The It Girl’s Inevitable Fall from Grace
The “It” girl. The girl who can do no wrong. The girl who is a trendsetter and a cultural touchstone. The girl who is relatable; yet has attributes other women can aspire to. The girl who is bound to fall from grace.
It used to be that the label “it girl” was reserved strictly for models and socialites — women who represented the ultimate standards of living and beauty and had a touch of cool that one has to be born with. Early “it girls” included Edie Sedgwick and Twiggy, women who ushered in the 1960's trend of waifish beauty and who ran in enviable social circles.
While we still look up to beautiful models and women with extravagant lifestyles, it seems the modern “it girl” has to have more of an “every girl” quality to succeed. She must be down-to-earth, fun, and friendly, but of course better than us, or else why would we care what she does? And she can’t stray too far from today’s beauty standards, or else why would pay attention to what she says?
A modern example of an “it girl” is actress Emma Watson, who gained worldwide fame from the Harry Potter film series.
Although she became wildly successful and wealthy at a young age, she always remained humble in interviews and appearances, which endeared her to fans. And while she also received attention for her looks, she consistently dressed modestly, which made her an appealing alternative to starlets leaving little to the imagination. In era of young actresses partying and having their antics captured by paparazzi, Emma Watson seemed the good girl alternative.
And not many people seem to talk about how problematic this is.
In the media, and by extension, society, women are expected to use their beauty as currency. A woman must show some sexual value in order to be deemed worthwhile, hence the volume of older women in the public eye having procedures to look younger. However, if a woman appears too sexual, she is considered a slut. Attractive women who take the route of dressing modestly, on the other hand, are praised and considered “good.”
This is a huge problem surrounding the trope that women are supposed to look up to. While she may be relatable, hardworking, inspiring, kind and funny, she still has to have sexual value, and it needs to be “the good kind” designated by our patriarchal society — adhering to beauty standards in every way, but wearing a sweater. Showing a little skin, but leaving something to the imagination. Pretty, but not slutty. This discredits women in the media who go against the rules of feminine beauty and sexuality.
Emma Watson perfectly embodied that “good kind” of sex appeal required of an “it girl,” but once she stepped out of the behavioral expectations of humble, sweet, relatable, and honest, but not too honest, she fell out of universal favor. In 2014, she was made a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and delivered a speech in which she spoke out as a feminist on the issue of gender inequality. While the speech did gain her praise and inspired many, she also faced extreme backlash from those outraged that she would support such an issue.
This goes to show that in the media, even to this day, the public struggles with a pretty face with something to say.
Clearly, maintaining “it girl” status is a delicate balance, but Jennifer Lawrence managed to ride the wave much longer than most. A beautiful actress with a self-effacing sense of humor, Lawrence quickly became a beloved figure once she gained prominence.
She could display conventional sex appeal, but also wasn’t afraid to be candid and silly in interviews, which the public loved. Most “it girls” can only keep this up for so long, but Lawrence is still doing it. The only problem is that even when you are adhering to impossible standards of likability, the public moves on; they get bored with perceived “perfection.”
Take, for example, actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Anne Hathaway, who, respectively, gained positive feedback on their acting roles and public image for long stretches of time. Both women represented a glamorous yet modest femininity favored by the public, and were seen as hardworking, balanced, and “perfect” women in the media. Both women are now famously mocked for trying too hard and being pretentious. Lawrence, on the other hand, was recently parodied by SNL for being “annoyingly relatable.”
Clearly, the “it girl” is damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t.
One signifier that we are moving in a better direction for women in the media is that recent “it girls” have included women like Lena Dunham and Amy Schumer; who are using their platform to make statements about the antiquated and sexist way women are treated in the media. These women, who do not fit traditional beauty standards or the behavioral code for the “it girl,” are receiving a groundbreaking amount of coverage and opportunities to speak out on important issues. But the conversation around these women is still mired in the superficial — their body types and physical appearance, and whether or not they “deserve” as much exposure as they’re getting.
While it is a big deal to see outspoken women who break feminine beauty standards on TV and magazine covers, there is still little attention placed on women of color and LGBT women. The “it girl” largely remains a slot for pretty, inoffensive white women.
The role of “it girl” is problematic and damaging, both to the woman in the position and the women looking up to her. Let’s not forget that the term was coined to describe a girl who just had “it” — an undefinable quality that made her desirable and imitable. The public constantly changes their mind on what is fashionable, cool, and worthy, making the “it girl” a fleeting role, and leaving the woman in that role scrambling to win back the fickle public’s favor. And women looking up to her are grasping at standards that are impossible to achieve and maintain, even for for the “it girl.” More importantly, they are learning that women are disposable, and do not have the staying power of men.
For a man in the public eye, his faults are more quickly forgiven and forgotten. But should an “it girl” cease to fit the criteria — humble, sweet, relatable, sexy but not too sexy, honest but not too honest, and oh so of the moment — she will fall from her post and another will take her place.
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