Hyperfemininity- Anaiya, Jayla & Camryn

Dear Cameryn, Jayla, and Anaiya: I am happy with your zine, “Hyperfemininity,” because…I could resonate with your message. I feel like you really brought the message, that it is important to just be who you are. One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: “Made to be fallen in love with," much like an unwelcome male gaze on the behind. Suppose I don't demand love? But without love I am nothing…” I think this is very real because… a lot of women believe that they won’t be loved if they aren’t attractive. They try to meet the expectations of society and change how they look and act. Another sentence that I loved was: “Is a girl I don't want to be Pretty and pink, Beauty and bling” This stood out for me because…I feel that when you are a girl people automatically assume that you love pink or purple colors. I feel that they always want to keep you in the sector of what they believe to be beautiful, by restricting you and comparing you to those colors. I do fully agree with you that…society pressures us into liking certain things that are viewed as feminine. One reason I say this is…because when you wear pants all the time people automatically assume that you don’t like “girly” things and that you have to think and feel like other girls do to be considered a girl. Another reason I agree with you is…when you are seen doing things that boys do, you are automatically less girly in the eyes of society. Have you seen this article? https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/mental-health/eurocentric-beauty-standards-black-women I thought you might be interested in this because of the way the author describes beauty standards for women especially women of color come from the way that white women look and act. It talks about how people oversexualize women of color because of their race, but still expect them to accept Eurocentric beauty standards. Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next because… I feel like a lot of girls can resonate with your experiences with hyperfemininity being toxic. I think that this zine was very important for you to share because it highlights things that we experience everyday and think are normal when they really shouldn’t be.

Dear Camryn, Jayla, and Anaiya: I am moved by your zine,“The roots of hyper femininity and how it makes people feel?,” because being a girl I've experienced hyper femininity. Growing up it's expected for me to be feminine, now that I'm older I see there's more to being feminine than just colors or certain articles of clothing.

One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: “Why do girls have a standard?" from "Is It Too Girly” I think this is relatable because I often find myself wondering the same thing, and also why I put this standard on to myself at times.

Another sentence that I liked was: “"Made to be fallen in love with," much like an unwelcome male gaze on the behind.” This stood out for me because I notice when I do choose to be feminine it sometimes ends with unwanted attention from men, which I really dislike.

I do somewhat agree with you that hyperfemininity can be harmful. One reason I say this is because I see and feel how I sometimes change myself to fit the standards of being hyper feminine. Another reason I agree with you is because this is something that has been going on for such a long time. It can be hard to break from those standards. I also feel like there should be a middle ground where it's okay to be feminine and it not be something that's expected of women.

Have you seen this video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clt3Nj6dHwk&t=890s I thought you might be interested in this because it's about the effects of gender performativity and how it effects women.

Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next because I really enjoyed the poems and art that was created in this zine. The way you used the art to portray the message of the zine was great.

Dear Camryn and Jayla: I am pleasantly surprised by, your poem “Is It Too Girly,” because of how controversial it is and how much I relate to it. I agree with your beliefs and thought process on this topic. Girls should be allowed to wear whatever they want and not be judged for it, because after all we are all just human and dressing up is a form of expression. One part of Jayla’s artwork that stands out for me is where she has words making up half of the girl's face. I think this is cool and creative because it makes her artwork literal yet up for interpretation. Another part that I focused on is where Jayla had her poem placement. This stood out for me because the placement of her poem emphasized the meaning of her artwork.Your drawing reminds me of something I made once. One time in the 8th grade I was assigned a project by my art teacher to make a piece of art work on an insecurity you have based on society's norms. I remember struggling to admit my insecurity and almost just taking a zero as the result. I finally came to my senses and wrote about how society's opinions on women's bodies form insecurities for lots of little girls like me. Thanks for your art. I look forward to seeing what you make next, because of how cool and outside of the box your work is. Your art work leaves me thinking of the number of messages behind it.

Dear Camryn and Jayla: I am pleasantly surprised by, your poem “Is It Too Girly,” because of how controversial it is and how much I relate to it. I agree with your beliefs and thought process on this topic. Girls should be allowed to wear whatever they want and not be judged for it, because after all we are all just human and dressing up is a form of expression. One part of Jayla’s artwork that stands out for me is where she has words making up half of the girl's face. I think this is cool and creative because it makes her artwork literal yet up for interpretation. Another part that I focused on is where Jayla had her poem placement. This stood out for me because the placement of her poem emphasized the meaning of her artwork.Your drawing reminds me of something I made once. One time in the 8th grade I was assigned a project by my art teacher to make a piece of art work on an insecurity you have based on society's norms. I remember struggling to admit my insecurity and almost just taking a zero as the result. I finally came to my senses and wrote about how society's opinions on women's bodies form insecurities for lots of little girls like me. Thanks for your art. I look forward to seeing what you make next, because of how cool and outside of the box your work is. Your art work leaves me thinking of the number of messages behind it.

