“Girlification and Meme Culture: How 2023 Embraced Feminine Solidarity”

As you might notice while looking through this 2023-defining list, quite a few memes are related to girls or other activities that are viewed as feminine. For example, “girl dinner,” “girl math,” the popularity of Barbie, and so on. Well, it has to do with the fact that 2023 saw a rise of “girlification.” 

Assigning activities or things for the girls quickly found its place in today’s pop culture and internet slang. This act signifies the need for collectiveness (1). To put it in simpler terms, it makes people on the internet, primarily women, feel united with others who enjoy similar things. 

Using the word “girl” to signify solidarity originated in African American Vernacular English (AAVE), as Black women tend to mark their unity by calling each other girls (2). So, when using this term, it is essential to acknowledge its origins.

Beyond Marketing — A Feminist Reclamation of Femininity

Some say that assigning activities and things to girls is a capitalistic brand move (3). This way, they straightforwardly set out what kind of audience they expect and for whom the product is meant. Or it could be used to subvert their expectations, which can also be helpful for a brand. 

However, the “girlification” trend of 2023 is way more than simply a marketing move. The rise of girl activities and things in recent times, especially on the internet, symbolizes women and girls reclaiming stuff they have been discouraged from (4). They shake off the shame that once was put on them for liking traditionally feminine hobbies. This girlification aims to enjoy femininity without it being a sign of belonging to the “lesser” gender. 

References

1. Ruchira Sharma. “Girlification: TikTok’s trend and its cultural significance.” Junkee, June 1, 2023. | https://archive.junkee.com/girl-dinner-gender-girlification-tiktok/353931
2. Christina. “AAVE is not your internet slang. It is Black culture.” Commonwealth Times, February 18, 2021. | https://commonwealthtimes.org/2021/02/18/aave-is-not-your-internet-slang-it-is-black-culture/
3. Lillian Stone. “Girl Trends: Sticky and Fun, But They Can Also Be Problematic.” BBC Worklife, August 23, 2023. | https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230823-girl-trends-are-sticky-and-fun-but-they-can-also-be-problematic
4. Leah Overstreet. “The Internet Is for the Girls.” Intersect Magazine, October 6, 2023. | https://www.intersectmagazine.com/post/the-internet-is-for-the-girls