WHAT or WHO IS A 'GIRLY'?
What are the first things that come to your mind when you hear the term ‘girly’?Someone who is dramatic, emphasises their looks, wears pink and is obsessed with shopping? Would you like be like to be perceived as a person who fancies pink, looks, shopping etc? Do that sound like a turn-off? But why?
Let's see what by definition 'girly' is:
girly
/ˈɡəːli/
adjective
1. characteristic of or appropriate to a girl or young woman
Not strange or surprising at all, it doesn't mention anything about preferences or colours. Then how did all those stereotypes trickle into our mindset,made people feel inferior for their colour choice, fashion sense or lifestyle and sometimes pressured into acting a way?
The adjective ‘girly’ is no longer seen as a manner but rather as a stereotype or an insult. How many times have you seen certain 'evil' movie characters being surrounded by this stereotype? We had narrowed down a trait to just its negative values and thus all the preferences that are associated with it are considered unattractive. It reached a point where tagging an independent woman ‘girly’ is defaming. But why? What’s wrong with calling a girl 'girly'? What exactly is acting 'girly' about?
Personally, I believe a 'girly' person is someone who is soft-spoken (not weak or fragile), empathic and understanding. She loves to experiment with different things and is naturally keen.
As of for if am one? Maybe in some ways and some not. Everyone has different traits and crossing it down only to one might not be an appropriate way to always define a person.
A stereotype may be negative or positive, but even positive stereotypes present two problems: They are cliches, and they present a human being as far more simple and uniform than any human being actually is.
~Nancy Kress
Most people adjust their approach and style according to their environment. When we say someone is 'girly' or 'manly' we interpret it as their feminine or masculine nature in general.
HOW DID 'GIRLY' BECOME AN INSULT?
Girls are expected to act 'girly' while boys are expected to act 'manly'. Still, why do girls dislike or are disliked for being 'girly'? It’s because being 'manly' highlights the positive attributes looked upon by society. For instance, being outspoken, independent, confident, reserved. Whereas 'girly' attributes downplay them such as being timid, gossiping, clingy, obsessed with appearance etc. So being 'girly' is a major turn off and no one wants to be called or to be viewed so. Hence a girl who likes to possess 'girly' attributes may feel inferior for wanting to embrace her feminine side more. Then what exactly is considered Feminine and masculine?
MASCULINITY & FEMININITY
When hearing those two words you might immediately attach them to respective gender roles. But let’s ignore the gender part and plainly focus on the traits that are considered masculine or feminine.
Traits that are considered Masculine
Traits that are considered Feminine
- Nurturing
- Caring
- Humble
- Emotional
- Vulnerable
- Collaborative
If you 'unlearn' what you have been told or thought and look at these traits with a clean slate. You will definitely feel there is no allusion to gender in both of the traits. Nor can one gender or person claim to be just masculine or feminine. While females are assumed to be feminine and males are assumed to be masculine. Everyone has both sides, some dominant than the other. Every job or duty requires someone to be masculine or feminine. Being caring, humble and emotional aren’t ideal characteristics for being an entrepreneur. Does that mean there aren’t female entrepreneurs? Obviously no.
Slang adjectives such as 'girly' and 'manly' have simply evolved in society as exaggerated and skewed generalizations of what it means to be feminine and masculine.
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About the Creator
Ashley
Being louder than the voices in my head....
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