The Hyperfeminine Aesthetic: Liberation or Indoctrination?
If you’ve spent any time on the internet during the past few years (I certainly have), you’ve probably noticed that one message reigns supreme: hyper-femininity is in. It seems that, wherever you turn, pop culture has become “girlified.” Logical deductions are now considered “girl math.” A haphazard and incohesive meal? Try “girl dinner.” Film critics ought to love Greta Gerwig’s hot pink Barbie and anything by Sofia Coppola. Catwalks are coated with with coquette bows and pastel lace (Thank you Simone Rocha and Sandy Liang!). So many fans have rallied around female musicians like Taylor Swift and Beyonce that their tours have single-handedly kept the economies of certain metropolitan areas afloat. I mean, just try to find a masculine-presenting artist in the top categories of this year’s Grammy nominations.
Greta Kirby, a self-ascribed “girl expert” studying political science at Syracuse University, confesses that she has historically “tried to stifle some of [her] more ‘girly’ traits in order to fit in and command more respect.” Since then, pop culture’s celebration of the feminine aesthetic has helped her realize that feminine traits are not “unintelligent and unserious.”
Yet, many academics and internet users alike are weary of traditional displays of hyper-femininity. University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher Megan Zahay notes that female alt-right influencers utilize their hyperfeminine aesthetic and lifestyle as a dog whistle for gender complementarity, the notion that the different sexes inherently possess traits that should guide their stratified roles in society.
While these concerns are valid, the recent embrace of femininity as an aesthetic movement, especially among young people, does not seem to serve as a passive foil for the restoration of an archaic patriarchal order, at least so far. In a post-not-like-other-girls cultural environment, the hyper-femininity of the 2020s has been inclusive and uplifting. Kirby says that “celebrating women and their femininity is a necessary part of deconstructing the patriarchy” and her newfound confidence in her own femininity has inspired her to “celebrate other women in [her] life more.”
Unlike the aforementioned alt-right influencers, I’ve seen a concerted effort by followers of this trend to distinguish their wardrobe of powder-pink silk slips from hyper-femininity’s traditional role as the upholder for white supremacy and patriarchy. For example, the creators behind 2023’s Barbie made sure to cast “Barbies” that existed outside the traditionally hyperfeminine archetype, with characters of varying race, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, age, and size. As far as the mainstream hyperfeminine is concerned, even a cishet man can be one of the “girlies.”
Make no mistake: I am in no way saying that this movement towards the celebration of femininity is a bad thing. As a feminine gay man with almost all female friends, I’ve seen how the celebration of femininity through creative expression has allowed people of all gender identities to feel more comfortable being feminine. It is important to remind ourselves, however, that, while seemingly benign, aesthetic trends can inspire dangerous and dogmatic philosophies.