Video Analysis: Like A Girl

The phrase "like a girl" has become an expression that invokes an idea of weakness, femininity, and limitations. Lauren Greenfield partnered with Always, a company that makes feminine products for women, in order to express their belief that "like a girl" is a useless phrase that holds no real meaning. Most girls struggle through the awkward stage of puberty. During this time, a girl’s confidence plummets; this has often lead to an increasing amount of girls quitting sports, even if these sports provide a sense of happiness and belonging. These adolescent girls going through puberty need the help and guidance of their elders to help them raise their self-confidence and to keep them engaged in the activities they love. Always reaches out to

By creating a video as well as a hashtag movement, #LikeAGirl captures the attention of a mass audience, relying on the support of both females and males. In the video, a young boy is asked if he thought that he had insulted his sister by his actions, to which he replied, “No. I mean yeah, insulted girls but not my sister.” Herein, Greenfield illustrates the extent of the issue since the male gender does not view its comments and actions as problematic. She connects with boys in order to convince them to cease their abuse of the expression “like a girl;” in other words, Greenfield hopes for an end to men’s condescension for women. In addition, the message of the movement also reaches women, requesting their help to improve the confidence of young girls. With easy access to the motivational video as well as the popular hashtag found on countless social media sites, Always reveals the numerous differing perspectives on the meaning of “like a girl;” the hashtag allows for the general public to provide or review the opinions of others on the subject, which helps to drive home the message as personal narratives strengthen the sensitivity of the issue. Being able to view the real accounts and feelings of people worldwide, the hashtag movement proves to be successful in intimating the effects of the negative phrase. By including both men and women in the video, Always

By including young girls in the video, Greenfield successfully develops a feeling of guilt within the audience. Not only does she include multiple adolescent girls, but she also includes teenagers and young adults in order to provide additional perspectives on the effects of “like a girl.” Many humans feel a great amount of tenderness and understanding for girls, especially those who are young and self-conscious; knowing this, Greenfield makes sure to include multiple clips from young girls in order to remind the audience of the effects of their actions and comments. In so doing, Greenfield helps boost the confidence of women by generating feelings of regret and embarrassment in those who use “like a girl” in a negative way in an attempt to acquit their hostility. In other words, Greenfield reaches out to young girls in an attempt to build strength and convince them to continue doing what they love, despite what others say about