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upismediacenter · 7 months ago

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More than “Just A Girl”: Exploring female empowerment outside of internet trends

Illustration by Michi Sugawara

In recent years, there has been an insurmountable rise in conversations regarding “girlhood”. While womanhood as a demographic hasn’t been new in the industrialized world, the emergence of girlhood as a conduit of recent internet trends on women’s experiences has sparked various discourses due to how these trends glamorize gender-based stereotypes and self-perceived female incompetence and anti-intellectualism. Almost everywhere on the internet you will encounter the word “girl” attached to something, such as “girl math” or “girl logic”, typically making fun of one’s shortcomings attributed to them.

The prime variation of this phenomenon is the “I’m Just A Girl” trend.

virgobaby 🎀. [@mybvirgo]. (2023, August 13). i’m just a girl. [Instagram Post]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/mybvirgo/p/Cv2csPyOysT/

clare. [@sadderlizards]. (2024, January 18). i’m just a girl with an unemployable skill set and no sense of purpose or direction in life. [Tweet]. X (formerly Twitter).

“I’m Just a Girl” is a trend that has been ongoing since 2023. Taken from the song, “Just a Girl” which was released in 1995 by the band “No Doubt”, the trend/phrase has spread around social media, specifically TikTok. The trending audio only uses the lines, "I'm just a girl / I'm just a girl in the world" remarkingly leaving out the following line, “That's all you'll let me be”. Originally capturing the satirical message of the song, the trend began as a humorous take on female gender stereotypes and norms—it has since transformed into infantilization, belittlement, and the notion that women lack basic life skills and knowledge, according to Ajiya Stanford (2024). To that end, these trends are closely related to “Bimbo feminism”, which is a strand of feminism that embraces the “Bimbo” stereotype.

The “Bimbo” is a patriarchal stereotype that refers to conventionally attractive women with low intelligence. “Bimbos” are typically frivolous and shallow, and most often this stereotype makes fun of the contrast between a Bimbo’s beauty and lack of intelligence (Sunder, 2021). “Bimboism” or “Bimbo feminism” are used interchangeably, however, both of them operate as a subversion of the “Bimbo” stereotype and attempt to make it empowering to women by countering the low expectations assigned to it. Elle Woods from the film Legally Blonde, for example, is a popular character looked up to by those who closely follow “Bimboism” (Gauder, 2022). In the film, Elle Woods continuously grapples with being treated and stereotyped as a “dumb blonde”. In one of the beginning scenes of the movie, Elle and her friends were shopping in a boutique, and a sales lady tried (and failed) to sell her a dress that was from last season at full price—commenting that, “There’s nothing that I love more than a dumb blonde with daddy’s plastic.” Another particular scene is when Elle’s boyfriend broke up with her, reasoning that due to his acceptance at Harvard Law, he “needs to marry a Jackie not a Marilyn”. Her boyfriend, by calling her “a Marilyn [Monroe]”, stereotypes Elle as a dumb blonde or a “bimbo” due to the famous actress Marilyn Monroe being known and labeled as those archetypes. However, in the end, Elle broke from this stereotype—through excelling in Harvard Law and successfully defending a case for a client. Elle Woods’ version of female empowerment—that a woman can still be in touch with her feminine side while being successful and accomplished—is admired by many women who can be seen online attempting to replicate her journey and motivations. One such woman is Texas attorney, Kathleen Martinez, who started her own law firm after receiving sexist treatment from her previous male bosses. Martinez is also called “The Real Life Elle Woods”, for also being unafraid to express her femininity while being in a male-dominated field (Herbst, 2022).

In defense of these trends and movements, they aim or attempt to reclaim the pejorative stereotypes the patriarchy has made against women. Given that, however, rather than making use of subverting these stereotypes to promote gender equality, these trends only seem to normalize outdated gender-based ideologies.

