The 'vanilla girl' trend shows that beauty is power

It's Been a Minute

NPR

News Commentary, Society & Culture, News, Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality

4.6 • 8.8K Ratings

🗓️ 28 March 2023

⏱️ 17 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

If you're more than a casual observer on the interwebs, you've probably heard the term, "chronically online" – someone who knows the ins and outs of viral trends, memes and memorable moments. But sometimes you can get too deep in the Matrix. That's why our new segment, Chronically Online, is here to find the balance.

To kick it off, host Brittany Luse chats with Buzzfeed News internet reporter Steffi Cao about her essay, "white women want their power back: on bbls and balletcore, and the entropy of aesthetic." After scrolling on Instagram Reels, Steffi noticed that the clean girl, coastal grandmother and – most importantly – the vanilla girl trends are all ushering in a very specific aesthetic. Brittany and Steffi talk beauty as soft power and the rebrand of white womanhood.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey everyone, you're listening to it's been a minute from NPR.
0:06.3	I'm Brittany Luce.
0:07.9	Today's episode is serving up something a little different.
0:11.8	It's time to log in and get chronically online.
0:16.3	Oh my god!
0:17.8	What is that?
0:19.0	Partically online is where we dissect the biggest trends on the internet.
0:23.4	And I want to.
0:24.4	Every meme, mess, and micro-trend comes from somewhere.
0:28.1	Hey, lovco.
0:29.1	E-co.
0:30.1	And we're going to unravel, unpack, and recontextualize the most viral trends.
0:36.0	Welcome to Part 4 on your guide to entering your villain era.
0:39.0	So for today's video it's going to be a giant giant giant sheen hawk.
0:44.0	Here's some ways on how to activate your divine feminine energy.
0:47.9	Because what happens online doesn't happen by accident.
0:51.7	The girl's got get it, get it, and the girl's got down.
0:54.8	Down.
0:55.8	It's time.
0:57.0	It's time.
0:57.8	It's time.
0:58.8	It's time to re-create a crime.
	...

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