The Downfall Of The Girlies

The year 2023 was marked by the reclamation of girlhood, femininity, and all things pink. But one could argue we have taken it too far and did a 180 that got us right back where we started.

Photography Stolenbesos

We all had our fun with girl dinners, hot girl walks, and girl math in the past, but we’ve once again taken a fun little online trend and made it into something women have been trying to get out of for centuries: a box. A TikTok creator recently shared a list of “girl hobbies.” The list includes things like “grabbing a little treat,” doing your hair and makeup, reorganizing instead of sleeping, social media investigative work, and shopping (online or in-store). While the list may appear harmless at first, there is a very clear pattern to all the activities she lists. All the “girl hobbies” are linked either to home or self-betterment. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to improve your appearance or your living space, but when we think about the hobbies associated with our male counterparts, the problem becomes clear. Hobbies such as fishing, hiking, surfing, or anything that happens to take place outdoors and has no bearing on one’s looks or how they present themselves are now considered more “masculine.” Trends like this undo the work that feminism has been doing for decades. For example, “grabbing a little treat” is not a hobby; it is quite literally eating. Doing your makeup for the sake of not wanting to be seen without it is just labor to appease others, therefore not a hobby.

Darla Marks (right), Dazed & Confused

Reorganizing instead of sleeping is domestic labor, not to mention unhealthy. Shopping to the extent that “the girlies” normalize is just late-stage capitalism consumerism. None of the “girl hobbies” are actually hobbies; they are simply society’s expectations for women, rebranded. Once a wholesome movement, the reclamation of girlhood has turned into mindless consumption and the infantilization of women. One step forward and three steps back. The reality is that many women don’t have the time or energy to keep up with a “proper” hobby, as besides working, a lot of the time the upkeep of a home, raising children, and other domestic tasks still fall on them. Feminism in itself is about bringing women out of the system that oppresses them, and the utter and complete ignorance that comes with declaring everything a “girl” thing takes away from its efforts to equate the efforts made by a woman to those made by a man. By doing so, women end up infantilizing themselves. Girl math is a prime example. Funny as it may have been, justifying financial irresponsibility with the idea that it is okay because it was a choice made by a girl further reinforces the idea that men rule the world and women are just living in it. A hobby can many times help one reconnect with oneself, but that does not apply to a Starbucks run. The quota for girls is full; it’s time we become women again.