The Aspiration and Illusion of Pop Culture Girl Power
How pop culture sells us an idea of girl power the real world does not back up
Dear Squawkers,
This newsletter is kind of a bummer, I’m not gonna lie. A couple weeks ago when Wicked and Moana 2 started tearing up the box office, I texted Lainey something to the effect of—pop culture has shifted in the last 2-3 decades to promote female-centric empowerment narratives, while real world politics have stayed pretty misogynistic, basically making female aspiration itself aspirational. So that’s what we’re here to talk about today: how pop culture sells us an idea of girl power the real world does not back up.
Of course, many things are better today than they were decades ago. When my mom moved out on her own as a young woman, her brother-in-law had to co-sign her lease and her bank account. When my grandmothers were born, women couldn’t vote. Today, I control my own finances, and I can vote. But we’re all aware of the backsliding, too; of the revocation of bodily autonomy and reproductive rights in the US; and that we have twice now seen qualified, experienced women defeated in a presidential election by a deeply unqualified man—three times if you count Trump defeating Nikki Haley in the Republican primary. It doesn’t matter what your personal politics are. No woman, no matter how experienced and suited for the job, has defeated Trump.
Meanwhile, the biggest movies in the world are about women embarking on quests of power and perseverance, saving the world through the power of song and sisterhood…
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