The Non-Good Girl capable of such a miraculous feat most often hails from the lower classes. Unlike society girls, who are bred by debutante balls, critic’s reviews and hunts for husbands, lower class women cannot afford to think of their reception. They must fight, with the ferocity and freedom of an undaunted man, to pursue their dreams and therein do not have time to ponder how the world might perceive them. Moreover, the world is not watching them. Because they do not yet hold a place in the public eye, because they are not looked upon as a source of feminine judgement, they live below the radar and here procure the confidence to manifest a strong persona.
Looking at Beyonce, Gwen Stefani, Madonna and other such dynamic inspirations (including vintage starlettes like Katherine Hepburn and Lauren Bacall), one sees that it was not their ‘good girl’ behavior which brought them to legendary status, but, rather, their ‘badness.’ We can only imagine that before their individual discoveries and powerful rises to fame that they, too, were considered outsiders, brazen women too ballsy to be desirable, too outspoken to be tamed and, therefore, of the Slut and Non-Good Girl genre. But watch what’s happened to them – as they are now hailed by the press and public as extraordinary personalities – and witness the tables turn from the restrictive days of high school adolescence to a greater landscape: A landscape where an appreciated woman is one of sensuality, outspokenness and totally original style.
How ironic, then, that Good Girls spend so much time obsessively concerned with the world’s perception of their enterprises when nothing better magnetizes the world’s acclaim than a lack of awareness. These women who step free from the stranglehold of society’s expectations, who simply live in accordance with their ambitions, are initially ignored, highly doubted and ultimately revered. Their rebellious strength inspires them to incorporate their uniqueness into the development of their persona rather than apologize for it. Good Girls apologize. Bad Girls demand apologies.
Refusing to consider themselves victims, instead vying for power with men and omnipotent leaders alike, high school sluts often become tomorrow’s biggest star. So, perhaps it’s true that Good Girls win a place in the purely white and heavenly world of husbands, children and households; but Bad Girls win a place in history…