Girls Trip Analysis
Girls Trip Provides a Glimpse Into the Lives of 21st Century Americans
If you take a quick look around you, chances are that you will see someone texting on their phone, watching TMZ, or making out. Living in America in the 21st century is both a blessing and a curse for its civilians. While there is greater access to resources and information than ever before in the areas of technology, medicine, and education, people are more focused on the more pleasurable and dangerous aspects of society including sex, social media, and alcohol. Since we are talking about the pleasurable aspects of society, the new blockbuster movie Girls Trip, released in mid-July, provides the audience with a look into what it is like to currently live society.
Girls …show more content…
Trip starring Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish, and Regina Hall is about 4 grown women who take a trip to New Orleans to attend the Essence Music Festival. Girls Trip while being a comedic film, it addresses issues and aspects of daily life that are prevalent in society today by following the lives of these 4 women on their trip. Our “Jersey Shore” culture and the increased use of social media are a few of the several elements that are brought to the forefront throughout the course of this R rated film.
My parents constantly tell me how different their lives were growing up than mine is today. Being in their late 40’s, my parents are always urging me to be careful when going out with my friends and imploring me not to engage in sexual conduct. It is their belief that engaging in sexual conduct should really not be considered until marriage, but our current society promotes different beliefs. I know that holding off on sexual activity until marriage is a dated opinion, but I believe the intention behind it is still the same which is to be careful and considerate. Although this is advice that I always keep in mind when I decide to venture out of my dorm room every once in awhile, it is not me that my parents should be worried about, but my friends that are constantly induced with raging hormones.
While walking to a fraternity party with my friend one night she kept whispering in my ear how she could not wait to see the “hot” boys when we arrived. I giggled because she sounded moronic to me, but I have come to accept the fact that this is who she is. When we entered into the party, there was a smoky haze that came from the vapor of a hundred teenagers. I slowly began to make my way into the center of the house only to see girls and boys hooking up on the couches and against the walls and I honestly could not believe my eyes. If people were not hooking up, they were talking about sex which was quite disturbing to the only teetotaller in the room.
I felt a light tap on my shoulder and I quickly turned around to see who it was. Aaron Samuels was asking me if I was down to “chill” with him after the party and I was shocked. A cloud of thoughts began to permeate through my brain as I was both appalled and confused. I took a deep breath that filled my lungs and said “no thank you. I am not really interested.” I told my friend that I wanted to leave because I was so turned off by this his inappropriate action. I grabbed my pocketbook off of the floor and scurried out of the cranberry painted door and quickly ran back to my dorm up the block.
This experience of going to a fraternity party is similar to the sexual references and activities that are shown and portrayed in Girls Trip. In the film, Dina, one of the main characters, is the friend who is unfiltered and is always down for a good time with her girlfriends. Dina makes it her responsibility to teach her friend Lisa a sexual technique that involves using a grapefruit and then continues to make inappropriate gestures to demonstrate. This scene in the film is a perfect illustration of how much our society has become obsessed with sexual activity and culture to the point where doing this type of activity in public rarely does not even come with a second thought both in the movies and in real life.
The portrayal of sexual activity that arises in Girls Trip does not differ greatly than what occurs in reality.
I think that although the movie is slightly more exaggerated than what would actually occur in real life, the intention behind it is still the same being both inappropriate and immature. In the film, Dina is not married and hints to the audience that she does not have any problems at all with the concept of premarital sex. This represents a vast majority the beliefs of people in our culture today compared to previous generations and their views on premarital sex. According to the statistics, “in the early 1970s, 29% of Americans (35% of men and 23% of women) believed that premarital sex was ‘not wrong at all.’ This rose to around 42%in the 1980s and stayed there through the 1990s, rising to 49% in the 2000s and to 55% in the 2010s (59% of men, 52% of women)…. Among 18- to 29-year-olds, 47% of Boomers in the early 1970s believed premarital sex was ‘not wrong at all,’ compared to 50% of GenX’ers in the early 1990s and 62% of Millennials in the 2010s” (Twenge,J M,et al). There is evidence to prove the case about how 62% of Millennials do not believe that premarital sex is wrong at all and is the common view among several of the characters in Girls Trip including Dina. My parents’ generation though has a significantly lower percentage around 29% which shows the drastic change in our culture today as represented in the
film.