Bimbo Feminism, the “Girlboss”, and Gender-essentialist Female Empowerment

The “I’m Just a Girl” trend and Bimbo feminism are part of a larger cultural phenomenon in which women are reclaiming traits and stereotypes the patriarchy has assigned to women (Zaeem, 2023). Bimbo feminism in particular is the subversion of the patriarchal feminine stereotype—which characterizes women as hyper-feminine, air-headed, and superficial. The female empowerment Bimbo feminism perpetuates is derived from not having to prove oneself as intelligent to be respected and valued (Chavan, 2023). However, this belies the trope that women are intellectually inferior to men, contrary to the movement being labeled as “feminist” (Elliott, 2022).

Concerning this, the “Girlboss” was part of the corporate “Lean in” feminist movement before 2016. A “Girlboss” describes a woman who is accomplished and successful in an otherwise male-dominated workforce, and in the present is seen within the popular phrase, “Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss”. While “Lean In” refers to the thesis of the movement’s corporate female empowerment. “Lean in” feminism was pioneered by Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Facebook, through her book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. Sandberg posited in Lean in that women should assert themselves in the workplace, and that only hard work and dedication would make any determined woman succeed. Sandberg and her book have been met with countless criticisms, mainly because it predicated that in order for women to be granted positions of power, they must replicate or take positions traditionally assigned to men. Famous author and social critic bell hooks (stylized in lowercase) had written an article concerning Sandberg’s biography, “Dig Deep: Beyond Lean In” criticizing the book’s message, and calling it “faux feminism”. hooks argued that Lean In ignored "the concrete systemic obstacles most women face inside the workforce." and that the gender equality Sanderberg only served to maintain the status quo since it pandered to wealthy white men—who wield the most power in our society (hooks, 2013).

“Girlboss” and ”Lean in” feminism relied on succeeding within the corporate and patriarchal framework. Both did nothing to empower women, even though they sought to within this movement, women are still unvalued within these spaces. The main reason is that the “Girlboss” relied too much on pursuing the idea of women dominating the workplace no matter what that it ignored that to do so, requires privilege. The “Girlboss” was insensitive to class struggle; as a result, many women were disillusioned with the movement’s promises (Senin, 2022).

According to Elliot (2022), “Bimboism” is the direct antithesis of the “Girlboss”; it rejects the careerism and hustle culture the “Girlboss” promoted. Due to this, many women had turned to “Bimboism” or “Bimbo feminism” to empower themselves as they couldn’t when they capitulated to the standards of the “Girlboss”. An example of women withdrawing from the expectations of being a “Girlboss” and transitioning to “Bimboism” is TikTok creator @rizzzabella's viral video on the platform. At the beginning of the video, there is a screen caption that says, “me at age 15-19 in an unquenchable thirst for truth and knowledge which only led to despair and depression” while she can be seen working hard on a computer in the background, and in the second half the screen caption changes to “me at 24 fully bimbofied only concerned with being, feeling good and pretty, just mindfully existing” and she can be seen exercising at the gym.

MEMBARAT STUDIO. [@rizzzabella]. (2023, January 8). hey google, reverse knowing 🙈. [Video]. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@rizzzabella/video/7186070473678114090?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7412453421586023953

While the “Girlboss” resurges now and then, as of the present, “Bimboism”, and closely related, the “I’m Just A Girl” trend, are the mainstream. At their core, these trends rely on choice feminism, which is the belief that every individual choice a woman makes is inherently feminist. This particular strand of feminism is problematic, mainly because it is impossible to make a free choice due to the patriarchy assuming all parts of our society, and because it cultivates complacency within women (Patel, 2023). By believing that every choice a woman makes is inherently empowering, we promote the idea that women cannot do bad or harmful things, which is untrue; and leads to women not growing and learning from their poor decisions and actions.

