Kristen Bell poses an important but seldom-asked question in a thought-provoking new essay: What's wrong with being girly? The actress explores the answer in a piece titled "Why Being Girly Is A Good Thing," which she penned for the White House channel on the publishing platform Medium.
Bell opens with a bold statement that could ruffle some feathers. "There are many people in this great world who think women are not equal to men," she writes. "And, I realize this may be a flammable opinion, but I would have to agree. There are differences — inherent and unwavering differences." Bell argues that while the qualities that set women and men apart have been seen as a disadvantage to females through human history, there's no reason it ought to be so. "My question is, who decided these differences were weak?" the actress asks. "Why is being 'girly' a negative adjective?" That's a good damn question.
Just what are these girly qualities the Bad Moms star is talking about? You've heard them all before: being sensitive, emotional, and non-confrontational. "Hey ladies, guess what? These all go into the 'pro' column!" Bell writes. She goes on to explain how each of these characteristics is an asset. For her, being "girly" means being empathetic, generous, and in tune with the needs of those around you. It means solving conflict with "calmness, flexibility, and a quiet resolve."
The 35-year-old is careful to make an important caveat here — that women are not all one and the same. "Please don’t mistake this as me saying every woman fits into a certain box or that every female experience is shared," she writes. "I am, however, saying that every woman brings something to the table that only she can. This ever-long journey toward equality demands that we, as females, actually embrace our inequalities and value them as superpowers." Yep, we'd say she has her superhero bona fides.