In additional to the illustration of the increase in sexual activity, Girls Trip also gives the audience an inside look at the dangers and prominence of social media which is what our society currently revolves around. In the film, Sasha Franklin, played by Queen Latifah, is an entertainment blogger whose livelihood is dependent upon social media and tabloids. In the film, the audience is taken through Franklin’s life of having a social media based occupation and is shown the problems that she faces as a result. Franklin is constantly on the look out for the latest celebrity gossip that she can dish to all of her readers, especially in relation to her friend Ryan Pierce who is a “celebrity” in their friend circle.
Who needs Camel’s when you have social media? The focus on social media represented in the movie is nearly an identical account of the role that social media has in our society today and the problems that it causes for its avid users. The movie is able to illustrate the concept of social media being destructive and addictive in ways that mirror our current society. According to a study conducted on the impacts of social media, “being constantly alert for new social media messages, to your instinctive fight or flight limbic system, is the same as being on continuous alert for predators, which causes a release of the stress hormone cortisol” (Amedie). In the film, Franklin is constantly on the lookout for new information to give about her friend which would lead her to be anxious and depressed.
This in the same way can be related to our society as attested to my sister Jenna Clark who has a job in the realm of social media. Clark told me that “having a career in the social media industry makes me constantly anxious because I am always worrying about missing out on something important or not attracting a large enough audience to my platforms.” In relation to these two instances, I believe that social media does more damage than good to our society because although it does provide awareness and information, the threats that it has on one’s health and mental status are dangerous. I also believe that the obsession with social media can be stopped if the appropriate action and effort is put forth because I myself have freed myself from the dangers of social media, but I do know at the same time from the statistics that the addictive qualities of social media make it extremely difficult log off. Not only does Girls Trip give the audience a realistic look into our society today in terms of sexual activity and social media, but it emphasizes the over consumption of alcohol. In the film, the 4 ladies of the “Flosse Posse” go for a night out through the streets of New Orleans to several bars where they are shown drinking for endless hours. I know that this element of drinking excessively is promoted in our culture as being “socially acceptable” and the “cool” activity to do just as it appears to be in the movie. I have experienced similar scenarios first hand in which I have seen people succumb to peer pressure in order to be seen as “cool” at parties and concerts. I believe that drinking is not “cool” because not only does it make you less aware, but it leads to poor decision making.
My friend Kaitlin Neiswenter has had first hand experience with people drinking and seeing it end poorly. Neiswenter told me that “at my after prom, I really was able to witness how far people can go when drinking alcohol. I think it was the fact that high school was finally over so people decided to take it to the next level and practically drown themselves in alcohol.” The aspect of drinking mentioned by Neiswenter appears quite a few times throughout the movie, and although the characters are not underage, there is still the same problem today. According to the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention, “90% of adults who are excessive drinkers binge drink, and 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth is consumed while binge drinking.” I know that not all people drink excessively based on the statistics and from personal experience, but there is evidence to the fact that drinking pervades through several age categories in our society from teenagers to adults.
Present day society has technological, medical, and social advances that were never before thought possible. As with any advancement, consequences are prone to emerge just like they have in our society. The movie Girls Trip is not only a comedic masterpiece in terms of films, but its ability to portray how our society functions in 21st century America is incredible. From increases in sexual activity and the dependence on social media to excessive drinking, the film covers all of these topics and more by taking a funny and relatable approach to connect the audience to the serious problems that society is faced with today. It is commonly said that laughter is the best medicine and maybe this movie is one of the many that will be produced in the future to address the problems that we are faced with today as a society.
