This past week I stumbled upon two articles: A cover story in Complex Mag on Zendaya and a cover story in Interview Magazine with Kylie Jenner.
I was never the celebrity crush type or a “role model” type. However, when I scroll through my social media I can’t help but to notice these two girls everywhere; and I mean EVERYWHERE. Zendaya and Kylie are two very powerful, and not to mention young, women doing big things. I mean, every day on Instagram I am awed at Zendaya’s gorgeous hair, perfectly arched eyebrows and amazing versatility when it comes to her style. Nonetheless, I have to give Kylie some credit because her face every day is a work of art and her wild lifestlye on Snapchat is literally #lifegoals.
They are both considered role models. They have so much power and influence over our generation; we can’t get enough of them! Nonetheless, reading these two articles gave me a whole new perspective on these two young women. Seeing others’ success and relating what they did to become successful and what I hope to do is so important to me this coming year (especially in making my New Year’s Resolutions and goals.)
Here are some things I thought were important about both of their stories, and what’s important to look for in a role model:
You Are A Role “Real Model”
Being a role model was a huge aspect of both pieces. However, it was interesting to me that there were major differences in their responses. Kylie states, “I want to be a good role model, but I also want to be me,” while Zendaya juxtaposes this idea of a role model as a real model stating, “I’m a real model, which means: I’m not pretending to be something that I’m not, because people are going to be disappointed when they find out who you are, because it’s not going to be what you present to the world.”
A role model should be authentically his or herself. Being a role model is just being the best example of who YOU are. It’s hard to relate to someone who isn’t authentically themselves because are you really relating to anything at all? Especially with social media, it is hard to tell when’s somone is keeping it 100 percent real or when it is just a hidden lie.
“There is absolutely a side of me that people don’t know. I’m not myself on Snapchat or Instagram. That’s totally not me. I’m way flashier on Instagram and Snapchat, because I feel like that’s what people want to see and that’s what I’ve always done, so I’m not going to stop. People want to see my cars and my purses. People love fashion. But that’s so not me.” – Kylie Jenner
Not Everyone Gets To Choose
For a lot young women doing amazing things, you sometimes don’t get to choose who you are a role model to. This is definitely the case for Kylie and Zendaya, two young women under the age of 20 pushed into stardom, fame, and success. This seems to be something that Kylie is challenged by, as she is still discovering the woman that she is. Zendaya, on the other hand, has been very clear that she won’t be having a “Miley Cyrus” moment anytime soon. Whether it’s a choice or not, I think a role model eventually has to choose for themself the type of role model they want to be. That comes from authenticity, again.
“So you’ve got to realize when you’re really young you don’t know who you are yet. And as soon as you figure it out, you’ve already been forced to become something that you didn’t know you signed up for.” – Zendaya
Your Clique is Key
Both Zendaya and Kylie talk about keeping a small circle. For one, with success you just don’t have time to maintain new relationships. Zendaya even talks about not really having a boyfriend because she just can’t give that person the same energy. The people role models surround themselves with ultimately says a lot about who they are. Both Kylie and Zendaya have great family support.
Who’s Your Real Model?
After reading both articles I can honestly say Zendaya is slaying the game and #winning at life. Her drive and passion is so inspiring and her grounded, down-to-earth personality is something to look up to. Going into the New Year I hope I can be as half as flawless and inspiring as her!