I always hated the phrase ‘girl math.’ Does this make me too woke?
Trends like girl math, although admittedly humorous, worry me. Recently, I have noticed an alarming rise in content which, often not intentionally, seeks to “bimbo-fy” young women. The women, mostly girls, who engage with these online trends often don’t realise the danger these phrases can have. And now many are calling the ‘the lioness doesn’t concern herself…’ trend just the most recent example of misogynistic phrases which reinforce negative stereotypes.
The origins of this trend are disputed. Many users cite the influence of Game of Thrones and the iconic quote from Tywinn Lannister: “the lion does not concern himself with the opinions of a sheep”. However, the New York Times reveals the darker aspects to its origin story. It identifies the root of this phrase in the ‘manosphere,’ a zone which promotes anti-feminist and ultra-masculine ideas.
Many consider this trend a harmless joke. This is largely true — most TikToks I have seen using this phrase have been eccentric and light-hearted, such as the “lioness does not concern herself with wearing a jacket on a night out.” Further, men engage with the trend at the same level, portraying similar themes of self-deprecation much to the viewer’s enjoyment.
However, like most things, it can easily be poorly done. When researching this trend, I saw a few which could potentially be seen as too belittling, like “the lioness does not concern herself with ever getting a job.” I get it — we’re all guilty of making silly jokes like this. However, it is important that we at least acknowledge what ideas these jokes actually perpetuate.
Harmless comments can in fact be rather dangerous. Rhetoric which diminishes women as trivial or irresponsible easily creeps into one’s vocabulary and can reinforce stereotypes which have been established in society for hundreds of years. These online terms are seeping into schools, therefore informing adolescent conceptions of society. In the modern age, casual and internalised misogyny only goes to further systematic discrimination.
The ‘lioness’ trend is just one of many accused of being misogynistic. Trends like ‘girl math’ and ‘I’m just a girl’ have been widely criticised for trivialising womanhood. However, not every women agrees with this assessment. The Guardian, writing about the girl math trend, makes the case in favour of these trends, arguing that women are capable and allowed to poke fun at themselves and gender norms.
At the end of the day, it all circles back to feminism, and it’s mostly about what form of feminism you subscribe to. Are these jokes evidence of feminist agency to laugh at themselves without consequence, or playing into the hands of the patriarchy?
Photo by Sanket Mishra on Unsplash.