Girlboss: The Future of Feminism
Written by: Jordan Hoffman
Jo Hoffman is a Sophomore at Centenary College of Louisiana studying English and French literature. She’s passionate about making education accessible and equitable. She enjoys spending time with her cat and reading YA fiction.
16 September 2022
Girlboss: The Future of Feminism
The word “girlboss” is found in a few places—written attackingly in reddit threads, cheered in the comments of Kardashian-level celebrities, or in cheesy gold print on plastic placards adorning the desks of millennial businesswomen. Its meaning, both denotatively and connotatively, changes depending on the generation, the political spectrum, and the regional location of the user. In a matter of a decade, the word has circled through groups that have managed to switch its meaning around and back again. Girlboss is not simply a noun, adjective, or verb; it is a reflection of how the modern woman navigates feminism, capitalism, and the will to succeed.
The word first appears in print in 2014 as the title of Nasty Gal CEO Sophia Amoruso’s autobiography #Girlboss. Amoruso is the founder of Nasty Gal, a popular vintage clothing brand. The book describes Amoruso’s process of becoming the multi-million-dollar entrepreneur she is today. She details her experience starting poor and building up her own business. She wrote her autobiography to help “other girls like her: outsiders (and insiders) seeking a unique path to success (Amoruso Synopsis). Her story inspired the T.V. series on Netflix, Girlboss, in 2017 and reached millions of viewers. The show was poorly received, as many found Sophia’s character “annoying” and a “feminist fraud” due to her selfishness (Chaney 9) (Wright 0). This modern day “pull yourself up by your bootstrap” story not only coined the word “girlboss” but also became its archetype. The “girlboss” became a word that reflected Amoruso herself—a savvy businesswomen ready to take on the world at any cost.
The word components, “girl” and “boss,” unlike the slang “girlboss,” are found in major dictionaries. “Boss” comes from the Dutch “baas” which means “master” (OED “boss” etymology). It is defined as “a manager, or anyone who has a right to give orders,” (OED “boss” a.). This definition indicates that “girlboss” is someone who is in charge or has power over others. “Girl” is of unknown origin, but it appeared in Middle English as the word “garl, geerle, gerl,” or “gerle,” (OED “girl” forms). Because “girlboss” is originally used to describe primarily adult females, the definition for “girl” here is “(b.) A woman of any age,” (OED “girl” I.2.b.). Interestingly, there is a sub-definition for this definition: “Attested earlier in (often derogatory) reference to women with respect to their occupation or social status,” (OED “girl” I.2.b.). Women, who are fully grown and in charge of their lives often become offended when referred to as a girl. “Girl,” when used in reference to adult women, is interpreted as “patronizing or sexually suggestive,” (Parkinson 1). This is a likely explanation as to why “girlboss” has not always remained a positively connotative word, as many have found it condescending or an attack on their autonomy.
Still considered slang, the word does not appear in any major dictionary. It is, however, defined by Keith A. Spencer in his review of I Care A Lot, a modern “girlboss” movie as “[a woman] whose success is defined in opposition to the masculine business world in which she swims upstream” (8). This is the straightforward, original definition of the word. This definition fits the archetype Amoruso established in her book. Depending on which circle the word is being used, however, its meaning evolves to fit the needs of the user. For example, Maddy McCrary, Centenary freshman and avid “girlboss” user, believes “girlboss” describes “anybody that’s… doing the shit they need to do. Getting their stuff done, even if they’re struggling,” (00:41). I, personally, use the word to describe anyone I find admirable, strong, or relatable, regardless of gender or social standing. In the decade since the release of Amoruso’s book, the word has evolved from describing women in positions of power to describing anyone who has the courage to persevere in a difficult situation.
However, the word hasn’t always been positive. In 2021, the word became part of a gen-z-coined phrase: gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss. Members of gen-z began to realize that the increase of powerful women executives did not lead to an egalitarian, post-capitalistic workplace; workers were still exploited, but now the boss wore red lipstick. The Guardian writer, Martha Gill, defined this girlboss as “a type of manicured woman who pursues success at the expense of others” (3). A “girlboss” became a woman with “unchecked privilege” and “no intention of lifting anyone else up,” (Abad-Santos 7). The “gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss” meme evolved to mock the type of woman who would use feminism to hide her privilege and justify her treatment of others. When paired with “gatekeep” and “gaslight,” “girlboss” evokes the image of someone willing to “put [others] down so [they] can get ahead” (McCrary 3:38). The term “girlboss” could no longer be used by affluent, powerful women to hide their exploitation of others behind girl-power and moxie. Instead, the use of the word only exposed these types of women to their critics.
