I think its because we are oversaturated with content and our own personal "it girls" through social media and whatever fandoms we are in. Even throughout stan twitter there are so many different it girls people look up to. Its similar to how there are no longer disney channel kids taking over the western media because no one cares. You can easily find the exact person you want to be a fan of. Everyones their own influencer and it girl!
Yeah I think it girls still very much exist but it’s all so niche now kind of regional?? like we don’t have these global universal it girls wheres there’s large scale consensus. There are just thousands running around social media
As a fan of K-Pop this is so true. There are so many idols and fans are constantly talking about their faves, whether in terms of fashion, vocal or dance abilities, beauty, or all of the above. Ask anyone and they have at the very least one they can name of the top of their head as a "it girl in the k-industry". Mine for example is Nayeon from Twice, the face of the group who's extremely talented, fashionable, and recently had an amazing solo debut that screams "it girl" to me every time I watch the MV
I just realised while watching this how dehumanising these terms actually are - 'it' girl and 'that' girl etc. Despite relying heavily on personality, image, and unique appeal, there's something very detached about the label itself, turning the 'girl' in question into more of an ideal (or even object) to be envied or admired and separating her from her character and accomplishments.
I agree, I feel that there’s a commodification of the person and in turn the person because an object of spectacle where every aspect of their beinghood is adored and sensationalized besides the actual human being itself
Ppl need to discussion the effects of toxic 2000s celebrity culture and how it effected a lot of teens ( even know ) during this era. I will never understand why older generations ( specifically millennials ) care soooo much about celebrities & mock gen z for not having our own “Britney spears, Miley cirus, etc etc” Like your mad at us for not having our own popular child star who’s been exploited tirelessly just for the entertainment of us..?
It's not objectifying. It's just a term. Kinda like someone being "all that" or "the shit" - it's not more than a compliment. There is an immense amount of toxicity within celebrity culture and patriarchy and all that stuff. But the term itself is quite modest and harmless. At least to me, I do not feel like an it girl is less of a human being or anything like that. Perhaps I am misunderstanding.
Jordan, a video on mediocre nepotism babies would be absolutely phenomenal. There is nothing more satisfying than watching uninteresting and untalented people get taken down a peg!
Honestly let’s not pretend like the Kardashians weren’t the IT girls of the 2010s. I dislike them so much, but they were literally inescapable and basically became the blueprint of body standards. Now that a new decade has started you can see the shift happening where the Kardashians aren’t praised for everything and they don’t sell as much as they use to.
@@nothing-jl2dz Bella Hadid is super mediocre compared to the super models that came before her who were so unique and had really great personalities. Bella has a very bland personality and basically just gets surgery to look like every other influencer or IG "model". She has no x factor or uniqueness.
I feel like 90% of the proclaimed "it girls" of this era are gonna fade away in just a couple years. That's the main difference. You get people like Marilyn, Aubrey, Britney and Paris that are gonna be there after decades but the ones that are backed up just by their fans on social media that are gonna grow up eventually, will just disappear from the public eye
I'm so pleasantly surprised you mentioned masculine women and the difficulties that come with that. Often that gets overlooked completely when discussing femininity and expectations for women
People are desperate to give the it girl title to anybody and everybody, because of a huge nostalgia syndrom. They have to accept the fact that in our era, it girl won’t mean the same things than 30 years ago.
Plus there was something nice about EVERYONE agreeing on a handful of itgirls. It’s kinda like sports. U have to make small talk with someone u don’t know, u can talk about something that everyone knows about but doesn’t REALLY matter (like politics). I hope that made sense lol
You should do a video on the “core”ism of EVERY possible attribute a woman could have, I’ve seen discourse on twitter about how out of hand it’s gotten and I’d love to know more
I think there is a distinction between "it" and just being popular or trendy. Social media influencers come and go so quickly, they really have no impact on pop culture outside of their very young viewers and aren't "it girls". Some do become more successful, but I think "it girls" in pop culture really have to have to have a bigger impact/viewership beyond their niche audience. They have to be lasting. To me, Zendaya is the embodiment of an "it girl", while Emma Chamberlain is just some popular online girl I've heard of
TBH most of the it girls mentioned in that section of the video, are 'it' for tiktok. so we don't know if they will last for more than a few years and what would make them 'unique' from the other girls.
