how high school musical demonizes femininity - a Sharpay Evans deep dive

[@elleliteracy]

hi all! just wanna address a couple things a lot of people have brought up :) 1. by addressing Sharpay's _hyper_-femininity, I'm not saying the other characters aren't feminine, but that all the *visual* stereotypes of hyper, Barbie-like femininity are apparent in Sharpay. This is in relation to her appearance, not personality. Femininity is a spectrum! 2. I'm not justifying her toxicity or saying that she's perfect. The point of this video is to say that by associating strong feminine traits with the antagonist/villain, these hyper-feminine traits are seen as bad when femininity should not be demonised. People are highlighting her manipulation, but Taylor and Chad manipulated Troy and Gabriella with their webcam fiasco, but that's quickly brushed aside and they're still good people. Again, not excusing the manipulation, but trying to highlight how she's treated differently. 3. I lived in america when i was younger but grew up in ireland which is why my accent is like that.

[@SM-hl6hh]

Juliet O'hara

[@tashokukisune]

My grandmother is from Belfast. I didn’t even hear an accent! Lol well done video though and as a blonde, arts-oriented, hyperfeminine person the demonisation of characters like this have had real life consequences. And I believe led to the subsequent “not like other girls” (NLOG) phenomenon.

[@ciara6221]

I'm from ireland and i was thinking you had some connection to here with the way you said some of the words like writers etc !! hahaha an mhaith mo chara :)

[@elleliteracy]

ciara go raibh míle!

[@AkiyuriDesu]

Honestly, thank you for the video and the clarification both. It was an great take on it to balance out the messages many of us grew up with!

[@Macetgc]

HSM was nothing without sharpay. She was the most interesting character of them all

[@z.k.7330]

Yeah, because you can`t make a movie without an antagonist driving the plot forward...

[@psycherevivedby]

@@z.k.7330 chill

[@z.k.7330]

@@psycherevivedby stay in your lane

[@fuckinstagram3377]

she was slightly crazy but yeah totally interesting

[@toads5200]

@@psycherevivedby Yeah stay in your lane

[@joannaholden943]

It was definitely frustrating to grow up only seeing the "overly normal, plain girl" be praised for being herself, especially since I was a "hyper feminine" girl - loved pink, loved glitter, loved all the things that Sharpay had and the way she dressed and the way she carried herself. I grew up associating that level of femininity as a sign of cheapness and even sluttiness and was afraid to embrace that side of myself. So grateful that as I've gotten older I've learned to not care.

[@RazzleRed543]

Same same same!!

[@artidoodleroo6688]

omg same-

[@jampanda1568]

Such a relatable comment.

[@anaperaza3900]

I agree! Ever since I was a child I’ve been ridiculed for my “overly girly” personality. I loved pink and glitter as a child and was pointed out for that. Girls need to grow up knowing that is ok to be girly just as much as not being it. It’s your choice and you’re free to be who you are no matter what your style is!

[@princessazula624]

Completely agree with you

[@Whooachannel]

she both a villian and a victim. Sharpay did some really mean and nasty things to the characters but she was also wronged several times. I honestly think some of her catty and pettiness is a defense mechanism against those that bully her

[@fuckinstagram3377]

perhaps yes

[@antithoughtpolice7497]

Yeah, what she did to Ryan in the second movie was mean, considering she ditched him first. And she did want to date Troy in the second movie, she did have to be put in her place there. But I did wish she got into juilliard's in the third.

[@thedevilsadvocate858]

@@antithoughtpolice7497one thing I didn't get is the Sharpay’s _sudden_ interest in Troy in HSM 2 when it was clear that Zeke was more her type. Ryan definitely had something going on with Chad. why can't Sharpay and Zeke have that

[@antithoughtpolice7497]

@@thedevilsadvocate858 I know right? Ughhh, she was so cute when she ran though the balloons to him!

[@userNOTfound1-3]

Agreed

[@username-lq8ev]

gabriella showed up out of nowhere and got everything that sharpay ever wanted without even really trying, not to mention she also left in the middle of each movie. justice for sharpay.

