麻豆放映免费

When I first announced that I was destined to be single this summer, I was met with congratulatory remarks from my friends because that meant that I could participate in 鈥渉ot girl summer鈥� for the first time in two years. Yet I couldn鈥檛 share the same excitement that made my friends鈥� faces glow, since realistically, I wasn鈥檛 going to be spending my summer surrounded by guys in a poolside cabana, bikini-clad and sporting a six-pack. All I knew was that I needed time to learn how to live life as an individual and embrace the joys of my newfound independence.

The phrase first originated from Megan Thee Stallion鈥檚 2019 hit song 鈥淗ot Girl Summer.鈥� Although four years have passed since its release, the term still reemerges every summer. Stallion originally intended for the song to preach self-confidence and authenticity, but as the phrase gained popularity, it began to shift into a more toxic ideal promoting hook-up culture and perpetuating unrealistic expectations of what a 鈥渉ot girl鈥� is.

The most notable connotation of 鈥渉ot girl summer鈥� is that of female promiscuity, essentially serving as an umbrella term for an abundance of summer flings. The term encourages women to go out with a plethora of guys, showing little to no remorse for anybody鈥檚 feelings but their own. This interpretation echoes the original idea of prioritizing oneself, but is a ways off from its initial intent.

Furthermore, as with most popular trends in a society fueled by consumerism, 鈥渉ot girl summer鈥� has seeped into marketing ploys. Companies integrate the term into their advertisements for bikinis, miniskirts and crop tops, pressuring consumers into buying new swimsuits and going-out tops to prepare for the upcoming summer. Naturally, the fitness industry has also caught hold of this trend and transformed it into the newest iteration of the age-old unrealistic model standards. Content creators recommend special diets and workouts that promise a slim, toned body in time for 鈥渉ot girl summer.鈥� The term has suffered a significant shift over time 鈥� it is no longer associated with being 鈥渦napologetically yourself,鈥� as Stallion suggested. Instead, the term only includes those whose appearance match the 鈥渉ot girl鈥� figure and who could afford to achieve the 鈥渉ot girl鈥� lifestyle.

For me, the idea of having a 鈥渉ot girl summer鈥� carried a lot of pressure. I felt that I didn鈥檛 fit the cookie-cutter image of a 鈥渉ot girl鈥� I saw being promoted on social media, and the popular 鈥渉ot girl summer鈥� checklists involved activities that I had no interest in partaking in. The pressure made the upcoming summer seem less fun and more like a competition that I needed to prepare for.

Although I have yet to experience a full-fledged 鈥渉ot girl summer,鈥� I鈥檝e engaged in somewhat of a pre-season, during which I鈥檝e learned invaluable lessons. I noticed how while my heightened sense of freedom did allow me to meet new people and engage in different experiences, a sense of inner loneliness remained. I felt unfulfilled, even with a phone filled with dozens of unread texts from admirers that I was only mildly interested in. Especially after being in a committed relationship, the absence of romantic intimacy and trust weighed on me. I started noticing the uneasiness I鈥檇 feel every time I was asked out and the overwhelming sense of stress brewing in my stomach before every date.

I have ultimately realized that no amount of male attention can supersede the lack of love in my life. Yet, instead of seeking validation, I now know that I need to find that love within myself in order to fully heal. With this revelation, the phrase 鈥渉ot girl summer鈥� has reverted back to its roots as an ideal promoting self-love.

So, what once began as a mentality embracing the joys of independence became distorted into one promoting the hypersexualization of women and toxic hook-up culture. It was then used as bait for cheap marketing ploys. That, however, doesn鈥檛 discount its potential to spread an empowering message. In order to see widespread change, companies and content creators need to begin promoting all body types when discussing 鈥渉ot girl summer鈥� and shifting their language to be more inclusive to those with different gender identities. This summer, I hope to reclaim the term and tweak it in a way that reflects my own definition of a 鈥渉ot girl.鈥� I am my hottest self when I am my happiest self, and I will achieve this goal by engaging in activities that bring me closer to it, rather than ones that I feel like I need to do according to social media.