Idk abt zendaya☠️,I'd say marilyn monroe is one of the more definitive it girls for her time,maybe current gen would be someone like kylie???although she isn't particularly well liked,she has the notoriety,wealth,influence and lifestyle,even occupation to qualify.if its a well loved it girl,def bella hadid rn
@@heiloniris1747 I think Bella is more relatable and more the 'perfect girl who is in everything and at the same time you can understand her' with her family situation. Kylie is....'my face structure changed drastically because of puberty'
Yay! So glad u uploaded on this rainy evening here in wales! As a 31 yo who remembers the late 90s/2000s well I honestly think it is social media that killed the “it girl”. I think people/celebrities/modern day influencers are too accessible now thus killing the mystique. I’m glad that journalism and the tabloids have become somewhat more responsible since I was growing up, the fat/$!ut shaming was absolutely horrendous, and it was seen as totally acceptable. Also celebrities are no longer stalked and hounded by paparazzi every time they leave their home. The media back then was WILD! I think a combo of social media and the more ‘responsible’ reporting seen these days killed the it girl. It also killed the major celebrity super star too. I think the last major “super star” in the old sense was either Beyoncé or Gaga.
@@91clarie We will always have famous pop stars. But maybe it's not exactly the same _type_ of famous. Just like we don't really have a modern equivalent of Cindy Crawford.
@@bananawitchcraft I mean Taylor just broke records that no one before her achieved, like being the first female musician solely dominating the Billboard Top 10
possibly hot take: the 2020 it girls are not "it" girls. they're just popular within or sometimes outside their audience. for example, majority of the social media (white) "it" girls you mentioned I literally never heard of.
I’m a little devastated Alexa Chung wasn’t included in this as a 2010s IT one of the last before the influencer version you discuss for 2020s! I remember how talked about she was and the massive successes of her book and it’s cover being included as shorthand for being in the know.
Same! I always think of Alexa. I knew her as being a fashion trendsetter and seeing her in magazines but never knew what why she was famous. I don't really consider Lindsay, Paris, or Britney as 'it' girls - yes they were famous and iconic but girls like Alexa, Chloe Sevigny and Sienna Miller were sort of famous for setting trends even if you never saw them on tv, movies or radio.
can't believe how relieved i was to see someone outside of specifically lesbian spaces accurately describe the power dynamic between masculine women and feminine women
I think Amanda Bynes, should count as the It Girl for Nickolodeon. She was in every teen movie parallel to Lindsay Lohan. Though they were just it girls for entertainment. For a WoC that was kind of an it girl for Disney back in the day, it was Brenda Song who was also in a lot of teen movies, though not as a lead character and obscure.
@@caitlingill Ariana was active in Nick for 4 years (just 2 shows) and wasn't even the main character for most of it. Amanda Bynes was in several shows and movies (even one called "The Amanda Show") for 10 years
Julia Fox seems to be one of the only It Girls "doing it the old fashion way", by which I mean clawing her way into being a socialite and becoming people's "muse". And on the subject of the muse, Warhol's Factory produced a lot of It Girls!
the term "it boy" made me laugh ngl but I do think guys like evan mock, timothee chalamet, harry styles could fit into this mold (interesting because they sort of defy and/or bend gender stereotypes and have became famous for this while the "it" girls have become famous for sort of conforming to gender roles)
yeah tbh i was thinking harry styles fits the "it girl" stereotype more than any of the actual it girls of the moment! and like you said i think the gender bending is a big part of that because both men and women kind of wanna be him AND kind of wanna be with him. plus even though his relationships get a lot of speculation in the media, he does maintain a certain level of mystery around his personal life that very few celebrities do these days, which i think is a big part of having "it girl" energy.