“Boys will be boys” is an overused idiom used to excuse or dismiss rowdy, sexist, and sometimes harmful behaviors of men. There is a clear parallel between “I’m Just a Girl” and “Boys will be boys” as both share the same sentiment of lack of agency and therefore personal responsibility brought by their respective genders (Mesquita, 2024). Both these phrases fall under gender essentialism, which is the belief that the traits of men and women are dictated by their biological sex. Despite this similarity, we can see the stark difference on how gender essentialism serves each gender, while “Boys Will Be Boys” excuses men’s misbehaviors, “I’m Just A Girl” undermines women and their competence. It is also important to note that no similar trend attempts to minimize men’s intelligence and capabilities.

Again, these trends started as a light-hearted way to satirize patriarchal stereotypes of women. However, rather than reclaiming these negative stereotypes, it serves to normalize a gender-essentialist view of the capabilities and value of women in society. Nothing is empowering about playing into these stereotypes.

Are we content with being “Just A Girl”?

It is hard to ignore the exhaustion behind the “I’m Just a Girl”. Ever since the dawn of time, women have had to continuously prove themselves. After decades of being historically oppressed and undervalued, it is understandable that the majority of women jump on these trends to feel a sense of relief from the pressures and demands that come with existing as a woman. With that in mind, the problem with this approach is that it never progresses further. While it is an impossible standard to expect every action of a woman to be revolutionary or feminist, being a woman is inherently political. Therefore, while these jokes may seem harmless at first, perpetuating these ideas will have material consequences. Women have fought for decades for their rights, and if we continue to promote the outdated gender norms they have worked hard to counter, we risk being subjugated again by these misogynistic roles.

It is important to keep in mind that teenagers and young women are often unaware of the satirical nature of these trends that they come across on social media. They may internalize these ideas without a second thought; and as more and more younger generations have participated in feminism or identified as feminists, instead of approaching feminism as a radical liberatory movement, it has subsequently transformed into a commodity lacking any meaningful direction (Jickling, 2024).

The harm with commodifying socio-political movements is that it always leads to over-simplification and over-exertion of their goals and motivations. Not to mention, it gives way for businesses to capitalize on these movements, further misrepresenting them (Bank, 2024). With this in mind, these trends may lead the youth—regardless of gender—to have a misguided conception of feminism.

In the Philippines, there is a common phrase used in feminist movements and female empowerment that directly parallels “I’m Just a Girl”, which is “Babae ka, hindi babae lang” (“You’re a woman, not just a woman”). It resists the patriarchal confines of what women are expected to be capable of—and rather than viewing being a woman as limiting or a hindrance, it instead embraces one’s identity and uniqueness being a woman as inherently empowering.

Bearing this in mind, modern feminism must be taught and included in school curriculums. We should push for more discussions about modern feminism in classrooms that challenge us to engage with mainstream or popular culture critically, more specifically those that are aligned with socio-political issues. We should encourage educators to include more comprehensive and modern feminist literature and lessons to help young people or students recognize and think critically about the harm these trends pose, especially those attached to social movements, as they may regress and reduce their importance and value.

We as women can be empowered without belittling or infantilizing ourselves. Being a feminist first and foremost requires self-responsibility to liberate ourselves and other women from the structures oppressing us. When we say, “I’m Just A Girl”, we shirk from said responsibility. Women's empowerment cannot be boxed into a trend—it advocates societal and systemic change and challenges these regressive narratives and norms.

You are a woman, not just a woman. You are capable. You are intelligent. So stop telling yourself you are not.

//by Xia Mentes

References

(Warning: Some of the references contain content that may be sensitive to viewers.)

Bank, L. (2024, April 20). The Coquette Eevolution: The Commodification of Feminism. The Communicator. https://chscommunicator.com/90457/opinion/2024/04/the-coquette-revolution-the-commodification-of-feminism/

