RGM post 6

In class last week we talked a little bit about the Always "Like a Girl" commercial. I have loved this commercial every time I've watched it. It shows the difference between young girls' and teen girls' views of what "like a girl" means. When the older girls were asked to do things like a girl, they did the actions weakly and clearly not in their full strength. But when the younger girls were asked to do things like a girl, they did them to the best of their ability.

One thing that struck me was the little boy in the mix. When he was asked if he had insulted his sister, he was taken aback because he hadn't thought about it that way. He knew it was insulting to girls, but he didn't think about it being insulting to his own sister.

My favorite part about the ad is when the girls are given a second chance to do things like a girl. Their attitudes have changed and they want to do things better. I think that society has really played on the fact that girls are not as strong as men maybe. They've taken something true, that we are girls, and made it a bad thing. They've made it seem like being a girl means that we are weak and can't do things well. And that's simply not the case.

Being a girl is not something that hinders me in any way, but it's so easy to believe things like that when you're younger. Yes, I do things like a girl. That's because, surprise, I am a girl. I'm not weak or incompetent. I know my limitations, and my strengths. I just wish that young girls weren't so bombarded all the time with ads and shows that focus on their looks or personalities.

This goes back to the week that we watched the documentary about women and ads, and how they're all around us and how much they must affect younger girls.

Another thing that I can’t help but think about when it comes to these topics is the movie Mona Lisa Smile. The movie focuses on the fact that in that time period, girls focused on getting married and running their households. Yes, they went to college. But most women didn’t do anything with the degree they worked so hard for. And I am not at all against women who run their homes and stay home with the children. That is a noble job itself. But in the movie, it was what was expected of them so that’s what they did.

The girls who wanted to actually pursue a career were looked down upon. It was a time when having a brain meant next to nothing. We have come a long way since then, and I’m really happy that I’m not expected to be married by the time I graduate. I’m glad that I have my family’s full support in wanting to have a career and chase after my dreams.