[@mags506]

sharpay ever wanted? you mean what she had right? it was like watching a toddler scream cause their toy got taken away or they weren't given the toy they wanted

[@555-h1u]

yea Gabriella was annoying to me like girl just stay or just leave stop with the back and forth ahahaha

[@scarship8250]

@@mags506 she literally WORKED several years to get what she DESERVED. Gabriella has a nice voice, but she will never be a performer like sharpay. That's why she didn't deserved these roles

[@wildfire0123]

@@mags506 i don’t know if this counts as it’s in fabulous adventure but she mentions that her and ryan have been doing plays since kindergarten. By themselves, sharpay has been doing this since she was a legit child and has earned her respect for the lead roles, which was all she wanted by the way. And she loses it to gabriella who’s a total newbie which would never happen

[@ma.2089]

@@mags506 sharpay worked for those roles. She was just as talented as Gabriella. By your analogy, it would be a kid who did chores for weeks to gain money to buy a toy they wanted, and then the younger sister decided she wanted it too despite not doing any chores and mom making the older sister share cuz “she DESERVES it too” and “you can SHARE”. Sure, they put it in a negative light of her trying to force out the competition, but they literally show nobody in school until Troy and Gabriella was good enough in auditions.

[@cmllm7176]

I really need to see more girly girls who are also smart

[@jessicavictoriacarrillo7254]

Yes. And kick butt, sarcastic, willing to get her hands dirty, are adventurous, social conscious...I hope I get that chance

[@yoyoitsroro3329]

@@jessicavictoriacarrillo7254 blaire waldorf 💞

[@nghcathy]

Barbieee

[@ferrtur2815]

Elle woods!

[@candaceissane7491]

Cher from Clueless. She was ambitious and wanted to follow in her father's footsteps as a lawyer.

[@avery-qq5dy]

I just want a high school mover where the main protagonist is a girl that wears pink and is a cheerleader and villain is a girl that think that she’s quirky because she reads books and doesn’t wear pink.

[@MP-kw8nd]

TV show wise, it's sort of Daria haha. I mean she is the protagonist and I think everyone young associates with Daria but then looking back you realize how it was cringey because she was struggling through her own insecurities and a lot of her negative relationships may have been influenced because of the way she was always defensive towards others.

[@juliahyde6112]

@@MP-kw8nd Oh yes, Daria was definitely a big unfluence on me when I had my "emo-phase", and now when I look at her, she was just plain mean to people who didn't do anything wrong. I always liked Brittany, she's a cheerleader who's not very smart, but she's not mean and she knows what she wants - that's kind of refreshing to see.

[@MP-kw8nd]

@@juliahyde6112 same, it was honestly refreshing for her to admit in several episodes that she was aware that she uses her sarcasm as insecurity and closes herself off to others. That said I think to some extent it probably is helpful to others who are dealing with social struggles and not feeling accepted anywhere. At least I thought it was a bit honest because a lot of comments daria would get weren't far off from something you'd get in real life. The show also deals with the ideas that everybody is to self absorbed to deal with being empathetic to others, daria included. I like brittany too, but she never seemed mean. Just accidentally rude in a way that i'm sure could crush someone with low self-esteem. The only mean characters were the fashion club. But watching it as an adult vs someone in the school-age phase who is still highly struggling with this situation probably creates a different interpretation. - Dunno if you watched it before. But Mad Fat Diary was good at establishing a narrative under the unconventionally attractive protagonist perspective only to make an episode where one of the "pretty/popular" side characters who came off as a villain had depth. Basically just trying to take home the idea that just because someone is pretty doesn't mean that they're fake or dislike you, most people are just focused on their own life struggles.

[@juliahyde6112]

@@MP-kw8nd Yes, that's what I said! Brittany's not smart, but she's also not mean, just... Blunt, I guess. I feel like Daria was trying to show that every person has their own issues to work with (Daria, her parents and sister, Jane, etc.), but children like me didn't realize this and just idolized Daria because she was the main character and someone that a lot of viewers related to, or tried to relate to too hard. I remember I literally screamed when she kissed Tom, because I didn't think she'd do something like that to her best friend and it was probably the moment when I stopped liking her so much and finally saw that she should be understood, but not idolized. I did not know about Mad Fat Diary, but I'm gonna check it out! It sounds interesting.

