“Wow, you really aren’t like other girls.”
This line is one of the most overused tropes in the film industry, particularly in romance movies. The male protagonist brushes back an artfully curled lock of hair out of a girl’s face, and looking deep into her eyes, reassures her that she is unique and worthy of being his love interest, unlike those other girls (what those other girls are like is never actually clarified). Occasionally, this line is uttered by the girl herself as she claims to be different from her fellow, “lesser” female counterparts. “I’m not like other girls,” she says proudly, ignoring the fact that she’s degrading her own gender.
Something about this has always struck me as problematic: however, I couldn’t put my finger on it until recently. Sure, I’m not like other girls, but why is that a good thing? Saying that I’m “not like other girls” implies that being like other girls is something to be ashamed of. What’s wrong with girls? Why would we want to distance ourselves from each other?
Being a girl is something to be proud of. We shouldn’t be ashamed to be considered “like other girls.” In fact, what does that even mean? Girls make up 50 percent of the earth’s population, and it would be impossible to find a generalization that describes all of them. Every woman is a unique individual who deserves recognition for her own personal accomplishments and characteristics.
I am not like other girls. But neither is she. Or that girl over there. All of us are unique and special and don’t need to find our self-worth in the fact that we aren’t “like the rest.” There are better ways to compliment me: pick something about me that is actually unique and focus on that, instead of generalizing my personality into something that is described as “different.” I am not like other girls, nor am I like any boys, nor am I like anyone else other than myself. Yes, this compliment is given with good intentions, and I appreciate that: however, it is time to end this idea that being a girl is something to be ashamed of. Learn to love every aspect of yourself, both the unique ones and those that would be considered “mainstream.” The only thing that unites us all is that we all deserve respect: when it comes to that, yes, I am like other girls.
