Reclaiming Chick Flicks, Rejecting Internalized Misogyny
For all of the Iron Mans and Star Wars, for all the Taxi Drivers and Godfathers, there’s a chick flick. You know what I am talking about—quirky, pretty girls finding love and navigating life, most often watched at a sleepover (if you are a teen) or over wine (if you are not). Movies like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, The Notebook, Mean Girls, and Twilight are just a few notable examples in the long line of chick flick history. But what is a chick flick, really? And why do they so often get ridiculed by just about anyone, including the people who enjoy them?
Look up the term “chick flick” on Google and you will find this definition:
Chick Flick
noun Derogatory - informal
‘A film that appeals mainly to young women.’
This definition, provided by the Oxford Dictionary, sums up the answers to the questions previously asked. It’s no surprise that chick flicks get ridiculed so often when the textbook definition has to specify that it is a “derogatory” term. As for why it is derogatory, look no further than the last part of the definition: “appeals mainly to young women.”
Art targeted towards young women has always been ridiculed and seen as “less than” in comparison to art targeted towards young men. Male artists meant to appeal to young women, such as boy bands like One Direction or solo artists like Justin Bieber, are ridiculed and called misogynistic and often homophobic insults. Modern entertainment in the YouTube sphere whose primary audience is young women, like makeup tutorials or fashion vloggers, are seen as stupid and worthless entertainment. And, of course, chick flicks are considered trashy movies meant to appeal to the least intelligent of the human species.
It certainly is not because these forms of art are worse than others. Think of their male counterpart—is watching Pewdiepie play a shooter game really any better than watching a “Get Ready With Me” vlog? Is The Fast and the Furious franchise better cinema than Legally Blonde? In my opinion, definitely not. Look at the general opinion too—Legally Blonde has a 70% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to The Fast and the Furious’ 54%.
Statistics aside, the overall artistic quality of these movies does not mean anything. The matter is not that chick flicks are worse movies than plotless macho-man action films, but that society loves to hate the things that young women love. To boil it down even further- society hates young women.
A shared experience amongst a lot of girls is going through a “I’m not like other girls phase.” I was not immune to it, either. Around age 11 I decided that I hate the color pink, painting my nails, and watching silly romance movies because I was a consumer of cool things, i.e. pretending that I liked Call of Duty and The Walking Dead. Now, at 20, I have mostly gotten over this internalized misogyny, but no matter how much I tell myself this I know that I am not immune completely. Why, when I’m talking with my fellow film majors, do I have to proclaim Pride & Prejudice as my favorite “guilty pleasure” film when I know deep down in my core that it is just my favorite film, plain and simple? Why do I only listen to Taylor Swift on YouTube so that she does not appear in the top artists of my Spotify Wrapped? Why do I feel such guilt and shame at enjoying media that is meant for me?
Overcoming the internalized misogyny that society implements in you as a kid is hard, and it’s a struggle that I still find myself trying to defeat. Gradually, as we learn and unlearn, the shame and guilt of being a woman might go away. It’s an optimistic outlook and there is so much more that needs to be done before this shame and guilt is completely gone. In the meantime, I’m re-learning how to do what I love best—watching movies. The specification of “Derogatory” in the definition of “Chick Flick” does not have to have purpose if I do not allow. I think tonight I’ll rewatch (and re-enjoy) Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion…guilt-free.
Cover Photo by IMDb. Edited by Madison Case.
