This is one of the most inspiring videos that I have seen in a while. It touched me because of it's blatant honesty in approaching an issue that all girls will face at some point in time. The fact that is it a commercial did not leave my mind; I am more than aware that some of this, if not all of it, was scripted to fit the time frame and fit the purpose of the project. That does not, however, distract from the meaning that lies within it: in some point in time, every girl will believe that it is an insult to be herself. The lack of confidence is clear in this commercial, as both genders demonstrate what it means to perform different tasks "like a girl" for the camera. The difference in their approach, by the end, is not really breathtaking, but enlightening.
There are a number of gender issues floating around in the world and I am certain that the world will never get to address them all. As long as there are people, however, who are willing to display the differences in the most blatant but creative ways, I think that things have a better chance for improving.
Girls, from birth, are treated differently than their male counterparts. Parents are more fragile with holding them, refer to them as delicate, flowery, soft, and more likely to break. As a young girl, you are taught to be like or better than boys. Without a doubt, competition between children, boys and girls, is fierce. By the time that puberty rolls around, things are different. The way in which nature operates on girls, in comparison to boys, makes it seem as though there is another world girls need to now explore, and they later find out that it is filled with the expectations that the adult world has long waited to place on their shoulders. Is it fair? No. Is it life? Certainly.
This commercial does something different when it shows the younger boy trying to defend his sister by not seeing her as just another girl. In his refusal to insult his sister, he recognizes that there is something not quite right with placing standards or judgements on others if they can easily be applied to people whom we care about. If men - all men - care enough about any young girl in their life, as much as he cares about his sister, then I'm more than certain that the outlook young girls will have on life, while experiencing puberty will change. As long as women can inform young girls of their stages in life as something unique, beautiful and precious then I am certain that the levels of confidence will change as well. Look closely, I am suggesting cooperation from men and women... no one is excused.
This is not a call to arms to fight this thing in one day. It is a call to be more aware of the things we say, because they, essentially, change how we feel and, ultimately, what we do.
Let's all #DoBetter
MM :)
