4. No One Will Like You Until You're Pretty
Yet another in the long line of counterproductive and potentially damaging lessons that movies like to teach young girlshonestly, I could probably have written this article solely on that categoryis the bizarre twist on the "Be yourself" moral: valuable girls need to be pretty to be wanted. The story goes that there's a brilliant young lady. She's smart, she's witty, she's not arrogant or conceited, but cares deeply for both her family and close friends. She's everything that a guy could want. Just one problem: she doesn't brush her hair enough, she wears glasses, her clothes don't show off her cleavage, or she lacks make up. More often, it's all of the above. Then, she gets a makeover montage and, now that she's pretty, everyone can see how great she has been the whole time. Maybe she did it because she's
actually a princess and she needs to look nice (the complete change to her appearance is a gift!), or because she
wants to get back at the evil girls at her school. Either way, the result is the same: change how you dress, how you look, and how you act to appease those around you, even if you're already awesome on the inside. One of the worst offenders is the 1999 film She's All That. In this one, not only is a nerdy art student swept up into the makeover trope, but it's actually part of a bet on the part of the most popular guy in school after his girlfriend breaks up with him. He insists to his buddies that he can take any girl and turn her into prom queen. They doubt him, so as competitive guys are wont to do, they
make a bet. Poor Laney is unaware, and eventually ends up humiliated for it. The movie would earn points for demonstrating that it's dangerous and harmful to play with a young woman's psyche for your own personal benefit, except, in accordance with the previous rule, the flagrant liar is forgiven and second chances are offered to live happily ever after with the huge jerk. Okay, fine, yes, I admit it. I had a huge crush on Laney after I saw that movie for the first time. I was in high school! It was a different time... ...You deserve better, Laney. ...Call me.