Today Jessica Rudd published a- frankly bizarre- piece as part of her regular blog for the Brisbane Times. She spoke about how a pharmacist in her mid forties was rude to her Grandmother and that we should treat older people with more respect. However for some unknown reason the first half of the piece seems to be making fun of some teenagers she saw in a DVD store.
Jess makes fun of a teenage girl, emphasising her use of slang and is surprised when the young woman has ‘excellent taste’ because she enjoyed the film Quartet. She ensures she mentions the ‘faux hawk’ of the girl’s friend, that her ‘cuticles were coloured with pink and yellow highlighters’ and ‘her midriff festooned with temporary tattoos’.
Unfortunately this is only too common occurrence in the media, the shaming of young women. The stereotype of the dumb teenage girl who only cares about clothes and boys is tired and overused.
You know what? Young women can wear midriff tops and say ‘oh my god’ and crush on celebrities and still be human beings who are capable of critical thinking and intelligent conversation. I’m incredibly sick of young women’s language and fashion choices being the sole focus of their representation in the media.
I’m constantly astounded by teenage girls and how incredible they are. Take Tavi Gevinson who at the age of twelve started a fashion blog which has now become Rookie Mag, a place for articles on pop culture and feminism. What about Malala Yousafzai, who stood up to the Taliban on education for girls? There’s Nicole Maines, a trans* activist who took her school to court for not allowing her to use the girls bathroom. Bundat Mununggurr, a young Yolngu woman who is campaigning for constitutional recognition for Indigenous people. And who could forget the Year 9 girls of Newton High, who questioned Prime Minister Abbott on his policies so well he had to ask ‘for a bloke’s question’ because he was uncomfortable.
This is only a very small list of the amazing things teenage girls are doing. Yet the focus is still on their texting slang, their clothes, and assumptions that they’re oversexed and uneducated. And every time someone like Jess Rudd makes judgemental observations about teenage girls, it dismisses all the good that they’re doing and reinforces the stereotype.
To all the teenage girls out there: I was you not so long ago. You amaze me with your intellect, your humour, your passion. I am in awe of you. You are fucking awesome.
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