I once went to a panel on women in comedy where one panellist said that women find it hard to celebrate other women's success and night on impossible to celebrate an attractive women's success. None of the panellists were willing to discuss this with the (attractive) woman making this point so it's hard to comment on whether it is true or not as I have had little success other than being born totes beautiful. Because I am of a certain age and don't tend to go to YouTube for video tutorials I did not know who Zoella was. Because I am of a certain age however I feel qualified to comment on the reception she has had after finding huge success through vlogging.
Allow me to introduce you to Zoella, in case you too are unfamiliar. Zoella, real name Zoe Sugg, is a vlogger who films make up and hair tutorials. Oh right, you might be thinking yes - why is this important? It turns out Zoella is a very popular vlogger. What did she do with this popularity? Zoella vlogs about beauty on YouTube. She has a huge amount of subscribers (which charmingly makes her sound like she has some kind of Reader's Digest sensation) drawing attention from Penguin, who have given her a book deal. She also now has a beauty range and two Teen Choice Awards.
Zoella started to use her platform as a means of discussing her anxiety issues. Contributing to the destruction that anybody that suffers from mental health issues must look a mess or 'mad' (depending on what you think of the perfect top knot). She has since been made a digital ambassador for the fantastic mental health charity Mind.
Of course since being informed of Zoella I can't unsee her, if you take the tube today she will probably smile and wave to you on the escalator from a YouTube ad. This must fill writer Chloe Hamilton with rage: "Zoe's (sorry, Zoella sticks in my throat and on my keyboard) particular brand of sickly sweet girl power brings me out in hives."
Zoella started to use her platform as a means of discussing her anxiety issues. Contributing to the destruction that anybody that suffers from mental health issues must look a mess or 'mad' (depending on what you think of the perfect top knot). She has since been made a digital ambassador for the fantastic mental health charity Mind.
Of course since being informed of Zoella I can't unsee her, if you take the tube today she will probably smile and wave to you on the escalator from a YouTube ad. This must fill writer Chloe Hamilton with rage: "Zoe's (sorry, Zoella sticks in my throat and on my keyboard) particular brand of sickly sweet girl power brings me out in hives."
| Why is Hamilton so irked by Zoella? At the 2014 Teen Choice Awards Zoella passed on this little bit of advice for teens: "When you're younger you worry about so many things that you don't need to worry about like image, appearance". | make up is an accessible interest, No matter what your income you can usually afford a nail varnish or lipstick from Boots |
Ironic, Hamilton believes, considering Zoella has "forged an entire career by prattling on to young girls about how to look good." But you might think she has forged an entire career on helping young girls have one less thing to worry about. Worried about your nose? Don't, you can draw attention to your eyes. If you aren't worrying about a physical insecurity you can allow your personality to shine.
It seems a shame (and unfeminist for that matter) to relegate a person to the silly pile purely on their interest in make up, fashion and hair. It's quite dangerous to so happily create some kind of interest binary and tell teen girls that if they watch make up tutorials then that's all there is to them. Rather than note they can be good at other things and have other interests. It's just make up is an accessible interest, No matter what your income you can usually afford a nail varnish or lipstick from Boots and if that cheers you, then it cheers you.
Perhaps if we didn't describe Zoella's language as "prattle" and "inane" we would do a lot more for young women's esteem and our esteem in young women.
Squeamish Kate
It seems a shame (and unfeminist for that matter) to relegate a person to the silly pile purely on their interest in make up, fashion and hair. It's quite dangerous to so happily create some kind of interest binary and tell teen girls that if they watch make up tutorials then that's all there is to them. Rather than note they can be good at other things and have other interests. It's just make up is an accessible interest, No matter what your income you can usually afford a nail varnish or lipstick from Boots and if that cheers you, then it cheers you.
Perhaps if we didn't describe Zoella's language as "prattle" and "inane" we would do a lot more for young women's esteem and our esteem in young women.
Squeamish Kate
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