Chavan, D. (2023, August 7). Bimbo feminism: Counterintuitive or brilliant?. Medium. https://medium.com/leveled-legislation/bimbo-feminism-counterintuitive-or-brilliant-bb1d2c114f8a

coco. [@cocosaur]. (2023, September 22). (this whole thing was in fact not a skit jackie and i filmed this to avoid doing our homework) #girllogic #girldinner #girlmath #womeninstemcheck. [Video]. https://www.tiktok.com/@cocotsaur/video/7281335211747544366?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Daanoy, S. (2024, March 8). “Babae Ka, Hindi Babae Lang”: Topnotcher ignites passion for female criminologists. Manila Bulletin. https://mb.com.ph/2024/3/8/babae-ka-hindi-babae-lang-topnotcher-ignites-passion-for-female-criminologists

Elliott, S. (2022, August 5). Feminism after the girlboss: Anxiety of the bimbo. Harbingers’ Magazine. https://harbingersmagazine.com/articles/feminism-after-the-girlboss-anxiety-of-the-bimbo/

Herbst, D. (2022, September 27). Texas Attorney, a Real-Life Elle Woods, Started Her Own All-Pink Law Firm After Being Fired by Male Boss. People. https://people.com/human-interest/texas-attorney-real-life-elle-woods-started-her-own-law-firm-after-being-fired-by-male-boss/

Hoffer, S. (2024, May 7). OPINION: The commodification of girlhood. Technician. https://www.technicianonline.com/opinion/opinion-the-commodification-of-girlhood/article_4f3de39c-dbe5-11ee-bade-87bec521f6fd.html

hooks, bell (October 28, 2013). "Dig Deep: Beyond Lean In". The Feminist Wire. http://thefeministwire.com/2013/10/17973/

JAZZY ❤️‍🔥🇮🇩. [@jazzybaby99]. (2023, August 10). GIRL MATH 🤝🏻 CONSUMERISM ✨ (why the system works for us 🤪) Stimulating the economy, one girl math at a time #fyp #shopping #capitalism #financebro #financetips #girlssupportgirls #womenempowerment. [Video]. https://www.tiktok.com/@jazzybaby99/video/7265539608945921286?is_from_webapp=1

Jickling, S. (2024, January 17). What is “Bimbo feminism” and why is it harmful?. Women Empowering Women (WEW). https://w4w.ca/what-is-bimbo-feminism-and-why-is-it-harmful/

Lavenia, A. (2024, January 24). Girlboss, Gaslight, Gatekeep: How Girlboss Became a Meme. CXO Media. https://www.cxomedia.id/general-knowledge/20220114101745-55-173134/girlboss-gaslight-gatekeep-how-girlboss-became-a-meme#:~:text=Gaslighting%20is%20a%20form%20of,complementary%20to%20being%20a%20girlboss

Matthew, E. (2023, March 21). The Failures of Lean-In Feminism. Law & Liberty. https://lawliberty.org/the-failures-of-lean-in-feminism/

Mesquita, L. (2024, April 30). Insight: I’m “just a girl.”. The State Press. https://www.statepress.com/article/2024/04/spmagazine-just-a-girl-trend

Patel, V. (2023, January 29). Opinion: “choice feminism” ignores institutional issues, prevents change. The Daily Illini. https://dailyillini.com/opinions-stories/2023/01/29/opinion-choice-feminism-ignores-institutional-issues-prevents-change/

Siebritz, G. (2023, August 22). Clueless and Legally Blonde Redefined Bimbo-Core. Medium. https://medium.com/@gabyonearth/clueless-and-legally-blonde-redefined-bimbo-core-e52a406bc152

Stanford, A. (2024, February 15). Are you really ‘Just A Girl’?. The Daily Free Press. https://dailyfreepress.com/2024/02/15/are-you-really-just-a-girl/

UNIQLO Singapore. [@uniqulosg]. Not us girl mathing our way through life 💁‍♀️💅 Offers end on 2 Nov! #girlmathexplained #girlmath #limitedoffer. [Video]. https://www.tiktok.com/@uniqlosg/video/7294611805169552642?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Zaeem, S. (2023, November 15). Bimbo-feminism is not feminist. Rabble. https://rabble.ca/feminism/bimbo-feminism-is-not-feminist/

#MC2025 #Opinion #English #Xia Mentes

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