One of the biggest it girls of social media you didn’t mention is Loren Gray. She was the most followed person of tiktok and literally everyone wanted to be her, she was everything and everywhere, even if you didn’t know her she 100% showed up on your feed in like 2016-2018. She was thriving and undeniable hot, pretty and successful. Pinterest was full of her photos and a hell ton of makeup artists tried to recreate her looks
Low-key convinced my true calling was to be a mediocre nepo baby living off of daddy’s money. I’m on a yacht somewhere complaining about the temperature of my champagne. Ah I can see it now 😌
I think another important quality of being an "it girl" is longevity. Whether their influence will actually make a lasting impact on culture. Whether we will actually remember them in 30 - 50 years from now
I’ve also noticed kpop stans have coined the term IT girl and now IT boy too, an idol who is very conventionally attractive, has the talent of an all rounder and also seems to have the ability todo most things and can pull off almost anything. Nothing todo with their social life and wealth status. It’s so interesting how terms change and evolve over time
@@beyondtheradio yeah because most "its" in kpop arent the best of the best, theyre just average at best, tbh its just because they're the most conventionally attractive of their group and brand deals etc
@@IuvIies THIS!! I've seen way more talented idols but not as famous not being praised while mediocre idols being named the "it girl" all the time and their fans forcing it on us because of their social media following and attractiveness who they purchased btw!! it feels like a popularity thing more than talent
Honestly social media did kill the It Girl, with us having access to anyone 24/7. The idea of them begin mysterious or creative kind of goes away. Honestly I have noticed in recent years, I don't stay on Social media for more than an hour or two as just mentally want a break. Also now I listen more to podcast as I do my own thing. Keeping up with so many influencers now, just doesn't appeal to me like it did back in the 2010s.
This seems like an opportune time to say, Jordan is my favorite video essayist. I was so excited to see a podcast episode today too! I even watch your videos about British reality TV shows that I’ve never seen/plan to see. Jordan is a total IT girl to me.
The thing with the "it girls" of the past (and for some in the present) is that they have some sort of trademark or signature that they're known for. They possess a level of authenticity with their image, even though that authenticity comes with intentional curation. Above all, even more so now, there's a high level of secrecy with said image (Zendaya, Lily-Rose Depp, Alexa Demie, Rihanna, and even Beyonce come to mind) because they aren't active on social media trying to prove something, their public image speaks for itself!! With the oversaturation of people becoming social media famous, especially with this it is more difficult to discern who is being authentic and who is following trends, or trying to emulate past it girls (cough cough Kim Kardashian cough cough).
ngl I was a bit sad you skipped the it girls of the 60s, Twiggy is my favourite and I think she played a big role in introducing super models as it girls, but I loved the video anyway, thanks for sharing as always 😊💗💗 ps : would love to see a similar video, but on “alternative” it girls 🖤 (would be cool to go through the decades again like Betty Page, Janis Joplin, Joan Jett, Courtney Love, etc) and see how they influenced culture, fashion and female thinking 🙏🥺
Something that your videos made me realize is i think we aestheticize things to make tasks that we wouldn’t normally find appealing, attractive; especially with the ‘that girl’ aesthetic, thereby making them more enjoyable to do.
In the 2000s there actually were a lot more It Girls. There was also Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Avril Lavigne, Hilary Duff, Miley Cyrus aka Hannah Montana, and many more. I wouldn't say that the 2000s only had three or four. Thanks to an increase in cable tv as a norm, more It girls came to the fore. Of course, I agree that more girls today than in the past are considered "it" girls due to social media's influence.
I think as time passes, we'll be able to see a clearer definition of an "it girl" for this decade. You mention how media in the past has blurred the lines of who is and isn't an it girl, and I think that when the time comes, those who pass the test of longevity will be crowned this era's it girls.
You look gorgeous & I love your new setup!! The grainy look is aesthetic as well - you should thrift/buy some art for the side of the dresser facing the camera! :)
Rihanna was a It girl, I remember people used to dress like her, Tumblr was based off of her aesthetics and everyone dyed their hair red, right now I would say the It girl is Bella Hadid alot of people want to dress and copy her, I feel like her cat eye look was what made it trendy look and she was also a huge y2k inspiration
Kaz Rowe has the most amazing break down of poor Evelyn's life, it sounds so unglamorous, it's amazing what publicity will turn a life into, she also seemed more on trial than anyone else
I appreciate the little noises when you show a photo, as I'm usually playing the Sims while I listen/watch. Also it sounds like the sound yoshi makes when he sticks his tongue out and it's very cute.
