Girls put themselves in the shoes of Amy Schumer, Beyoncé, and others to show what they can do.
Breaking the mold, one industry at a time.
A recurring theme in 2015 has been "seeing is believing" — especially for girls.
It's easier to believe you can do something when you've seen someone else do it. That's why no matter how frustrated you get assembling IKEA furniture, you have to believe in those instructions. You saw it put together in the store. You know it can be done!
2015 has been marked with some major "seeing is believing" milestones of its own. From comedy to politics to sports to engineering, many women have taken the status quo and said, "ehhh … let's try it my way instead."
These women are helping to shift perceptions on what women and girls are capable of, and they're inspiring a whole generation while they're at it.
Could she be the next RBG? Maybe! Image of Ginsburg from Steve Petteway/Wikimedia Commons. Image of future-Ginsburg via GoldieBlox/YouTube.
In a new music video, girls step into the shoes of 10 of today's top female role models.
The video comes from popular toy company GoldieBlox and features mini-superstars like Sophia Grace, Heaven King, Jillian from EvanTubeHD, Sam Gordon, RadioJH Audrey, Annie and Hayley from Bratayley, and Flippin' Katie.
Their message is simple: Girls can run on the field and run the world. They can do whatever they want to do. And right now they've got some badass women to show them how.
For instance, in 2015, Viola Davis became the first black woman to win an Emmy for lead actress in a drama series, showing millions of girls around the world that they could too.
GIF via GoldieBlox/YouTube.
And the on-point message Davis delivered gave when accepting her award says it all:
GIF from "67th Emmy Awards/Fox."
Remember when Misty Copeland became the first ever black principal ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre this year? Yeah, that was rad.
And now it seems more possible than ever before that any girl, no matter the color of her skin, can be next.
Shattering the ceiling in her ballet shoes. (Hello, Heaven King!) GIF via GoldieBlox/YouTube.
A woman who needs no introduction, Hillary Clinton is no stranger to the spotlight. She shows time and time again that it's cool to stand up for what you believe in and, oh yeah, run for PRESIDENT!
The more girls see that politics isn't just a "boys only" club, the more likely they are to go for it.
We need more amazing lady power suits in office. GIF via GoldieBlox/YouTube.
And let's not forget Amy Schumer, who has proven that you can find hilarious ways to talk about issues that matter, like equal pay and sexual double standards.
Her "Girl, you don't need makeup" sketch was gold.
You can show how smart you are AND be funny. Go get 'em, girls. GIF via GoldieBlox/YouTube.
So many industries today are male-dominated, and the idea that 'you can't be what you can't see' hits home with women of all ages. It's refreshing to see that beginning to change.
How are you supposed to think you can become a female NFL coach if you only see men on the job? A woman named Jenn Welter made it happen this year. Now, who will be the next?
Slowly but surely, the tide is turning.
GoldieBlox and organizations like The Representation Project are helping to make it happen by shining a light on the need for positive women role models in the media and showing that there is more for girls outside of the stereotypical pink aisle at the department store.
It's working. Bring on 2016.
You can watch GoldieBlox's music video celebrating some of this year's women superstars and their mini-me's here:
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."