To get from the negative connotation of a manipulative “girlboss” to the current use of a strong individual in under a year took the influence of TikTok and other social media sites. The “gatekeep” and “gaslight” got dropped, and the ironic usage of “girlboss” became less ironic as more people started to use it to mundane things, like doing homework or playing sports (McCrary 1:15). It no longer mocks executives, or even describes them, but captures the difficulty and strength it takes to complete daily tasks. In a poll performed with several female Centenary students, this new meaning of “girlboss” was put to the test. All participants were shown two sets of pictures; the first compared Senator Marjorie Taylor Green (R) on her first day of office to Senator Bernie Sanders (D) getting arrested in 1963 at a protest for school integration, and the second compared a picture of Kamala Harris, the first female U.S. vice-president to Olutunmike Adeleye, a Tulane neuroscience freshman who writes her science notes in bright pink. In both situations, all participants chose Sanders and Adeleye as the more “girlboss” photo, because even though Taylor Green and Harris were women in power, Sanders and Adeleye represented the heart of “girlbossing:” doing something right, even when it’s hard (Clark et al.). It may be hard to gain power, but it is not always admirable. Doing the right thing, however, can seldom be twisted into something ugly.
I have watched the evolution of girlboss. I have mocked the white feminism behind it and reposted the memes. I have seen, in real time, how a word can come to mean so many things to so many people. I have made friendships based both on the hatred of the word and the love of it. It is an integral part of my vocabulary. As someone who has grown up during the development of “girlboss,” my ideas of feminism reflect its changes. Feminism, to me, has grown from wanting to see women in power to wanting to see a wide-spread equity. The current definition of “girlboss” represents the future of feminism: for everybody, for the underdog, for strength, and for perseverance.
Process Letter
This essay was much more fun for me to write than I expected. It was also far more complex than I intended. I chose the word “girlboss” because I found myself continuously explaining why I use it to much. My defense became second nature, and I realized that it might make for an interesting paper (which I hopefully accomplished). I understood, in some formless way, that “girlboss” could be an accurate lens to view feminism and our society’s view of hard-working women.
I knew vaguely I wanted to discuss how “girlboss” has evolved greatly over the years. I started by trying to figure out when the word began showing up in common dialect. It was easy to find the information on Sophia Amoruso’s book and the emergence of “girlboss.” There is no lack of reviews on her book and story, both positive and negative. It was also easy to find articles on how “girlboss” changed to an insult. What I couldn’t find, however, was a cause behind it. Many authors just discussed how the word was used; they did not discuss that there was a change in the social psyche that cause “girlboss” to become something nasty.
The first major challenge I faced was connecting the changes. I made these connections not based on scholarly research or articles, but on common opinion of myself and my friends. “Girlboss” is slang after al, and slang is not coined in published articles. I figured if anyone could speak on the evolution of “girlboss,” it was kids my age. Making my interview was a fun experience; I knew I wanted ot interview Maddy McCrary, because I don’t know anyone who uses “girlboss” more than her. She was over the moon to be interviewed, and she gave the word a healthy dose of respect, rather than treating it like the joke I was trying to avoid. She answered all my questions thoughtfully, and by the end I was confident I had a strong argument. The last part of the survey was the poll with the pictures of different men and women doing “girlboss-y” things. Maddy answered exactly how I hoped she would, and so did everyone else I asked. I decided to ask others because I figured it would add conviction to my argument to have more people polled.
I did the interview and the polling before I had a strongly formed essay. After I obtained my major sources, I started writing. I had a feeling my word would not be in the OED, and I was right, but I was quite content with how I interpreted the word parts. While writing, I tried to focus on the chronological evolution and how it reflected the changes in feminism over the years. My conclusion felt like an appropriate place to include my own interpretation of “girlboss” and how it worked for me. Overall, I am happy with my essay and am proud of the work I’ve done. I feel this is a productive exploration of “girlboss” and what it means to a modern speaker.
Works CitedAbad-Santos, Alex. “The Death of the Girlboss.” Vox, Vox, 7 June 2021, https://www.vox.com/22466574/gaslight-gatekeep-girlboss-meaning. Amoruso, Sophia. #Girlboss. Portfolio/Penguin, 2014. "boss, n.6." OED Online, Oxford University Press, September 2022, www.oed.com/view/Entry/21776. Accessed 23 September 2022.Chaney, Jen. “Netflix's Girlboss Is a Letdown.” Vulture, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2017, https://www.vulture.com/2017/04/girlboss-review.html. Clark, Endia et al. Interview. Conducted by Jordan Hoffman, 23 September 2022.Gill, Martha. “'Girlboss' Used to Suggest a Kind of Role Model. How Did It Become a Sexist Putdown? .” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 21 Aug. 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/21/girlboss-used-to-suggest-role-model-sexist-putdown. "girl, n." OED Online, Oxford University Press, September 2022, www.oed.com/view/Entry/78475. Accessed 23 September 2022.McCrary, Maddy. Interview. Conducted by Jordan Hoffman, 22 September 2022.Parkinson, Hannah Jane. “Stop Calling Women 'Girls'. It's Either Patronising or Sexually Suggestive.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 8 July 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/08/stop-calling-women-girls-its- either-patronising-or-sexually-suggestive. Spencer, Keith A. “‘I Care a Lot’ Is a Stinging Indictment of Neoliberal ‘Girlboss’ Feminism.” Salon, Salon.com, 28 Feb. 2021, https://www.salon.com/2021/02/26/i-care-a- lot-neoliberal-girlboss-feminism-critique/. Wright, Jennifer. “'Girlboss' Is a Feminist Fraud.” New York Post, 24 Apr. 2017, https://nypost.com/2017/04/22/girlboss-is-a-feminist-fraud/.
