I was walking to my car and I passed a bumper sticker that read, “Good Girls Rarely Make History”, and I have to admit that I laughed but on my ride home I started think about the question more in depth. Sad to say but our media has instilled the idea of being a good girl just plain boring and will not get you far in life. The bad girl image has molded so many entertainers careers especially in the music industry. For example, no one knew who Rihanna was before her Good Girl Gone Bad album. If they did indeed follow her as an artist they would be able to see that it wasn’t until this album when she became a sex symbol and had this exotic new look that everyone wanted her to be the new poster girl for their campaign. Even cartoons have a new twist to them. Just the other day I was flipping through the TV channels and came across a cartoon that had a scandalous clothed female character who was trying to teach the “regular girl” how to dress and get a date for the prom. Oh and my favorite is the Bratz doll. Now I don’t know if you feel the same and keep in mind this is just my personal opinion, but this particular doll looks like Barbie decided to go have plastic surgery and get lip injections, boob implants and hip implants. Talk about brain washing children at an early age? All this to say that the bumper sticker has more truth to it that I would like to give it credit for but nonetheless there are some good girls out there. We just have to make it our job to instill these images rather than the ones that are taking over now.
2 Reply to "Good Girls Rarely Make History..."
Communicator on February 11, 2009 at 7:35 PM
Enigma or we refuse to be labeled.
Stacey on February 20, 2009 at 10:12 AM
My cousin had the same quote on her facebook page. I completely took this a different way. I thought about all the "bad girls" in history who would not have been known in history had it not been for their rebellion.
I think about Harriet Tubman who risked her life for freedom, then risked her life for the freedom of many other slaves. When her work with the Underground Railroad was finished, she fought for women's freedom.
I thought about Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Paul who fought for women's rights. They were fined, imprisoned and humiliated for their "badness." At a time when women were mothers and homemakers, they stepped outside to give us the same equality men enjoyed.
--I could see this in my cousin because she is a strong-willed individual. No one can ever tell her she is wrong. She wouldn't listen anyway.
I didn't think about the way you took it until I read your blog. The term "bad" has been associated with a woman who is sexual. People obsess over her because she is willing to do the things a "good" girl wouldn't do. This makes her more complex and interesting. She is more fun.
I'd like to know the reaction if all women in the world chose one direction--stereotypically good or bad--it doesn't matter. Would there be a new obsession?
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