did instagram kill the it-girl? 📱👀📰

from clara bow to audrey hepburn to naomi campbell, it-girl's have had quite the cultural impact, but are they still around today? in today's video we dive into the history of the phrase "it", what "it" ACTUALLY means, and how social media affected the it-girl.

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research assistant 📝
sydney george

editor 🎬
aalyiah victoria

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intro/outro by
nicole w.b

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[dianamonge]

Jennifer Aniston had a point when she said social media is destroying "movie stars" and "celebrities" but i don't think it is necessarily a bad thing

[justsinexo]

Britney Spears deserves way more credit for being the IT GIRL of y2k in the late 90s, way before Paris Hilton was even relevant. Britney’s influence on pop culture from 1999-2004 BEFORE the Paris era in 2006 was INSANE. She was everywhere, in every magazine, we couldn’t get enough of her, the documentaries she did, she was all over MTV, VH1 etc

[sharon-bppk]

It's less Instagram, but social media in general. Everyone can be their own It girl because everyone can customise the perfect ideal in their head from a composite of their favourite aesthetics, styles and beauty looks without needing general media to tell us who is the It girl. There are just so many girls to pick from so we now make our own It girls!

[Nyzahnewton]

I always used to wonder what it took for someone to become an “it girl” but now I understand it’s a state of mind rather than a title bestowed upon you by someone else

[fabdav]

Everyone in the comments are mentioning different people that they deem as modern"it girls" and they barely mention the same person twice, proving that there is not a consensus of someone who is really an it girl for our current times.

[kikilocket]

Not in the entertainment industry, but Princess Diana was definitely an It Girl. She had this wonderously beautiful and honest soul, and her down-to-earth nature and rebellious side was completely out of the ordinary in the Royal Family. Even to this day, people are still infatuated with her, admire her and are inspired by her.

[susie]

Honestly I think Lana Del Ray deserves “it girl” status for that mid 2010s tumble era. Everyone wanted to be her, and some people still do.

[undisclosedprincess]

I feel like half the people in the comment section don't realize that just because you are a fan of someone, doesn't make them an IT girl. I'm a fan of Meg Donnelly, but barely anyone knows who she is which wouldn't make her an "IT Girl".

[_-lydia-_]

I agree and I think it's a good thing because all these "it girls" seemed very depressed with the way they were treated by everyone.

[gabetratz]

"Today they're sensible and end up with better health but we had more fun." -every generation after finding out that all the drugs they did in their 20s were terrible for them

[sophiaisabelle]

Seems like the It Girl era was at its prime way back in the day. It’s also giving nostalgic vibes. Great analysis overall. We really do appreciate your consistency.

[nanoupunkie]

The phenomenon of the it-girl in my opinion has disappeared because of the absence of fantasy. There's no rarity and the curtain has risen to reveal all the details of these people's private lives. For me no one can appropriate this title, it's something that never really existed

[kaykay]

I feel like Megan Fox was a huge 'it' girl of the 2010's era. Like, her image was EVERYWHERE, and everyone either wanted to be her or be with her. She also gave interesting interviews but stayed off social media during this period, which I think contributed to her allure...

[ririval]

anya taylor-joy def a major IT girl rn, pap pics of her doing casual things like smoking or walking a street going viral, private but seems wholesome and poised in interviews. people have become fascinated with her more and more, and she especially has such a unique and standout look that an IT girl must have. she doesnt need to make 10 posts a day to keep people interested and most people generally know of her without being overly exposed to her, 100% an IT girl

[st]

I will say Kylie fashion from 2014 -2018 had girls in a choke hold the edgy tumblr style to the ig baddie with some edge to ig baddie with the “swag “ fashion to ig baddie and let’s not forget the amount of hair dye videos on YouTube that teal ombre hair she had

[vinttint]

I think a lot of the commenters missed the part where the video stated that celebrity is not equal to "It". A famous person having fans and a following who wish to emulate them or dress like them can be Influential but "It" is a certain je-ne-sais-quoi that's not as easily replicated. Basically, if you can easily explain why their famous or what makes everyone crave them, they're probably not It.

[taylorjefferson]

I think the most fascinating thing about this video is how, growing up (and even still now), most of these women were not “It Girls” to me. It just really highlights how culturally specific “it” is and I think that’s so interesting. For me, it was Josephine Baker, Halle Berry, Grace Jones, Janet Jackson, Ciara, Destiny’s Child, TLC (especially Left-Eye), Lil Kim, Aaliyah, Lisa K Bonnet, Angelina Jolie, the Supers, etc. who were the It Girls and they really shaped who I view now to have “it.”

[lips]

i agree with the king kylie analysis because you really can't deny she was everywhere esp when she dropped kylie lip kits or when people thought she was the lead singer of terror jr.

[hibird]

Would you consider Alexa Demie an it girl since she is so private? I mainly agree on the modern day it girls we have with Zendya, Bella, and Emma. I just feel Alexa is so alluring yet holds back on revealing herself and uses mystery as her advantage.

[dahliakara-denise]

I also think it has to do with the slow, but noticeable shift towards diversity. All of the "it" girls that you can buy posters of tend to be white (Marilyn, Audrey, etc.). Notice that women like Janet Jackson, Grace Jones, and Dorothy Dandridge don't come immediately in the "it" girl conversations, when by their very nature (the fashion, cultural influence, media attention) they fit the definition. Social media allows people to follow a diverse set of people who have "it", but through different lenses. Traditional media tends to only present "it" through a Eurocentric one.