Extended Inquiry Project

The true meaning of like a girl

Juan. Ramirez

Professor Malcolm Campbell

UWRT-1103

March 31, 2015

What does it mean to run like a girl? is the question Lauren Greenfield (Greenfield)
asks 10 year old Dakota as well as many more participants in the Like a girl documentary.
Lauren Greenfield. Director of the Like a girl documentary, with the purpose of changing the
meaning of the descriptive phrase, creates this documentary to not only show most of the United
States population about the negative connotation of this phrase but like mentioned, to change the
negative meaning and understanding of it.
So, what does it mean to do something like a girl? There are two sides to the meaning,
one that we all have already probably heard of and experienced in our lives and the second being
the one director Lauren Greenfield and company are trying to push forward into society. The first
is the negative connotation and misused form of the phrase used to describe someone or insult
the way someone is doing something. A prime example for me as a guy is to remember when
someone insulted me or when I wanted to insult someone because either I or they did something
wrong or in an uncoordinated way. Ive heard from you punch like a girl to you run like a
girl and obviously, these are not the way the phrase should be used because not only are you
using it to insult someone but youre insulting girls and women who consider themselves girls.
This affects more specifically small girls transitioning into their teenage and puberty stages of
development when their self-esteem and confidence is critical according to Lauren Greenfield
(Greenfield).
The Always Company in partnership with Lauren Greenfield created this advertisement
documentary to advocate for the change in the connotation of the phrase and to raise awareness
that the misuse of the phrase can bring to small girls and boys as well. In the video, adults were
asked what the phrase meant to them and to demonstrate doing things like a girl. Like most have

an understanding of the phrase, they ran in a funny and uncoordinated way; As if trying to look
goofy and silly in the way they did their demonstrations. When asked the same thing, the
younger, 9-10 year old girls, mimicked what to them was for example, running very fast,
throwing strong and hard and fighting strong and in a coordinated fashion (Always). Through
that difference, the documentary proved its purpose and point that the misuse and negative
connotation of the phrase affects a girls and eventually a womans connotation as well as
confidence when it comes to doing things like a girl. The adult participants in the social
experiment began to realize that they looked silly and that they were insukting themselves and
women and girls.
The second meaning and the one advertised by the documentary as well as the director, is
theone that describes someone doing something in a strong, correct way that empowers them to
feel equal to anyone else no matter their gender. This meaning or understanding, not only
empowers girls and women but it also raises their self-confidence so that the wont grow up
through puberty thinking that they are inferior because of their gender. According to Alanna
Vagianos, journalist at The Huffington Post, it is crazy that women who make up half of the
world population, are somehow underrepresented and oppressed (Vagianos).
After the Like a girl documentary/commercial video was released, there was a reaction
from many. There were those that supported the Like a Girl movement because likewise, they
felt that women and girls need to be empowered and raised with a healthy self-esteem and selfconfidence to stop the phrases negative connotation from affecting more girls and women.
Immediately, there were those who opposed the movement as well and they started a #Likeaboy
movement that purposeless, other than to make a joke of the like a girl movement, started
trending amongst those who consider themselves meninists. This term, related to feminists is

similar but opposite in regards to gender was the group of people who opposed the
documentarys concept and purpose. Also to Alanna Vagianos, this movement is important
because it shines a much-needed light on this sexism and reminds everyone that being "like a
girl" means being badass and fierce (Vagianos).
Sexism, although not as specific and a different topic, has a connection to the negative
connotation of this like a girl phrase. Sexism creates the groups that claim themselves as
feminists or meninists. Feminist those that are in favor of gender equality for women and those
who see the oppression women go through to be empowered in the social world. David Lesser
who may have considered himself a feminist before the like a girl campaign, says that he is no
longer one and that he supports gender equality as well as thee feminist movement (Lesser).
Lesser also mentions that he hopes that as a parent, his daughter doesnt feel weak or incapable of
doing whatever it is she pleases because of her gender (Lesser).
Boys are also affected by phrases and terms used in a negative way. The misuse of these
phrases creates the opposing group to the feminist; The meninists. Although they are not as
official or organized as those that consider themselves feminist, meninist are those who seek to
oppress the feminist group and movement. Like mentioned before, those that opposed the like a
girl movement were meninist themselves. The sought to joke and start the like a boy
movement. They felt that the movement oppressed men and empowered women to be more than
men.
In the article published by The Huffington Post, women retaliated against the meninist
movement and shared their thoughts about how absurd the imitation movement created by the
meninist was. Followed by tweets and Instagram post on social media pages to support the like

a girl movement, posted pictures of daring jobs to any one and even some that even the manliest
man wouldnt be willing or skilled to accomplish.
Through movements as such and the social experiments, we learn the effects society has
on children and especially women and young girls. Women grow up thinking they are inferior in
many areas because of their gender. They are oppressed by society and those narrowed minded
folks who accept that concept of weakness and dominance. Men are no superior and theyre also
not inferior and until the day negative connotations connected to terms and phrases are removed
from the mindsets of society, there will continue to be inequality as well as issues pertaining to
self-esteem and self-confidence. Because puberty is when young girls and boys have critical selfesteem because of the many changes, these ideas need to be removed from their mindsets and be
changed into positive self-empowering phrases. A girl should not be ashamed of being a girl or
doing something like a girl because theres nothing wrong with that. Boys shouldnt use that as
an insult either and should help eliminate the negative meaning by not using it in that way.
In conclusion, using phrases that lower a particular group of peoples self-confidence and
self-esteem should not be used and like their purpose, be oppressed and disproven like it is to use
Like a girl in a negative way. Using these phrases not only affects societys understanding of
the phrase but it also has more effects. Girls who are going through puberty suffer from lower
self-esteem and confidence. They think that their gender makes them inferior and that they cant
be as strong as lets say men or boys. Girls arent born thinking that doing something like a girl is
an insult and some boys as well as adults dont realize that it is an insult until they actually stop
to think about it. Social experiments and movements such as the Like a girl movement should
be encouraged to raise children with high self-esteem and confidence as Lauren Greenfield
believes when she says This project is a fantastic and vital opportunity to empower girls (and

educate our audience) to always align the expression #LIKEAGIRL with the meaning of
strength, confidence and empowerment (Greenfield).

Works Cited

Always. "Always #LikeAGirl - Meet the Director, Lauren Greenfield." YouTube. YouTube, 09
July 2014. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.
Always. "Always #LikeAGirl." YouTube. YouTube, 26 Mar. 2015. Web. 26 June 2014.
"Like A Girl: Boost Your Self-confidence! #LikeAGirl | Always." Like A Girl: Boost Your Selfconfidence! #LikeAGirl | Always. N.p., n.d. Web. 027 Mar. 2015.
Lesser, David. "My Daughter Throws Like a Girl and My Son Is Such a Boy." The Huffington
Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 03 Feb. 2015. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.
Vagianos, Alanna. "The Reaction To #LikeAGirl Is Exactly Why It's So Important." The
Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 03 Feb. 2015. Web. 28 Mar. 2015.