her take on her life, relationships, and self -which is pretty messy and toxic, to be honest- just made sense to me. Her music is relatable, but she also contributed to constructing the way I view the world. She perfectly portrays the female gaze, our take on most situations, which is not -contrarily to popular belief- oppositional to that of males, but rather just, another. The romanticizing of each experience, emotionally diving into it rather than handling it "logically" is what I believe to be the true divine feminine. As girls, we've always been told we're "too emotional", and as a way of rebellious coping mechanism, most girls take comfort in shifting their thought dynamic into a more logical, practical one. However, instead, she owns it. What if she's too romantic and does not view situations "as they are"? So be it. The visuals in most of her music videos are an embodiment of what a teenage girl's fever dream would be. It appeals to the feminine because well, it's basically what's going on inside THEIR heads, and for the masculine, it feeds curiosity and muse, showing a glimpse of what is going on inside their head. I chose this song because it serves as an intro to my blog; "Music to Watch Boys To", she's basically talking about sitting there and admiring boys, and to set the aesthetic scenery for the pleasure of her own gaze, she puts on music so that the process is furthermore cinematic and enjoyable for her. This is in a way also shifting power dynamics, since women were always the ones being observed, this time, a woman is an observer, and she's making the most out of it!