Zendaya: The New Generation of the “It Girl”
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The “it girl” is usually the girl that everyone wants to be. She’s beautiful, stylish, and instilled with a je ne se quoi that completely draws people to her presence. The idea of the “it girl” was derived from the 1927 silent film starring Clara Bow, who earned the nickname from her appearance of the ideal flapper girl in the Roaring Twenties. The concept has been in the public eye so often and has become quickly transmogrified, thanks to social media, that it now represents a very select and elite group of girls who have managed to convert their social status into careers. Society is obsessed with them because they represent everything a woman can and should be. But what about those who defy the traditional “it girl” archetype and still rise to the top by just being themselves?
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The name Zendaya is one everyone will remember for a long time. Iconic, well known, and a testament to her prestige, Zendaya has changed the way people think of the “it girl” and has completely redefined the term. As an actress, Zendaya has shown humility both on and off the screen, speaking out about the unrealistic expectations imposed on women to be perfect all the time. With her grunge looks in the television series Euphoria and in the Spider-Man films, she has dismantled beauty standards not only in Hollywood but for women everywhere. The “it girl” archetype is no longer characterized by a full glam and hyper-feminine look, becoming more inclusive and real with Zendaya’s humble and kind heart.
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Growing up, Zendaya began her career as a child model and backup dancer before landing the role of Rocky Blue on Disney Channel’s series Shake It Up. Since then, Zendaya has been chosen for various leading roles in the film industry. One of her most popular roles to date is MJ in Marvel’s newest Spider-Man trilogy alongside actor Tom Holland. In taking on this role, Zendaya has exhibited that it’s okay to not always be perceived to have that sex appeal that the “it girl” is expected to have at all times. For instance, it seemed that the other character (Liz) was chosen as the love interest in the first Spider-Man film because she fit the traditional, hyper-feminine "it girl" archetype. Yet, it was MJ who didn't fit conventional beauty standards, wearing little to no makeup and sporting grunge-styled looks, who eventually got the guy just for being herself and not catering to male-centric notions of beauty.
What’s more, with her character role in Euphoria, Zendaya subverts heteronormative media. She demonstrates that even Hollywood’s “it girl” can be androgynous and in a woman-loving-woman (wlw) relationship, defying the traditional “boy meets girl” trope the “it girl” typically falls in. Through both beauty and the rejection of heteronormative representations, the new “it girl” made in the image of Zendaya rejects the male gaze. This alone goes against everything that was expected of the original “it girl” archetype.
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Actress, singer, dancer, and model, Zendaya can do it all. But what’s significant about her is that she wants to make a difference and she wants to show the world who she really is, despite her fame and social status. With the help of Zendaya, she has created the connotation that an “it girl” doesn’t have to be so glamorous. Zendaya truly looks bare-faced in Euphoria and Spider-Man, and she prides herself in showing her authentic self. Even in her modeling shoots, she doesn’t hide behind a caked face in a façade of perfection. In a questionnaire with Teen Vogue from 2015, Zendaya said the best beauty lesson that she’s learned is to “sometimes just leave yourself alone. Every now and then you need to just walk out the door with no makeup. And every now and then you need to walk out the door and not care what you have on and just go for it.” Zendaya is an exemplar for young women merely by being herself, not putting on a face for the camera, and reflecting this in her work and everyday life.
Strike Out,
Writer: Samantha Petters
Editor: Noelle Knowlton
Graphic Designer: Alexandria Clemons
Tallahassee