No tags yet.
It is quite easy to relate to Roxane Gay’s desire to be one of the cool kids in I Once was Miss America. Gay writes about wanting to be a part of the popular crowd, despite her negative experiences with them. This is something I, personally, can understand. I may be 100% certain that the “cool”, Sweet Valley-esque kids I know are not the nicest people, but that does not erase the tiny twinge of hope I have that they will like me. Seeing that someone else had that same experience makes me feel a little less silly as I am clearly not the only one with such foolish inclinations.
Nevertheless, our experiences have been significantly different since she describes the girls that would fit into this basic beautiful category as: blonde, white, and thin. I am at least the first two, yet I still do not fit in with this worshipped, golden group. I say this to point out that things are not always as they seem. Sometimes we see people differently than they truly are. During Gay’s childhood she dreamed of being wanted by the cool kids, but as she looks back she sees that they were only some genetically blessed kids. As I mature I am finding that I care less about being a part of the in-crowd, which is definitely a positive thing about the whole growing “older and wiser” thing.
Gay also touches on another relevant trend. In our society, writers often present the reader with a very narrow selection of characters - those lacking in flaws. We feel the need to relate to them, when in reality we are completely different from them. Not all of us are a Jessica or Elizabeth. To be completely honest, I see myself more as a Roxane Gay than a character from the Sweet Valley series. I feel that there should be more literature circulating that includes genuine characters, instead of phony barbie doll characters, like the Wakefield twins. All they give us are unrealistic expectations of life and a desire to fit in to their perfect little world.