Creating Insecurities
"In a world full of Kardashians, be a Sarah Connor." This is a meme currently doing the rounds on social media and it actually got my hackles up. Let's unpack this:
The Kardashians are a family of folk who barely seem real. For some or another reason their contrived antics appear to be hugely popular. I could not, in all honesty, aspire to be anything like they are in their superficiality and nor would I encourage any young girls I know to aspire to this apparent fickleness.
Let's head in the opposite direction: Sarah Conner - a fictional character created for the Terminator Series. Designed with the typical Barbie-goes-badass look she is rough and tough. A no-nonsense woman who is mildly sadistic, extremely violent and loses touch with her humanity on more than one occasion (as an aside, I read an article some time ago where it was said that the writers based aspects of her character on folk such as Joseph Stalin). Either way, she is still my first choice if forced to choose between her or the pretending Kardashians.
But truth be told, I can't, in all honesty, aspire to be anything like she is in her Jungle-Joe-ness. And, once again, nor would I encourage any other young girls to aspire to that, too.
Some years ago it became a trend to adorn one's back vehicle window with tiny one-dimensional stick figures known as "My Family". I always argued that, were I to place a stick figure on the window encompassing each characteristic of my multi-faceted personality I would probably fill the window. How could, or more importantly WHO would I choose to represent me? My mom aspect? My employee-ness? My gym girl? My gardening self? Myself as self-defence student? The bourbon-swilling party animal? Me as sibling? My writing or singing or hiking or meditating or sewing personage? You see, I don't like being put in a little box? I'm more than that. And in the same manner I don't believe we should encourage anyone to be uni-dimensional.
Sure, discourage people to be less like the Kardashians. I'm all for the Kardashians being less like the Kardashians. But imagine, if you will, a young girl who is quiet, enjoys reading and making tea for her grandmother. One day she's going to read and research some important medical break through. Should she be made to feel inadequate because she's not popular and obliviously brash and confident like the Kardashians; or similarly does not have the perceived hero-type qualities of the brave Sarah Connor?
No!! Instead of encouraging people to fit into boxes we should encourage uniqueness, multi-facetedness. We should see each individual as exactly that: individuals and celebrate what they bring to the world. And we need to stop using unnecessary subliminal persuasion on girls to look like impossible celebrities.
Teach people to be popular and confident and a brave hero within their own cosmos.
So me? I reject the plastic Kardashians and the manic Sarah Conner. I'd rather be the best slightly odd Lynda that I can be.
Happy Day!
The Kardashians are a family of folk who barely seem real. For some or another reason their contrived antics appear to be hugely popular. I could not, in all honesty, aspire to be anything like they are in their superficiality and nor would I encourage any young girls I know to aspire to this apparent fickleness.
Let's head in the opposite direction: Sarah Conner - a fictional character created for the Terminator Series. Designed with the typical Barbie-goes-badass look she is rough and tough. A no-nonsense woman who is mildly sadistic, extremely violent and loses touch with her humanity on more than one occasion (as an aside, I read an article some time ago where it was said that the writers based aspects of her character on folk such as Joseph Stalin). Either way, she is still my first choice if forced to choose between her or the pretending Kardashians.
But truth be told, I can't, in all honesty, aspire to be anything like she is in her Jungle-Joe-ness. And, once again, nor would I encourage any other young girls to aspire to that, too.
Some years ago it became a trend to adorn one's back vehicle window with tiny one-dimensional stick figures known as "My Family". I always argued that, were I to place a stick figure on the window encompassing each characteristic of my multi-faceted personality I would probably fill the window. How could, or more importantly WHO would I choose to represent me? My mom aspect? My employee-ness? My gym girl? My gardening self? Myself as self-defence student? The bourbon-swilling party animal? Me as sibling? My writing or singing or hiking or meditating or sewing personage? You see, I don't like being put in a little box? I'm more than that. And in the same manner I don't believe we should encourage anyone to be uni-dimensional.
Sure, discourage people to be less like the Kardashians. I'm all for the Kardashians being less like the Kardashians. But imagine, if you will, a young girl who is quiet, enjoys reading and making tea for her grandmother. One day she's going to read and research some important medical break through. Should she be made to feel inadequate because she's not popular and obliviously brash and confident like the Kardashians; or similarly does not have the perceived hero-type qualities of the brave Sarah Connor?
No!! Instead of encouraging people to fit into boxes we should encourage uniqueness, multi-facetedness. We should see each individual as exactly that: individuals and celebrate what they bring to the world. And we need to stop using unnecessary subliminal persuasion on girls to look like impossible celebrities.
Teach people to be popular and confident and a brave hero within their own cosmos.
So me? I reject the plastic Kardashians and the manic Sarah Conner. I'd rather be the best slightly odd Lynda that I can be.
Happy Day!
Comments
Post a Comment