POST 4: “That Girl”
If you are a member of Gen Z scrolling through any kind of social media platform, it is almost impossible to escape the “that girl” trend. It has possessed the timelines of TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, for months now. Many want to be “that girl,” many try to be “that girl,” and many hate “that girl,” altogether. For those unfamiliar with the trend, “that girl” wakes up early every morning, hydrates, journals, works out, has extensive skincare and makeup regimens, drinks green juice, eats smoothie bowls, reads, showers, etc., all while before 9 in the morning, and all while maintaining a carefully curated aesthetic. Their reality is “motionless, static, compartmentalized, and predictable” (Freire 71).
And that’s the problem. This is an aesthetic trend about an inaccessible routine, not about a healthy lifestyle. While the root intention of “that girl’s” routine is to change small habits in life to become more disciplined, healthy, and organized to reach one’s highest potential, it has developed into something unattainable and, ultimately, harmful. It has inevitably led to, like all trends on the internet, the toxic sludge of online comparison. The question is, are they becoming the best version of themselves or the best version of someone else? In his book Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire claims that “self-depreciation is another characteristic of the oppressed, which derives from their internalization of the opinion of the oppressors… in the end [the oppressed] become convinced of their own unfitness” (Freire 63). In regards to this trend, the oppressed are trying to replicate the image of what they see (the oppressors) and end up feeling guilty when they don’t rather than interpreting the message of the trend holistically and adjusting their self-care habits to best suit their needs.
At the end of the day, the “that girl” trend perpetuates toxic habits while disguising them as self-care. Thus, “the oppressors use their ‘humanitarianism’ to preserve a profitable situation” (Freire 73). In other words, it is an opportunity for companies to market certain products under the guise of helping you to become your healthiest and most productive self. Specific styles and brands of clothing such as cozy athleisure, as well as food, skincare, and house decor products, are romanticized as essential steps to becoming “that girl.” One must look the part to be the part and thus consumption of products that model the aesthetic of “that girl” increases.
Speaking of looking the part, video essay YouTuber Khadija Mbowe talks about the concept of “lack of repeated exposure” in her video “Beauty is in the eyes of the… Colonizer?” saying that the neoclassical caucasian female face is the most common in media, and thus reinforces that that is what the beauty standard is. This concept can be seen in the “that girl” trend. Most of “these girls” are affluent, skinny, white influencers. Because of the very specific demographic that dominates the trend, the trend is even more unrealistic to achieve. Exercise = time and energy. Diet = resources and accessibility. Working-class conditions often don’t allow individuals the time, energy, or accessibility to exercise every day, eat tons of fresh produce, and dedicate hours to self-care every morning and evening. Not to mention the unrealistic diet standards and minimal eating habits portrayed within the trend on Social Media, which perpetuate anxiety around food and eating to maintain a skinny appearance like “those girls.”
I believe there are ways to incorporate healthy habits into your everyday routine that genuinely inspire positive change and don’t revolve around diet and fitness. For instance, I do 10–15 minutes of yoga every morning when I wake up, not for aesthetic reasons, but to increase my bodily awareness and mobility and to cultivate a sense of calm and empowerment to carry with me for the rest of my day. Self-care is about using the tools that you have with you to do what you can, integrating healthy habits that are attainable and realistic, and understanding that you are doing the best that you can. Ultimately, discipline and self-compassion are symbiotic.
Works Cited:
Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York, Bloomsbury Academic, 1970.
