This December will mark the fifth anniversary of the release of Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, and it’s just as timely as ever. In the era of labeling other women “pick-me” girls, there are important things to consider, which are highlighted in this film. We should reflect on the support and representation of young women with different interests, which are heavily engrained in Gerwig’s adaptation of Little Women.
Starring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Eliza Scanlen, and Florence Pugh as Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy, respectively, Little Women was an instant hit, reaching 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. According to the New Yorker, critics called the film “a work of poetic smuggling: a movie made within the norms of the industry that also reflects Gerwig’s own personal artistic ideas, ideals, and obsessions.” The film generated $208 million in revenue, and despite being released on Dec. 25, 2019, ranked at No. 24 in Deadline’s 2019 Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament.
Amy March: “I’d be respected if I couldn’t be loved”
At its time of release, Little Women (2019) was praised for its different portrayal of Amy, one of the most, if not the most, disliked of the March sisters in the book. In reviews of Alcott’s novel from 2014, readers attacked Amy, one reader even said, “Amy March was a huge freaking b*tch…I just cannot with this basic girl and her five-cent vocabulary.”
Upon the release of the trailer, Smithsonian Magazine claimed, “Amy March, the youngest of the bunch, polarizes fans with her selfishness and her suitor, the very man many readers think the book’s main character, Jo, should love.” Further stating before the release of the movie, based on just the trailer, this adaptation “may finally do justice to one of Alcott’s least lovable characters.”
Gerwig’s Little Women places focus on Amy as she grows, showing how much she changes over time and gives an enhanced background to her character. She’s not reduced to the younger sister who impulsively sought revenge in the way many consumers of Little Women have grown to accept. Much of the backlash Amy March faces in other adaptations could come as a result of the audience missing the five-year age gap between Meg, who is 17, and Amy, who is 12. This age gap may also be attributed to her often limited character development.
However, even with Gerwig’s brief spotlight on Amy, the differences between the sisters are celebrated equally. This is reinforced by Meg’s line in the film, “Just because my dreams are different than yours, doesn’t mean they’re unimportant.”
the era of the “pick-Me” Girl
In the current social landscape, the discussion of “pick-me” girls has taken over social media, often labeling any girl with interests different from another a “pick-me.” The “pick-me” girl’s online popularity originates from a 2016 Twitter trend, #TweetLikeAPickMe, where users mocked women who fit into the “guy’s girl” archetype.
Participants in the trend sarcastically posted hypothetical dialogue like, “#TweetLikeAPickMe you left bc he was unfaithful? smh we grown, men cheat. maybe u should ask URSELF what YOU did to make him cheat.” The concept of a “pick-me” is also associated with Meredith Grey’s iconic line from season two of Grey’s Anatomy, “Okay, here it is. Your choice, it’s simple, her or me…so pick me. Choose me. Love me.”
While being a “pick-me” is considered a meme, the mockery women face can often become misogynistic and harmful when directed towards young women. What can qualify someone as a “pick-me” has shifted, with some placing the title on people who are not belittling other women and in place are only being themselves or trying to fit in.
Clinical psychologist, author, and founder of Long Island Behavioral Psychology, Regine Galanti, discussed the “pick-me” girl persona with CNN. She stated, “Teens often consider it socially OK to change yourself a little bit to impress the people you’re trying to fit in with, but if you’re too obvious about it, then you’re a pick-me girl.”
The harm of the “pick-me” label resides not in its origin but in its overuse. The “pick-me” girl has taken over, with CNN citing #PickMeGirl had reached more than 3.4 billion views by Nov. 2023.Â
Galanti believes the “pick-me” label can be incredibly harmful to young women trying to fit in and supports a more empathetic approach to the issue with Life Architekture founder Bayu Prihandito. The label is especially harmful to people who are genuinely interested in their “pick-me” hobbies. Prihandito acknowledged this, highlighting the confusing position many young women are in: “People, especially young women as they continue to grow up, have to navigate a society filled with mixed messages about their worth, identity, and the roles they are expected to play.”
“I’m not a poet, i’m just a woman”
Amy may still be many people’s least favorite sister, but Gerwig’s lens on Amy provides a much more empathetic, anti-pick-me angle to reevaluate her. She’s permitted to grow, change, and move through different phases in her life, all while not being shamed for her less desirable steps along the way.
Little Women celebrates different women, embracing their different aspirations in life without holding one above another. By supporting different women, the film acts as an anti-pick-me-girl piece, showing the ups and downs of their different lives. Womanhood manifests in different ways. Whether you fall closer to Jo’s independence or Meg’s traditional femininity, there is no right answer to what it means to be a woman.
Little Women is currently available to stream on Hulu.