Let’s Talk About Pick Me Girl Culture

Why it’s actually amazing to be like other girls.

by ELLIE BATTEN ★ MARCH 29, 2021

Take a moment to consider the plot of any popular rom-com within the past 30 years. More often than not, you’ll find that the hot guy chooses the quirky, edgy, unpopular girl over the stereotypically pretty (therefore automatically antagonized!) mean girl who, let’s face it, probably looks like Barbie. The way-too-common trope of pitting one kind of girl against another with the end goal being male attention and validation is incredibly over done and has been ingrained in our society across multiple forms of media. The truth is that most girls are an equal blend of edgy, feminine, and nerdy. Unfortunately, this reality is lost among the popularization of villainizing “girly-girls” in order to get Chad from Theta Apple Pie’s attention.  

“I’m not like the other girls” memes and text posts are a prime example of this internalized misogyny. Initially gaining traction on Tumblr, these memes ridicule girls who have stereotypically feminine interests, implying that they are inauthentic and shallow for enjoying things like fashion, makeup, or fitness. God forbid a “girly-girl” also enjoy pizza and reading!! Instead, these memes highlight traits and interests that seem quirky when, in reality, they are enjoyed by many young women.  

You can enjoy makeup and watch Star Wars. You can get your nails done and play video games. If you are a girl who likes wearing sweatpants, watching football, and drinking beer, by all means, live your life. As young women, we have to understand that tearing each other down is never the answer, despite how often that mindset is drilled into our heads by the media we regularly interact with. Rom-coms have taught us that rebelling against femininity will be rewarded with a hot boyfriend, while Tumblr posts bash girls who like pink and order salads at restaurants. This girl-on-girl hate creates unnecessarily toxic competition and, at the end of the day, wouldn’t you rather be inspired by the girls around you instead of spending your valuable time tearing them apart? 

Hot take: It’s cool to be like other girls.

Cover photo credit: Facebook (@iamlikeothergirls)