By PAMELA CERROS, Ranger Reporter:
Since when is being a girl a bad thing? Women are frequently the victims of stereotypes, particularly in the mass media, but a recent advertisement is challenging that perception.
This commercial produced by feminine care product manufacturer Always, shows an audition during which men and woman are asked to demonstrate what it means to run, hit or fight “like a girl.”
All of the older people auditioning act out negative stereotypes of female behavior. They are weak, clumsy, silly and ineffective. But when younger girls are asked to run, hit or fight “like a girl,” they are strong and powerful and 100 percent themselves. When a 10-year-old girl is asked to “run like a girl,” she takes off running as fast as she can.
The commercial shows how girls lose their confidence once they start growing up and begin conforming to the expectations of the media and society. As children we watch shows that make doing things “like a girl” seem like a huge insult.
People don’t think women can do all the things that men can do. If anything, women can do the same, if not more, than men.
The ad goes on to point out that fighting, running or hitting “like a girl” can be powerful and effective. The commercial shows that women are actually strong and capable, and they need to recognize their own strength.
Later in the commercial, the older girls offer advice to the younger girls. They say not to let anyone make you feel less of yourself because you’re a girl. Instead they advise the girls to continue being themselves because it is working.
I love how this advertisement makes me feel proud to be a girl. I love how the younger girls in the ad are unafraid to be themselves. Their innocence and purity are great. I remember when I was younger, I felt like the strongest little girl. I felt invincible. But it’s true that as we get older, the way society sees women makes us question how we should even view ourselves in the reflection of the mirror.
This commercial encourages me to help other girls see the power that lies in the hands of women. Instead of promoting the media’s stereotypes, we can help make the difference and help shape how society views women.
I recommend this piece to all the girls that will go and are going through puberty. It is a friendly reminder that we are never alone. As girls we all go through it together, and together we will be one, a strong one.
The end of the commercial shows all the girls and women of different ages running, hitting and fighting like the strong girls they truly are. This scene is powerful because it demonstrates that we can make the change.
As women we should all stick together and help reshape the way the media views us. It is not always about the beauty in a girl, it is about what is inside that we forget about. Let’s change that.
View the Always commercial below:
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