In a time period where everyone with a phone can become rich and famous, the distinction between celebrity and influencer is becoming increasingly fragmented. People now use the phrase "it-girl" to describe to anyone with a smidge of clout. Leaving aside the obvious overuse of the ephitet, I am not sure I can name a contemporary celebrity who warrants the “it-girl” label. Can they even exist in this era?
What defines the “it-girl” from the movie stars of the 50s to the 90s super models to the influencers of today.
We often hear people referring to famous female figures as having “it”. By It meaning sex appleal, fame and a socialite lifestyle. The term dates back to the early 1900 hunders, by a man named Rudyard Kipling who defined the term as following: "'Tisn't beauty, so to speak, nor good talk necessarily. It's just It. Some women'll stay in a man's memory if they once walk down a street." (Kipling Society) As Kipling once said there is no distinct beauty or personality trait that defines “it”. The most important term is wealth. “The it.” That is the main distinction between the “it- girls” and just girls.
However people can now put on a mask of having "it" without having any of the elements that warrants someone the "it-factor" thanks to applications like Instagram. Whereas the “It-girl” used to be pursued by paparazzi, today's influencers turn the camera on themselves - a diy paparazzi. Wealth, fame, and the little button nose can all be photoshopped and faked. The bottom line is that the more disconnected we grow from the real world and the more immersed we become in the internet, the closer the "It-girl" is to extinction. What are your thoughts on the “it-girl”?
Sources:
Page, David. “It!” The Kipling Society , 11 Apr. 2006, https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/readers-guide/rg_it1.htm.
I agree that the "it girl" has sort of faded away, but that might be also due to the change in how we define beauty now. Before, I'm sure there was a distinct feature or features that the it girl had whether it's if she dressed in-style or if she had the beauty standards of the time. Now, we promote the idea that everyone is beautiful in their own ways, so it girls are really just girls who are fashionable and stylish, possibly rich.
ReplyDeleteI really like this topic and the way you talk about it. I think the reason it's hard for our generation to settle on an "it girl" is because pop culture moves so fast nowadays because of social media. A celebrity of or influencer will trend for a week and then it's on to the next person the next week.
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