Kristen Hatch's piece,
Little Butches: Tomboys in Hollywood Film, discusses
the evolution of the traditional tomboy image in Hollywood movies.
According to the writer, the image of tomboys in Hollywood has evolved
from a representation of immaturity in young women to a reaffirmation of
heteronomativity in our society. Hatch argues that the image of tomboys
in Hollywood was used as a representation of sexual immaturity and
childhood. The author also discusses the gradual transformation of
Hollywood's tomboy into a 'woman' who embraces femininity and
heteronormativity is so assured that it serves as as a symbol of the
"disciplining of gender and desire" (70).
As
I was reading this piece, I found myself relating to the metamorphic
process of some of the characters Hatch discusses. I was definitely a
tomboy when I was younger. The age gap between myself and my sisters
made it almost impossible for us to relate to each other. Instead, I
hung out with my male cousins and I adopted their mannerisms over time. I
even began to wear my cousin's clothes because it just didn't seem
practical to me to try and play with the boys in my 'girl clothes.'
Although I do not remember ever having a desire to
actually be a
boy, I do remember always feeling a lot more comfortable wearing
basketball shorts and t-shirts, putting my hair into a ponytail and
playing soccer with my male cousins. I was not a big fan of the dolls my
parents bought me, but I loved my SEGA and I loved playing Sonic and
Mortal Combat video games. I loved running around and climbing trees and
I absolutely hated it when my mom would make me play with my girl
cousins because I thought sitting around playing with dolls was boring.
At the time, I didn't see anything wrong with this. I didn't want to be a
boy and I loved the Powderpuff girls.
As
I got older, however, my feminine side became more noticeable. I went
through a phase when I was about 14 when I wore pink every single day of
the week. I didn't do it as a way to declare my femininity, I just
became obsessed with the color for some reason. I started fixing my hair
a lot more often and wearing a lot more skirts as opposed to pants.
Although my outward appearance became more feminine, I still retained a
lot of the masculine mannerisms I had adopted from my male cousins. I
still played/watched a lot of soccer, I still played video games, I
still hung out with the boys, and my mom always commented on my
'boyish-mindset.' Although I have gradually become increasingly
feminine, in the traditional sense of the word, it is apparent that I
still retain a lot of the more traditional male characteristics in my
mannerism, my tendency to cuss like a sailor, my assertiveness, my
loudness, etc. I still love to watch sports, I'm still highly
competitive and a part of one of the most aggressive women's flag
football teams at Denison as an offensive line-woman (and I proudly rock my pink cleats on the field!). All of these
things still mark me as a tomboy in my family's eyes, but to me they're
simply a part of my personality and I fully accept and embrace that
about myself.
Kristen Hatch's piece, Little Butches: Tomboys in Hollywood Film, discusses
the evolution of the traditional tomboy image in Hollywood movies.
According to the writer, the image of tomboys in Hollywood has evolved
from a representation of immaturity in young women to a reaffirmation of
heteronomativity in our society. Hatch argues that the image of tomboys
in Hollywood was used as a representation of sexual immaturity and
childhood. The author also discusses the gradual transformation of
Hollywood's tomboy into a 'woman' who embraces femininity and
heteronormativity is so assured that it serves as as a symbol of the
"disciplining of gender and desire" (70).
As
I was reading this piece, I found myself relating to the metamorphic
process of some of the characters Hatch discusses. I was definitely a
tomboy when I was younger. The age gap between myself and my sisters
made it almost impossible for us to relate to each other. Instead, I
hung out with my male cousins and I adopted their mannerisms over time. I
even began to wear my cousin's clothes because it just didn't seem
practical to me to try and play with the boys in my 'girl clothes.'
Although I do not remember ever having a desire to actually be a
boy, I do remember always feeling a lot more comfortable wearing
basketball shorts and t-shirts, putting my hair into a ponytail and
playing soccer with my male cousins. I was not a big fan of the dolls my
parents bought me, but I loved my SEGA and I loved playing Sonic and
Mortal Combat video games. I loved running around and climbing trees and
I absolutely hated it when my mom would make me play with my girl
cousins because I thought sitting around playing with dolls was boring.
At the time, I didn't see anything wrong with this. I didn't want to be a
boy and I loved the Powderpuff girls.
As
I got older, however, my feminine side became more noticeable. I went
through a phase when I was about 14 when I wore pink every single day of
the week. I didn't do it as a way to declare my femininity, I just
became obsessed with the color for some reason. I started fixing my hair
a lot more often and wearing a lot more skirts as opposed to pants.
Although my outward appearance became more feminine, I still retained a
lot of the masculine mannerisms I had adopted from my male cousins. I
still played/watched a lot of soccer, I still played video games, I
still hung out with the boys, and my mom always commented on my
'boyish-mindset.' Although I have gradually become increasingly
feminine, in the traditional sense of the word, it is apparent that I
still retain a lot of the more traditional male characteristics in my
mannerism, my tendency to cuss like a sailor, my assertiveness, my
loudness, etc. I still love to watch sports, I'm still highly
competitive and a part of one of the most aggressive women's flag
football teams at Denison as an offensive line-woman (and I proudly rock my pink cleats on the field!). All of these
things still mark me as a tomboy in my family's eyes, but to me they're
simply a part of my personality and I fully accept and embrace that
about myself. 
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