I think when everybody is trying to be the “it” girl there is no single “it” girl anymore, and that’s probably a good thing. We’re in the age of hyper-individualism , so I feel like it’s only natural that the definition of an “it” girl is becoming more subjective. We also have so much more access to trends & proximity to celebs/influencers, that I feel the goalpost for what is considered “in” or “it” is constantly moving
Alexa Demie is the only true It Girl to me for the simple fact that she has the energy, presence, and allure to remain relevant and influential while barely ever using Instagram or other social media. She is It on AND offline and that is the mark of a woman who truly has It. Julia Fox too, her It-ness is actually what brought on her fame, not the other way around. They're both creative, artistic, stylish, interesting, intelligent, and unique without rich parents or pedigree. A rarity these days and they definitely have It. :)
Agree, there are a lot of things social media has done wrong. But the push to just love and accept yourself and that there is no more It Girl has been amazing. I was shook when I posted a makeup fall look video on tiktok (I mostly post for fun for myself and friends) and people were legitimately asking me to give them tips and if I can do a full RU-vid video. As a Black Hispanic growing up I never felt pretty due to society's idea of beauty and now more people want to look like me. I'm still in shock
When I saw the title and conjured up an It Girl in my mind, I immediately thought Audrey Hepburn. She was effortlessly charming, fun, and odd in a captivating way. She didn’t look like anyone else, didn’t dress like anyone else. She was no one’s idea of a sex symbol. But she had IT. Some sort of magic that captured hearts. Someone I think of that has that sort of quality today is Anya Taylor-Joy. Watch an interview with her. She has something indescribable and enchanting about her.
I feel like social media gives us the choice in who we decide to follow and lift up as an "it" girl. Each platform, niche interest, or scene can have their "it" girl or boy and be really popular in that scene but the influence isn't universal. Jennie Kim was mentioned and while I agree she is an "it" girl, she's really only known as such to people who listen to and follow Korean music and dramas. Adison Rae is really only an "it" girl to people who are on a certain side of tiktok or who follow tiktok influencers. I personally didn't know of half the people who were listed because I'm not on that side of the internet. Actually, the only universal "it" girl in my opinion is Zendaya. She's seen, heard, and felt everywhere!
you should do an episode on looksmaxxing because one of my coworkers went down the reddit rabbithole for that and it reminds me about the whole it girl aesthetic
idk, i'm a teen girl and the term "it girl" really resonated with me. There's a image of power, of confidence that i want to achieve, so it's just fun for me, walking around pretending I'm an it girl and having the same energy as the woman i admire
I loved bestdressed and the only think she did was sponsor Amazon (as if audible sponsorships don’t exist), which she apologized and took down, but people never let her forget it. Can’t help but think that if she wasn’t Asian or a man instead that it would’ve went down like that.
If anyone is interested in the ‘it girl’ fashion style through the years and their different style categories, many of the women (besides present ones) mentioned in this video are in this book I love called: Fashionista: A Century of Style Icons by Simone Werle. Also, Crimes of the Centuries has a great podcast about the OG it girl and her love triangle!
I agree with people who say if everyone is an “it” girl no one can, and I also agree that you need to have a certain persona and impact for it. Being pretty and rich is not enough. I believe Emma Chamberlain is an “it” girl for gen z not just bc she has a big following but bc shes had a big impact across the internet even to people like me who are not necessarily a fan and is now making an impression in the “real world” like tv and fashion (jimmy Fallon, vogue magazine, met gala)
I 100% would LOVE a mediocre nepotism babies video. I'm so glad you said it about dusty-ass brooklyn beckham and nicola peltz. I have always thought they were the MOST boring "celebrities" ever but like you, I keep seeing them EVERYWHERE so I thought "huh maybe I'm missing smthn???" I'm legit grateful to u because I honestly thought it was just me 😂
The girls oh these days keeping selling us what they wear , the makeup they use , the shoes they use and everyone ends up looking like them !!!! Paris , nicki and Lindsay did not sell us anything we couldn’t be them !!! They were just them and it was IT!!!!