[@MP-kw8nd]

@@juliahyde6112 Hope you enjoy it. Sorry, last min thought. trigger warning if you have any issues with eating disorders and self harm or death. It is a fairly comedic show and happy at times but it deals with a lot of the protag's weight/ self esteem struggles.

[@youknow7856]

Gabrielle and Troy should have never been allowed to perform in the musical. They were late because they didn’t care enough that should be punished and not seen as positive. Also Troy ruined her chances of getting into her dream college and why? Because he wanted to hang out W his girlfriends. Absolutely selfish.

[@youknow7856]

Also Troy is the Definition of the man who gets the role in musicals just because he is a man. A+ for realism Disney

[@spaceface320]

Weren't they late (in the first movie) because Sharpay and Ryan sabotaged the time slot and changed it to be exactly at the same time as the Decathalon and the basketball game? I disagree that Troy and Gabriela didn't care enough, but that the script was biased to be toward them which is the reason they got the part, and the fact there was a full audience that may have influenced the outcome for Ms. Darbus Edit: the definite unrealistic part is the two of them asking to have a chance to audition after Ms. Darbus turned off the light and started to leave. But as the drama teacher, she did have the right to change her mind; not that this will actually work in real life. And (in the third movie) that two cast members can just randomly show up during their senior musical performance, well when their understudies have gone on

[@manuelaschnettler3699]

@@spaceface320 you mean the recall. But Troy and Gabriella were late for the first audition, because they couldn't make up their mind

[@bub9199]

sharpay was filthy rich, she could get into any college she wanted without the scholarship.

[@soniquesmith6397]

@@spaceface320 I mean I'm kind of on Sharpay's side. As a theater kid you expect people ( especially those who are auditioning for the LEADS) to give their 110% and be completely committed and willing to sacrifice for those parts. I've spent so many holidays at school for rehearsals, cause that's what was expected. If Troy and Gabriella weren't willing to be there at that time they wouldn't be willong to sacrifice for the musical.

[@missy_elephant1999]

It’s so misogynistic that we are supposed to hate the “other woman” and not Troy for being stupid and not committed to Gabrielle or his friends. 🤦‍♀️

[@uzairsaqib4556]

the second half of HSM 2 and the last quarter of HSM 3 is all about Troy running back to his friends and Gabriella cox all the other times Sharpay was trying to distract him, especially in HSM 2. so i don't see your point of not being committed to them. He was saying 'no' to Sharpay and trying to be with Gabriella so many times.

[@missy_elephant1999]

@@uzairsaqib4556 when I first watched HSM I thought the same about Troy. But as a grown adult looking back, Saying No to someone is not the same as removing yourself from someone. The character Troy is just too stupid to be firm and clear with Sharpay- which a common trope in male character. Ofc this is just film series but why does this guy need not one but two characters acrs about commitment? Especially HSM2, he spent half the film engaging with Sharpay (whether that’s her specifically or benefiting from her connections). My point is Sharpay isn’t this vixen that stole away Troy from Gabrielle and his team- Troy is just stupid.

[@zekeross6542]

So it's okay to hate on men for talking/being nice to other women.

[@zekeross6542]

@@missy_elephant1999 I don't really see how he could be clearer. Sharpay is just pushy. Btw who wouldn't want to meet a college rep if your acquaintance introduced them to you. Doesn't mean you want to be with the acquaintance

[@missy_elephant1999]

@@zekeross6542 fair enough I see your point. I don’t have a pitchfork ready for Troy and I’m not backing Sharpay. I would beg to differ that Troy was clear to Sharpay for the first half of the film. Yes in the end he was clear but the fact that the storyline was that Sharpay was the wedge in Troy and Gabrielle clearly shows Troy blindly followed Sharpay. Getting connections is one thing, but not understanding someone’s intentions, is just idiotic. As the audience we hate on Sharpay for that but really... we should re-evaluate our “love” for Troy. Sharpy, Troy and Gabrielle are my least favs Anyways (justice for Taylor, Kelsey and Zeke) . But respect to you.

[@candaceissane7491]

When I told my classmates I aspired to be Sharpay they acted like I committed a crime🙄

[@the-bill-cipher]

omgggg same!!! except it was with my older sisters. when i was younger, i wanted to be sharpay and my older sisters would be haters🤮(oh and i was around 7 when that film came out and my sisters were 14-16)

[@anyone1111]

Okay way off topic but love your user and pfp!

