In a country with an agenda dominated by men, young women across the United States reclaimed a shared voice through the cultural phenomena of the Renaissance Tour, the Eras Tour and the Barbie movie.
This summer was an explosion of unique cultural excitement. From the east coast to the west coast, young women showed up for these events. For women of all ages, backgrounds and experience, there was a sense of security to be found in the physical act of simply existing in these spaces.
“Whether it was dressing up, feeling as though I am the strongest in the world, or screaming Beyonce’s lyrics, I felt a certain sense of safety and comfort in these environments. I never wanted to leave because I felt like I belonged,” Said 27 year old Anna Mae, an internet blogger.
In 2022, with the overturn of Roe v. Wade, women lost the ability to make decisions about their healthcare. Agency had been taken away. “We are so accustomed to reading the news, whether it is abortion or other and seeing that we’ve lost a piece of our autonomy to men who think they know better. The Eras tour, the Renaissance tour and Barbie are uniquely ours and are not dictated by men. I think there’s a power in that. It makes us stronger because we have something to believe in.” Said Mae.
For Mae, the feeling of security in a public place felt empowering, but also unknown. “Sitting in the stadium for Taylor and Beyoncé, and the theater for Barbie I was reminded that I have a voice. I felt seen and validated in a way that for a long time I haven’t. I was reminded of my strength, and I felt empowered to use that strength in my work life,” said Edna Gonzales, a senior software engineer in Philadelphia. For Gonzales, it was not only the sentiment of strength but also one of power that was imprinted on her this summer. “I think there is something so powerful about the fact that we were all there, in this exact moment, in this exact year. It was more than a movie or a concert.”
On TikTok, hashtags “the eras tour”,“the renaissance tour” and “barbie” have over 112 billion views, proving that Gonzales and Mae are representative of a large group of young women, all of whom had a rare experience wherein they felt truly seen and validated.
About the Barbie movie, Gonzales said, “I think it’s the movie that we desperately needed, it gave voice to the often silent struggles of womanhood, a lot of which we don’t talk about because we think that we can’t, or that it will be awkward.” She continued on saying, “it’s kind of revolutionary how Gerwig incorporated vulnerability into this movie. In the movie, when Barbie says ‘you know, I cry too, it’s actually kind of amazing.’ I started sobbing because it felt like permission to let loose and allow myself to feel the emotions that I have so often been told I can’t talk about.”
This summer Barbie, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift provided a safe space for women with no strings attached. There were no expectations of who to be or how to be that perceived person. Young women could just exist in these spaces and know that they are enough and are exactly where they need to be. The redirect of these cultural experiences were and continue to be crucial for a generation of women who feel like they don’t have a voice.
These cultural moments have proven that there is power in a female centered community and strength in togetherness. There’s solidarity in Barbie, Beyonce, and Taylor Swift. And, most importantly, there’s a hope for a future that is better.