Dear Authors,

I am intrigued with your zine, “Am I girly,” because I believe that the essential question that you guys asked is something that resonates with myself, but is not something that is discussed amongst each other. Not only that but the way that you guys organized your zine I thought was really nice and different. One part of your artwork that stands out for me is Jayla's drawing, which was next to her poem. I think this is meaningful because it gives me a visual on what is going on in her poem. Another part that I enjoyed is where I read about Aniyah’s interview. This stood out for me because of the questions that were being asked. In my opinion I do think that there could’ve been more thorough answers from the interviewee, but it was still interesting. Your article in the end reminds me of something that I made once. One time in middle school I was assigned to pick an issue, research it, and write a mini-essay about it. I had decided to pick domestic violence because at the time it was a topic that I felt strongly about. Thanks for your zine. I look forward to seeing what you make next, because I am excited to see what different topics you might discuss. I also hope to see more drawings that help portray the message. Lastly, I’d love to see more interviews from people who are advocates for this topic.

The poems in this zine are very creative, especially Girl I don't want to be. They both had a message of their own and touch on different aspects of what girls face on a daily basis in our society. Seeing that the contributors had some issues getting in touch with their feminine side is something that is relatable to me, and most likely many other readers. Hyperfemininity is not a topic that is ever brought up, and it should definitely be discussed more than it is.

I loved the topic of your zine. I think it's great that you guys decided to talk about society's standards for girls and voice your opinion on them. One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: “Why can’t I just be myself? This is my life right So where is my right?” I think this is a great representation on how a lot of people feel. We are told that we have the right to live freely and do whatever we want, but then are judged for the way we portray ourselves if we don't submit to their expectations. I Agree with the points you guys made. Have you seen this https://brandgenetics.com/human-thinking/how-to-appeal-to-women-a-closer-look-at-hyper-femininity/. I thought you might be interested in this because it relates to your topic. Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next.

Dear Camryn, Jayla, and Anaiya I am moved by your zine, “The roots of hyper femininity and how it makes people feel?,” because I am a girl and I have experienced hyperfemininity all of my life. The only problem I’ve had with it was unknowingly disliking the color pink because it was too girly, though now pink is my favorite color and I embrace my femininity much more as a 16 year old.
One part of your zine that stands out for me is where you compare toxic masculinity and toxic femininity. I think this is interesting because I usually think of the two as separate and the idea of them is far apart in my head. After reading your zine I can see how the two are much more similar than I originally thought. Another part that I saw is where you put pictures of yourselves for the “more about us” section. This stood out for me because it makes the reader feel more connected and you as authors more welcoming. Seeing your face creates a mood of connectivity and relation in the zine that emphasizes the message you are trying to send out in the zine. Your zine reminds me of something that I made once. One time I wrote a current event in Ms. Connaghan’s class was about the rise of barbiecore in the media. I wrote that girls are told from a young age to act girly and that some girls do not resonate with this, but also it isn’t mad if you do resonate with it that femininity can take on many forms from person to person.
Thanks for your zine. I look forward to seeing what you make next, because all of your poetic skills are very strong and hold a lot of emotion. The zine overall was very well done and highlights an important topic in our society.

Dear Camryn, Anaiya, and Jayla,

I am amused by your zine, “Am I Too Girly,” because it brings up a topic I can relate to. Women face unrealistic expectations that can easily break our confidence. One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: “as hyper feminine women are more inclined to adhere to conventional views and ideas about the rights and functions of women in society” I think this is unfair because women shouldn’t have to fit into society’s standards. Another sentence that I found was “Pretty and pink Beauty and bling Is this what society needs of me?” This stood out for me because it’s something I know many women struggle with. I do agree with you that women struggle with their appearance due to society. One reason I say this is because I’ve struggled with this myself. Another reason I agree with you is because I’ve seen the effects of these expectations myself, and all of them have been negative. Have you seen this video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLXKgq9eNas. I thought you might be interested in this because of how popular this movie is. Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next because I haven’t seen this topic talked about a lot. It’s something I’d like to know more about.