[@otakutoongamer5616]

Well Candace, you ARE Sharpay, since both of you are Ashley Tisdale.

[@candaceissane7491]

@mad chainsaw • 666 years ago it ain't that serious love. Have a good day💛

[@unknownherrscher]

i can't even talk about sharpay when i was young because all of my classmates will think that there's something wrong with me even though logically sharpay is the most interesting character, i hate how she was so painted black by people back in the days, when she was also fighting for what she wants unlike troy and gab who isn't even doing anything

[@liv-qx4go]

i’ve ALWAYS loved characters like sharpay, even thought we were “supposed” to hate them. characters like barbie, sharpay, elle woods and even daphne from scooby doo have always strived for success and have been unforgivably themselves. since i was a young girl, i have always wanted to be like them. hyper-feminity is something i find appealing and have done since a young age, and i can only thank my ambition to break stereotypes and prove people wrong for that.

[@namkia205]

Yeah and I was always so mad when those "I'm not like other girls" girls hated Daphne and said Velma is better because she doesn't wear make-up 🙄

[@wa6488]

You should check out Princess and the Frog, Charlotte is amazing

[@liv-qx4go]

@@wa6488 princess and the frog is my favourite disney movie, i love charlotte!

[@DanielBurtonDidYourWife]

Comparing Sharpay Evans to Daphne Blake is so wild lol. Literally Daphne is an ambitious go getter detective who helps her community and Sharpay is a wealthy bully. No comparison.

[@user-fm4ip7lo8u]

I can't really blame her brother for abandoning her, because let's face it: she REALLY didn't treat him well. She treated him more like a side-kick (emphasis on KICK) than an actual brother.

[@JohnLennonsocks]

She's both a villain and the victim actually

[@iyanuoriakhi4794]

yeah i would leave her to she treated him like a dog than a brother

[@superbluerock8327]

It’s actually hard for me to watch high school musical, now that I’m older because I’m so aware of how mistreated Sharpay Evans was.

[@swiftie2161]

she wasn't. she was a bully.

[@am5ters504]

@@swiftie2161 She was an incredible performer and vocalist who cared about her brother and did some mean shit but got smacked down even harder and demonized because of her confidence and femininity, who had a drive and a passion for the things she was good at that she worked at for years. Only to get replaced by a complete newbie who doesn't even bother to show up to the fucking rehearsals in time.

[@sofiabravo1994]

@@am5ters504 Disagree she went about it the wrong way she acted like a spoiled brat I don’t think I have anything to do with the way she dressed I loved her fashion and her style but her attitude was ugly

[@swiftie2161]

@@am5ters504 sharpay is the reason they didnt show up for the rehearsals in time because she sabataged them. she did not care about her brother and used him to get what she wanted then dropped him for troy at the earliest convenience, then threw a strop when he stood up for himself. gabriella was a much better dancer and singer its not her fault that sharpay just didnt have what it took. shes allowed to audition for a school play and it isnt her fault she got it over sharpay who bullied everyone.

[@ningning5561]

jensetter💖

[@jeri3671]

I feel like Bratz definitely showed feminity in more masculine areas like Jade being highly intelligent while also pursuing her love for fashion but it falls into so many racial stereotypes.

[@violetgirl1996]

Yes, it was to embrace those stereotypes, and to own them. Bratz s literally ahead of its time also. Every race, stereotype of being a girly girl, and freedom to express are what they choose to embrace. I remember, in another video, there was a top comment which demonizes femininity. Saying how Bratz has always been shallow for having basic personality traits, such as being into fashion. However, I know it is the exact opposite. The reason they focus on fashion, hair and makeup so much. Is the reason they always say, 'Express yourself!' it is in fact to own their feminine stereotypes. As if to say, 'Yea, I love fashion, BECAUSE it IS important. Because I DO take It and MYSELF seriously 🔥🔥🔥'. When you loove fashion, makeup and hair, it is because you love and embrace all which are true to you. I believe on this earth, this is what really matters, ironically, over maths and logic. Hence why I always love the Bratz, before it even became a trend again. I am so glad this day has come!!!