I feel like everyone is called an It Girl now, but if everyone is then no one really is, you know? It loses its meaning if it’s said about every influencer or celeb and no longer means a stand out.
The dilution of the 'it girl' really does seem to come down to the fact that 'it girl' used to be a title for whoever the press and paparazzi were most obsessed with. It was more than niche popularity because even the average person couldn't avoid knowing who they were thanks to newspapers and magazines. An influencer publishes their own media and is in charge of their own publicity, so I don't think they qualify as 'it girls'. The monolith of print publishing just doesn't get to push stars on such an unchallenged level anymore. Essentially 'it girl' = print media darling, while 'influencer' = internet media darling
Do you want a video on Nepotism babies? OF COURSE I DO 🥰 Espicqlly in the fashion world, it's amazing how Bella Hadid is taking over Kendall Jenner in modelling
they're both nepotism babies. not much distinction there. maybe bella is more professional and has a better walk, but neither of them would have gotten a shot in the industry if they weren't nepo babies.
@@kill3008 she is but that ain’t a big achievement considering that kendall doesn’t even try. both overrated and undeserving of the space and platform they’ve been given
Amazing video as always!! I personally believe that another factor that "it girls" have is their international influence/recognition, since many of the declared "it girls" from today are only recognized in their home countries or a few countries that speak their same language, I believe that for someone to become an it girl they need to have international influence/recognition not only in their home countries but outside of them and break the international barrier, since I live outside the US/UK, and if it weren't for these type of videos, I wouldn't know many of today's "it girls." Plus I would also love to see a video about mediocre nepo baby's!!
The main appeal of being the "it girl" is being different and oustanding in a unique way, but when everyone is being different and outstanding in a unique way, nobody is unique anymore, the "different" becomes the norm and so on we jump from trend to trend.
I actually think most influencers are not unique or different at all. They all look like each other, get the same plastic surgeries, dress the same, do the same things, even if they are musicians or something they all make similar music and art. That is why all of these influencers and celebrities blend together now and it is hard to even remember who is who.
It's also wild to think about the difference of the it girl between races because when you said 2000s it girl I'm thinking of Kimora Lee Simmons, Naomi Campbell, Brandy, Rihanna, Beyoncé (who I'm SHOCKED was not mentioned lol) and Aaliyah (even though she passed). They all were handled by the media differently too. And the it girl has changed with all of the different aesthetics in black culture as well. Like Jayda Wayda, Destiny Ryan, Zendaya are all it girls in completely different ways. The local it girls where I live were always still wealthy and flexing designer. Also it girls even changed based on the platform being used. Like the tumblr it girl vs instagram it girl are two completely different things.
An interesting one. Personally I don't think the term ever went away, perhaps it's just been recontextualised recently. I think TikTok users making "how to be an it girl" content is a bit redundant given "it" is supposed to be a mysterious quality that's hard to pin down. Also I'd like to echo others' comments here that social media is so fragmented that different niches/communities probably have their own respective it girls, which is arguably better than a handful of supposedly "universally loved" it girls (given that the term has more often been applied to white cishet women). Would be interesting to see you cover nepotism babies but especially in the context of the UK and how entrenched the class system remains, and how opportunities in the arts especially are being closed to the rest of us - I'm convinced there's a correlation between more nepo babies landing gigs* and the rise of conservatism in UK politics in the last 12 years. Lastly if you're looking to support a VERY small business for home decor, please check out my Etsy shop, Broadway Parade! *personal pet peeve being Iris Law as Siouxsie Sioux (being mostly in the background) in Pistol, because with all due respect any of my female actor mates with zero connections to the industry could have done that ....
I feel that there are no "It Girls" because due to social media everyone is getting in the spot light and it's taking the sparkle away from discovering Diamonds in the rough. Way back in the day you searched for them, thenonce found they molded you into the IT Girl. Which unfortunately became very stressful for her. So maybe it's not so bad.