If you take a quick look around you, chances are that you will see someone texting on their phone, watching TMZ, or making out. Living in America in the 21st century is both a blessing and a curse for its civilians. While there is greater access to resources and information than ever before in the areas of technology, medicine, and education, people are more focused on the more pleasurable and dangerous aspects of society including sex, social media, and alcohol. Since we are talking about the pleasurable aspects of society, the new blockbuster movie Girls Trip, released in mid-July, provides the audience with a look into what it is like to currently live society.
Girls …show more content…
Trip starring Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish, and Regina Hall is about 4 grown women who take a trip to New Orleans to attend the Essence Music Festival. Girls Trip while being a comedic film, it addresses issues and aspects of daily life that are prevalent in society today by following the lives of these 4 women on their trip. Our “Jersey Shore” culture and the increased use of social media are a few of the several elements that are brought to the forefront throughout the course of this R rated film.
My parents constantly tell me how different their lives were growing up than mine is today. Being in their late 40’s, my parents are always urging me to be careful when going out with my friends and imploring me not to engage in sexual conduct. It is their belief that engaging in sexual conduct should really not be considered until marriage, but our current society promotes different beliefs. I know that holding off on sexual activity until marriage is a dated opinion, but I believe the intention behind it is still the same which is to be careful and considerate. Although this is advice that I always keep in mind when I decide to venture out of my dorm room every once in awhile, it is not me that my parents should be worried about, but my friends that are constantly induced with raging hormones.
While walking to a fraternity party with my friend one night she kept whispering in my ear how she could not wait to see the “hot” boys when we arrived. I giggled because she sounded moronic to me, but I have come to accept the fact that this is who she is. When we entered into the party, there was a smoky haze that came from the vapor of a hundred teenagers. I slowly began to make my way into the center of the house only to see girls and boys hooking up on the couches and against the walls and I honestly could not believe my eyes. If people were not hooking up, they were talking about sex which was quite disturbing to the only teetotaller in the room.
I felt a light tap on my shoulder and I quickly turned around to see who it was. Aaron Samuels was asking me if I was down to “chill” with him after the party and I was shocked. A cloud of thoughts began to permeate through my brain as I was both appalled and confused. I took a deep breath that filled my lungs and said “no thank you. I am not really interested.” I told my friend that I wanted to leave because I was so turned off by this his inappropriate action. I grabbed my pocketbook off of the floor and scurried out of the cranberry painted door and quickly ran back to my dorm up the block.
This experience of going to a fraternity party is similar to the sexual references and activities that are shown and portrayed in Girls Trip. In the film, Dina, one of the main characters, is the friend who is unfiltered and is always down for a good time with her girlfriends. Dina makes it her responsibility to teach her friend Lisa a sexual technique that involves using a grapefruit and then continues to make inappropriate gestures to demonstrate. This scene in the film is a perfect illustration of how much our society has become obsessed with sexual activity and culture to the point where doing this type of activity in public rarely does not even come with a second thought both in the movies and in real life.
The portrayal of sexual activity that arises in Girls Trip does not differ greatly than what occurs in reality.
I think that although the movie is slightly more exaggerated than what would actually occur in real life, the intention behind it is still the same being both inappropriate and immature. In the film, Dina is not married and hints to the audience that she does not have any problems at all with the concept of premarital sex. This represents a vast majority the beliefs of people in our culture today compared to previous generations and their views on premarital sex. According to the statistics, “in the early 1970s, 29% of Americans (35% of men and 23% of women) believed that premarital sex was ‘not wrong at all.’ This rose to around 42%in the 1980s and stayed there through the 1990s, rising to 49% in the 2000s and to 55% in the 2010s (59% of men, 52% of women)…. Among 18- to 29-year-olds, 47% of Boomers in the early 1970s believed premarital sex was ‘not wrong at all,’ compared to 50% of GenX’ers in the early 1990s and 62% of Millennials in the 2010s” (Twenge,J M,et al). There is evidence to prove the case about how 62% of Millennials do not believe that premarital sex is wrong at all and is the common view among several of the characters in Girls Trip including Dina. My parents’ generation though has a significantly lower percentage around 29% which shows the drastic change in our culture today as represented in the
film.