[@Jessica.Shawnte]

Bratz, Barbie and monster high all did that

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

@@Jessica.Shawnte don't forget Ever After High

[@nameerfolgreichgeandert2131]

I didn't really like Sharpay as a kid, because she was so pushy with Troy, but I always felt soooo bad for her at the end of HSM2. I mean, that was horrible and then Troy and Ryan got her hopes up, just to stab her in the back. And what did she do? She stood beside the stage and clapped. Even as a kid who really believed in the "girly girls are bad"- stereotype, I admired Sharpay for how much of a good loser she was and how she handled every unfair defeat with grace. Looking back, I think that this stereotype had a big effect on me. I never wanted to admit that I liked looking pretty or even tried to figure out my taste in clothing, because "Pfft, no, I don't care what I look like, I'm not like those girls!" And I always liked performing in school plays or singing in front of an audience and stuff. But I would rather die than admit that I wanted to be in the spotlight. When the teacher was looking for someone to do a solo part, I never volunteered, even though no one else wanted to do it and everything inside me was screaming: Please pick me, I want to do it so badly!! I was just so scared that my classmates would think that I want attention. So I shot myself in the foot by saying nothing, acting like I didn't care and desperately hoping someone would ask me. I never thought about it like that, but it could very well be that the message of high school musical is in part to blame for that. Troy and Gabriella never tried or really cared to get the leading roles. The only one who openly cared was Sharpay and she was constantly punished for it and never got what she wanted. What a great lesson I learned! Thanks, HSM! (Still can't help but love it, though)

[@mau6068]

Honestly same! I never wanted to be a girly girl but now I know my styles ( I might be a tomboy with softgirl ) and know that it’s okay and that it was so toxic to think that way

[@cookiesnbubbles]

I have always been the same way. I always want to be on stage but I hate the thought of asking to be there - I have to be asked to do it or otherwise I feel like people will think I am just wanting attention

[@rosiemcgosie7376]

Okay but Troy had no idea that Sharpay was unaware of the song change. It was Ryan who backstabbed her. Troy was totally ready to sing with her.

[@nameerfolgreichgeandert2131]

@@rosiemcgosie7376 Yeah, that's fair. Still sucks for Sharpay though.

[@aidenives-day2259]

I don't think she does take every failure gracefully. Evidence for this is when Sharpay posted pictures of Gabrielle as a maths kid so that she wouldn't join the drama club and instead would join the maths team. All the time her egotistical personality which could be confused with confidence shines through she always thinks she is better than everyone else and thinks she deserves everything and her parents gave her that so not only is she vindictive egotistical and mean in general she's also spoilt and thinks that if she wants it she should have it that's why she always is so pushy with Troy and tries splitting Gabrielle and Troy up so that she can go out with him.

[@hobisdishwater9792]

Am I the only one who thinks that Gabriella is also girly. Like she’s not super into pink or anything but she doesn’t reject typically “girly” things either, she mostly wears cute dresses in the 2nd and 3rd movies and she’s definitely not a tomboy or someone who “looks down” on girly girls.

[@amandaa7708]

I would argue she’s more girly since she’s not loud and domineering. If anything I’d say Gabriella haters sometimes demonize femininity by calling her “whiny” for being emotionally vulnerable and “boring” for not being loud about her talents. I too admittedly find her boring as a character in terms of entertainment value, but if the characters were real, I think I could vibe with her.

[@hobisdishwater9792]

@@amandaa7708 exactly this! I completely agree and I think it’s interesting that in the attempt to bring up one woman, we feel the need to put down another. Whenever there’s a Sharpay and Gabrielle debate, people always find a way to bring down Gabrielle in the name of “demonizing pink is misogynistic”, whilst also bringing down another woman for exemplifying traits that they don’t find “worthy” like as you said, being “whiny” and “boring”. The two should be able to coexist without people, especially other women, rushing to analyze which of them is “better”.

