The Cult Of True Womanhood: An Analysis

Gender role expectations have been enforced for centuries, for both men and women. Women are traditionally taught to be rooted in “piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity,” per Barbara Welter, author of The Cult of True Womanhood (Welter 152). In opposition, men are associated with, “non-relational attitudes, restrictive emotionality, homophobia, avoiding femininity, aggression, status seeking, and self-reliance” (Mosher 158). Despite these past ideals, gender dynamics are changing, evident in the past 100 years with the emergence of feminism. But, not only are feminine norms changing, masculine norms are also starting to evolve. Proof of this change is with recent CoverBoy, James Charles. James Charles is a seventeen-year-old who got his start on Instagram and recently caught the attention of one of the largest makeup companies in the world. And for the first time in CoverGirl’s company history, their spokesperson is not a CoverGirl, but a CoverBoy. Charles gives us evidence of freedom of expression, he also further demonstrates that gender equality is beneficial to individuals, and finally, he shows us that gender roles shouldn’t be taken too seriously, and perhaps cause more harm than good. In recent times, a whole new genre of internet phenomenon has emerged. The arrival of the beauty blogger has changed the makeup game for both consumers and companies. Whether beauty bloggers, YouTubers, or Instagrammers sponsor a product, or just create skillful looks, their follower-base is hard to ignore. Their millions of followers subscribe to their channels to learn how to create similar looks, or to be inspired by their impressive costume makeup. This movement marks a new age of artistic expression. Makeup artists are called artists for a reason as they are communicating in a medium that has been around for thousands of years, perhaps originating from ancient Egyptians. If we have this method of expression that has been prevalent for millennium, why should it be accessible only to women? James Charles has taken advantage of modern times and is hoping to inspire others with trying makeup, male or female. CoverGirl is helping Charles accomplish this by appointing him as a representative. CoverGirl released a statement to the Huffington Post saying, “All of our CoverGirls are role models and boundary-breakers, fearlessly expressing themselves, standing up for what they believe, and redefining what it means to be beautiful… James Charles is no exception. One year ago, he boldly chose to launch his Instagram to the world, using transformative, dynamic makeup looks to showcase the many facets of his personality, serving as an inspiration to anyone who might have been afraid to do the same,” (Feldman). Self-expression is powerful, and restricting an entire gender from experimenting with something as non-invasive as makeup is wrong. Gender should not …show more content…
If someone is being bullied and feels pressured to act a certain way, their mental health may be compromised, often resulting in depression, and in some cases, suicide. “A majority of LGBT students (55.2%) were verbally harassed at school based on their gender expression; a fifth (20.0%) reported being harassed for this reason often or frequently,” (“2013 National School Climate Survey Full Report” 22). For these youths to feel more safe at school, we need to become more accepting towards those that are different from us. The campaign that also appointed James Charles to be CoverGirl’s CoverBoy was created with diversity in mind. Called the “So Lashy” campaign, CoverGirl intends to include people of all backgrounds by selling a mascara that caters to all kinds of lashes, regardless of race, gender, and age. it’s also being endorsed for being inclusive and part of a bigger picture, reaching towards celebrated amity. Now, if we continue spreading a message of acceptance and tolerance, like what’s happening with the CoverGirl campaign, we can only improve the lives of those who feel afraid to express themselves. We live in a progressive time that is full of opportunity for a diverse population, and we should not bully those who offer a unique perspective from our own. James Charles, who has over one million followers on Instagram and 380,000 on YouTube, is obviously skilled enough to have acquired the attention of a multi-million-dollar company and people from all over the world. His skill is apparent, regardless of his gender. If he is so talented, and receives recognition for that talent, why does he receive hate from some