In celebration of Women’s History Month, Audrey’s Corner shines a spotlight on student writers and artists whose work exemplifies the complexity and beauty of womanhood.
The Beauty in Our Shadows
By: Jessica Fontaine
Dolls and Digletts
By: Jillian Reis
I grew up as a huge nerd and to be fair, not much has changed since then. When I was a kid, I loved to play with Beyblades and Pokémon cards. I loved to play with dolls, too. At some point, I realized a difference in my mom’s reaction when I asked for a Pokémon game instead of a new Barbie.
I was a girl.
Girls were supposed to love dolls, not digletts.
As I got older, I came to fully understand gender prejudice. Girls are expected to put on makeup and love fashion and talk about cute boys. I hated having to put on makeup and although I tried to dress nice for school, I didn’t know why I had to when all the boys got to wear t-shirts and shorts. The standards have always been set higher for girls in terms of appearance because someday we’ll need to charm a man with our good looks. That’s why girls are made to play with dolls; we must learn to idolize Barbie’s perfect body and perfect face so that even as girls we know what the standard is.
Now as a college student I have learned a valuable lesson:
Gender prejudice is stupid.
Learning this lesson has been freeing. I no longer worry about dressing the part while going to school. I wear whatever I am feeling for that day. That might be a killer outfit, or it might be a sweatshirt and jeans. I don’t hate makeup anymore because I don’t feel pressured to wear it. When I do, I do it because it makes me feel pretty, not because I am trying to reel in a guy. I still play Pokémon. It may seem childish at this point in my life, but it helps me remember the girl who felt like she wasn’t one because she liked something everyone else told her was not for her.
All that being said, here are some tips:
1.Dress for you
Dress however you want. If you want to look like Dua Lipa, go for it! If you want to look like a human blanket, go for it! How you look is up to you!
2.Makeup is not a must
If you don’t feel like wearing makeup, you don’t have to wear makeup. Your life is about loving you not trying to reel in some Chad who thinks beauty is a personality trait.
3.Challenge people
If somebody tells you must do something because you’re a girl, ask them why? Call them out on their gender prejudice. If they feel the need to challenge your interests, you should challenge them right back.
At the end of the day, your life is in your hands and there’s nobody else who can love you like you.
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