In additional to the illustration of the increase in sexual activity, Girls Trip also gives the audience an inside look at the dangers and prominence of social media which is what our society currently revolves around. In the film, Sasha Franklin, played by Queen Latifah, is an entertainment blogger whose livelihood is dependent upon social media and tabloids. In the film, the audience is taken through Franklin’s life of having a social media based occupation and is shown the problems that she faces as a result. Franklin is constantly on the look out for the latest celebrity gossip that she can dish to all of her readers, especially in relation to her friend Ryan Pierce who is a “celebrity” in their friend circle.
Who needs Camel’s when you have social media? The focus on social media represented in the movie is nearly an identical account of the role that social media has in our society today and the problems that it causes for its avid users. The movie is able to illustrate the concept of social media being destructive and addictive in ways that mirror our current society. According to a study conducted on the impacts of social media, “being constantly alert for new social media messages, to your instinctive fight or flight limbic system, is the same as being on continuous alert for predators, which causes a release of the stress hormone cortisol” (Amedie). In the film, Franklin is constantly on the lookout for new information to give about her friend which would lead her to be anxious and depressed.
This in the same way can be related to our society as attested to my sister Jenna Clark who has a job in the realm of social media. Clark told me that “having a career in the social media industry makes me constantly anxious because I am always worrying about missing out on something important or not attracting a large enough audience to my platforms.” In relation to these two instances, I believe that social media does more damage than good to our society because although it does provide awareness and information, the threats that it has on one’s health and mental status are dangerous. I also believe that the obsession with social media can be stopped if the appropriate action and effort is put forth because I myself have freed myself from the dangers of social media, but I do know at the same time from the statistics that the addictive qualities of social media make it extremely difficult log off. Not only does Girls Trip give the audience a realistic look into our society today in terms of sexual activity and social media, but it emphasizes the over consumption of alcohol. In the film, the 4 ladies of the “Flosse Posse” go for a night out through the streets of New Orleans to several bars where they are shown drinking for endless hours. I know that this element of drinking excessively is promoted in our culture as being “socially acceptable” and the “cool” activity to do just as it appears to be in the movie. I have experienced similar scenarios first hand in which I have seen people succumb to peer pressure in order to be seen as “cool” at parties and concerts. I believe that drinking is not “cool” because not only does it make you less aware, but it leads to poor decision making.
My friend Kaitlin Neiswenter has had first hand experience with people drinking and seeing it end poorly. Neiswenter told me that “at my after prom, I really was able to witness how far people can go when drinking alcohol. I think it was the fact that high school was finally over so people decided to take it to the next level and practically drown themselves in alcohol.” The aspect of drinking mentioned by Neiswenter appears quite a few times throughout the movie, and although the characters are not underage, there is still the same problem today. According to the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention, “90% of adults who are excessive drinkers binge drink, and 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth is consumed while binge drinking.” I know that not all people drink excessively based on the statistics and from personal experience, but there is evidence to the fact that drinking pervades through several age categories in our society from teenagers to adults.
Present day society has technological, medical, and social advances that were never before thought possible. As with any advancement, consequences are prone to emerge just like they have in our society. The movie Girls Trip is not only a comedic masterpiece in terms of films, but its ability to portray how our society functions in 21st century America is incredible. From increases in sexual activity and the dependence on social media to excessive drinking, the film covers all of these topics and more by taking a funny and relatable approach to connect the audience to the serious problems that society is faced with today. It is commonly said that laughter is the best medicine and maybe this movie is one of the many that will be produced in the future to address the problems that we are faced with today as a society.