Imitating, Consuming, & Embodying: Tiktok's "That Girl"

Written by Tila Tran

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One of the things I enjoy most while completing my Political Science degree is the opportunity to research and present on current trends and topics that aren't usually touched on in any other classes.

In my politics of culture class, I had the opportunity to research on any topic that links politics and culture. I wanted to learn more about how Tiktok users construct an ideal version of themselves, which led to focus on the 'That Girl' Tiktok trend.

What make's Tiktok unique is its 'For You' page, dominated by the algorithm. The algorithm determines the type of video content the user is exposed to, and by viewing content, the user's experience is met with visual representations that could represent something. Essentially, users engage with content that encourages mimicry, whether that be through microtrends, figure of speeches, slang, and more. Within these imitations, those who are on the app will feel socially accepted around individuals who are able to understand their references and are able to connect with them as opposed to individuals who are not on the app and therefore outside the loop.

A couple terms to highlight:

Imitation Publics: A collection of people whose digital content connectivity is constituted through the shared ritual of content imitation and replication (Zulli & Zulli, 2020, p. 11). Imitation publics can form around trends by orienting themselves around particular (topical) content, and/or orienting themselves around certain visuals, such as a particular aesthetic. When identifying themselves as a member of a specific imitation public, most users view themselves as part of a community that is ‘on’ a particular side of the platform. For instance, Zulli and Zulli (2020) mention examples of users who indicate ‘being on’ Fashion TikTok through the use of particular hashtags in their videos.

Conspicuous Consumption: It is the idea that we consume to display to others our social power and status, and to display to the world that we are in control of the material world around us. Consumption is something that everyone does, regardless of social class. Veblen argues that we’ve moved from merely surrounding ourselves with nice things, for example, the newest car or clothes, to wanting to become the nice thing itself—to literally embody conspicuous consumption. So, it is not enough to be surrounded and control the material world around us, but to control the body so that it embodies resources, people, and capital. The outward appearance of one’s body is not a window to one’s inner worthiness, to put it differently.  (Carolan, 2005, p. 83)

What is 'That Girl'? (or Who?)

That Girl is a trend that revolves around wellness and personal growth, but in the sense that doing things like having minimal makeup, a capsule wardrobe, doing yoga or pilates, and engaging in forms of productivity will enable someone to be 'that girl,' who is envied yet praised by everyone at the same time.

Things like having a sleek hairstyle, slim figure, and smooth skin are desired. Yet the significance of sleekness in 'that girl' also bears similarities to the 'clean girl' trend (which focuses predominantly on dewy minimal makeup looks and fashion. The difference between these two trends that that 'clean girl' centers more on aesthetics and appearances whereas 'that girl' is a lifestyle that user aim to achieve. This preference for sleekness however, sheds some light on the underlying beauty standards that inform the manifested preferences in that 'that girl' trend. Normalization of straight, shiny hair, smooth skin, and a slim physique is one of the prominent characteristics of heteronormative and Western white beauty standards; it creates discourses of who is considered beautiful. Additionally, it invites conversations of white beauty standards, wealth, and traditional femininity.

There is also a preference for productivity, discipline, and consistency that links 'that girl' to hustle culture. 'That girl' is imagined as an ongoing process, rather than a specified end goal because no individual really ever achieves it, but they'll spend a lot of time and money perfecting themselves to that image. 'That Girl' spends her time doing yoga or pilates, chanting affirmations, drinking and eating healthy (in the sense of diet culture), and does productive activities like reading, going to the gym, learning something new, and cooking.

The idea of algorithmic representational harm and algorithm privilege also plays into this trend. Taken from Cijsouw (2022), they talk about how "algorithmic representational harm" opposes the "algorithmic privilege" of users who benefit from algorithmic visibility because of their identities in these trends. Algorithms shapes the cultural experiences of people on social media platforms. So, when that girl and clean girl trends regularly portray the white woman with expensive activities and unlimited time to curate herself into this beautiful, unmatched body of consumerism, the algorithm takes that image as the dominant one, and repeats it over, and over, again for you to see.

As imitation publics form around this trend, it involves the performance of specific identities. People will style themselves the way the trend says they should, buy the same products, engage in the same activities. 'That girl' and 'clean girl' trends specifically suppress content that does not align with their image. Characteristics are restricted, encompassing a particular gender, race, class. A lot of the individuals you see when you search up that girl or clean girl are white women who are normatively feminine and wealthy. A POC could participate in this trend, but it wouldn't be exactly the same as they are not the dominant image of this trend. And this right here is the algorithmic representation privilege and harm.

Participants in this trend also invest, and encourage others to invest, in their body in an effort to secure one’s position in this market by anticipating the constantly changing patterns of consumption. Through consumption, the body becomes a conglomeration of culture, society, and environment --- all the means it takes to embody 'that girl'. The body no longer represents the individual's personality, but is a site of consumer capitalism. This constructs the ideal body and ideal person. The body has become malleable in the sense that the body bends itself to fit into these trends that are seemingly unattainable and expensive. ‘That Girl’ is more than just someone who wants to be well and productive. She is an entrepreneur. She markets herself on Tiktok by telling her viewers what they should by, what they should wear, how they should act, to become 'that girl.' The appeal of consuming and buying the newest items to be part of this trend or to be accepted as ‘that girl’ online will enable viewers to be visible as ‘that girl’.’ Tiktok works with this trend to capitalize on users who want to motivate themselves and others in trying to become a better version of themselves.

By reproducing how someone should be and what they should consume to be, 'that girl' promotes and profits off of imitation publics and conspicuous consumption. 

Bibliography

Carolan, M. (2005). The Conspicious Body: Capitalism, Consumerism, Class and Consumption. Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology, 9(1), 82-111.

Cijsouw, I. C. (2022). Becoming That Girl: Commodified Self-Actualization on TikTok.

Zulli, D., & Zulli, D. J. (2022). Extending the Internet meme: Conceptualizing technological mimesis and imitation publics on the TikTok platform. New Media & Society, 24(8), 1872-1890. https://doi-org.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/10.1177/1461444820983603

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