We Are, Like, Totally Misunderstood
Valley Girl on Pop Syllabus
Dear Readers,
I’m visiting your inbox this Friday morning to share with you an interview I did with Christiana Mbakwe Medina on her podcast Pop Syllabus. Christiana asks me about the history of the modern Valley Girl1, why she is often communicated in the culture as a white girl, and what she reveals about contemporary influencers.
Together, we discuss perceptions of Los Angeles well outside Los Angeles (Christiana is British-Nigerian), California conservatism, and how gender and capitalism often work together in the Western world. It should also be noted that this interview was filmed in the Valley (to bring it full circle).
In addition to watching the entire podcast episode above, you can also listen here and here.
For new subscribers, below is some accompanying reading if you’d like to learn more about what is discussed on Pop Syllabus:
When Christiana asserts that the Valley Girl set the template for the influencer economy:
When I say that capitalism is very good at commodifying girls and women:
When I talk about the Valley Girl being an economic figure and reference “Greed is good”:
When I cite how valley girls2 expanded language with their signature accent:
When Christiana asks me about how valley girls sold property and lifestyle to patriarchs:
🧁In April, Valley Girl will celebrate her first birthday. Our girl is an Aries. To commemorate the occasion, I will be launching a paid tier of Valley Girl that month that will put some pieces behind a paywall. I’ll also be launching Office Hours, a weekly video meeting with me to discuss the week’s essay with paid subscribers. To enjoy uninterrupted content and all forthcoming features, please be sure to “pledge” a paid subscription.
Uppercase “Valley Girl” to indicate the manufactured caricature.
Lowercase “valley girl” to indicate a female-identified or pangender individual who happens to be from or inhabits the San Fernando Valley.