Really interesting video! Definitely do that nepotism video 👍. I would also say that historically Twiggy was classed as an 'it' girl and was part of the fashion look called 'dolly birds' my mum was part of that scene, which was all about the latest fashions, hairstyles etc x x x
Tbh, I’m glad that we don’t have society forcing its definition of “It girls” on us as much anymore. We personally get to define who we see as “it girls”. Like for me, women that I personally find to be “that girl/it girls” are: Tems, Normani, Kianna Naomi, & Skai Jackson. An “it girl” looks different to everyone and that’s ok. We’re human, we like different things and we shouldn’t be forced into thinking someone has IT because of certain things. Keep redefining what an “it girl” is 💅🏾.
The whole time I was waiting for you to say "Je ne suis qué" (pretty sure I mispelled that)😂😂 and you said it with an accent👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 I think part of the deal is some people just don't care to be told who should be the centre of their attention. A lot of "it girls" have that title because of their place in the industry not based a group of people agreeing that this person has a cool quality we all envy. As you said, social media allows people to form their own gatherings where they agree that this one person is "it" to them and that they envy the "it" (beauty, fame, money or whatever) of that person.
personally I do not see lily rose depp as an 'it' girl because i NEVER see her on anything mainstream. I do not see many people fangirling over her like Zendaya or Bella
My cynical perspective on this is that being an it-girl is to commodify all aspects of your identity and behaviors to the point that you become a Halloween Costume one day :(
This is what happens when we cheapen a term. People give every aspiring influencer the title of "it girl" and then they ask themselves why there are no more actual it girls in the world. Firstly.. It's because we acknowledge the wrong women for being the it girls and then we never cease to undermine those who actually possess the qualities to be named an it girl. I believe it's a pretty big title.. To me, it girl means someone whose personality and looks are stellar, who manages to impress anyone effortlessly and has the grace and poise to deal with almost every single situation in her own manner. I've actually only met 2-3 people my whole life who have given me this feeling.
another way it girl has been used is within kpop. in kpop theres generations for each year as the type of music changes (for example 3rd gen kpop is like 2012-2019 and now it has moved to 4th gen) and for each generation theres an it girl and it boy. for instance, in 3rd gen kpop, the it girl was jennie kim and the it boy was jungkook jeon. in 4th gen, currently, the it girl is jang wonyoung and the it boy is choi yeonjun. obviously this is very subjective and others consider different idols to be the it people. instead of this being based on wealth, this is more based on popularity and them being an all-rounder. (meaning they can sing, rap and dance well and have great stage presence) its really interesting how the term is used differently.
i dont have any particular aim with this comment but whilst you’ve always been eloquent, i find it interesting to see how much your accent has changed over the course of your videos. i hadnt noticed until my mum heard your voice and said you absolutely went to private school
I personally think it girls or the ones that I like live their life privately like Alexa demie, lily rose depp, Jennie Kim, Normani like I rarely see them in interviews or that much but when they do appear my eyes are on them like what I’m saying is their only famous when it’s related to their work which I find very classy and something I would do if I was a celebrity Edit: with the sentence “only famous when it’s related to there job” means that they only want to appear in the public eye when it relates to their job like promoting an album.
I think social media took away the mystique surrounding the popular influential girls, so they don't feel as unreachable anymore. In my mind, it girls live in a pedestal, they're interesting partly because we don't know enough about them, but today most of these girls are too exposed for them to actually be so impactful (imo)
Because no one is a "fan" anymore...everyone wants to be on the stage..even when they don't belong there. Our culture is very ego driven. The "me, me, me" Era is here to stay. It is NOT a good thing...Now I may not PERFECTLY quote this, however..the late great EYEDEA said it best," SUCCESS AINT ONLY BASED ON SELF ESTEEM, IT TAKES THE SENSE TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN YOURSELF AND SOMEONE ELSES DREAMS"...I hope that our precious youth understand that the "world" doesn't have to dictate what's important. You can be the head and not the tail. FAME is NOT a barometer for success or happiness. So try to find your self, your humility, your heart outside of this shallow culture. Be generous in spirit and humble and you will find meaning in life! God Bless!:)
Also Devon aoki is like an it girl but only is getting her attention and well deserved credit now in the 2020’s which is interesting to think about that if she was like 22 today she would’ve been an it girl
jordan you made so many points in this i cnt even count them!!! the ressurgence of the it girl relating to girls feeling more free in to indulge in femininity just really hit the spot