[@ShainaCilimberg]

@@amandaa7708 Also Gabrielle was kinder than Sharpay. Sharpay liked to push people around

[@vikittyxd900]

Yeah, the diference is that Gabriela was a socially acepted kind of feminine

[@z.k.7330]

From my experience, whatever was demonized in the movie (as a whole) stays in the movie. I have never seen a Gabriella "win" in school - she usually gets pushed back to the social periphery, while the Sharpays are looked up to - both from girls and boys. I have always had a Sharpay in most of my classes. The problem was not the blond hair, her being confident or very girly - the problem was her being arrogant, two-faced, manipulative and usually a bully. That very type of a person exists, and yes, in my cases it was always a girl, sadly. People are so caught up in destroying stereotypes that they start glamorizing bad traits. Do we need beautiful, blonde, confident female role models - yes, but privileged and arrogant bullies? Nobody fckn needs that.

[@mackenzietaber]

Sharpay was my favorite character since day 1. We love a confident, feminine queen. Ashley Tisdale is an icon

[@tarinblanding1584]

Sharpay was originally supposed to be black but when Ashley Tisdale auditioned, they changed the character to be Caucasian instead.

[@elleliteracy]

wow i didn't know that!!

[@LKTori]

that would've been a very different movie...

[@juliaostlund9360]

@@LKTori Yeah really. I don't know what'd be worse, taking a role from a black woman and actor, or villainizing one of the few black characters in the show. Ashley Tisdale played the hell out of that role, I mean *the range* of that woman, but I truly don't know what'd be for the best.

[@lucentish2458]

@@juliaostlund9360 they imagined her to be a certain way but an actress played her so well they decided to change her to fit the actress more. it happens loads of items, from just a poc tan girl to a black woman. korean to black, white to hispanic, its not a bad thing

[@maffieduran]

That gives it another dimension and makes all sense. If she was black no one would be trying to save her and in fact point at the role being just another instance of the demonization of black women

[@EricaDLucas]

JUSTICE FOR SHARPAY!!! And let's be honest, the only reason Troy and Gabriella got the parts in the school plays and the spotlights in all productions is because they were trying to go for this "let's break the steriotypes" moral lesson, by having a nerd and a jock getting the roles, but like... Sharpay and Ryan are theater kids, they have been studying and practicing singing, dancing and acting they entire lives. Just between us, we know they got the lead roles. Also, I totally get Sharpay because I too would be mad if I had been robed of my deserved place because of this straight clownery agenda Oh, but in defense of my boy Ryan on the second movie, Sharpay kinda deserved the betrayal cause she spent the entire movie putting him aside in favor of Troy, so he was understandbly pissed. But then again, he helped out Troy, so... damn it, Ryan

[@ladyofways]

Agreed, she had the betrayal coming to her but that also allowed her to grow even more

[@ladyofways]

@kilaishere avakin Yes, yes she is what's your point?

[@whyllowfilms]

I got mad at that betrayal part. Made Ryan seem he had no heart and only cared for Troy and Gabriella that literally didn't deserve the role. I much rathered Sharpay to make up for her actions at the end of the movie and play the role as she is supposed to (without Troy) . SHE NEVER GOT THE MAIN ROLE BECAUSE OF THE NERD AND JOCK! So pissed.

[@gbbs9]

ok thank you for saying this bc it was literally the premise of HSM1 **DONT** Stick to the Status Quo. Cliques dont matter - the jocks can sing and cook - the nerds can dance. We’re trying to rewrite the whole movie😂

[@meropemerope6096]

the point is that the writers made her a BULLY BECAUSE she was feminine. Being a bully is not excusable, but another thing is how you decide to write and at the same time describe a possible bully/villain. They equalized being "femine" and "being a bully"

[@chelseamason815]

I never really cared for High School Musical, but I could watch Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure on repeat

[@elleliteracy]

i haven't seen that film in yeeeears i need to rewatch

[@blueuser9815]

saaame I loved her so much, still do, that movie is amazing

[@alisonjones5175]

That movie made me go “OKAY MISS THING GO TO BROADWAY”💖

[@ivckrxs118]

The only thing good about high school musical were the songs ngl

[@victoriab7148]

Same! I never got why everyone liked High School Musical so much when Disney Channel had so many better movies. I wasn't even a fan of Sharpay in HSM. But I somehow loved Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure. I found the plot much more interesting

[@yuri2604]

But Vanessa is also feminine. The thing about high school musical is that, in order to hava villain, they need someone that can operate in a power system, and those who are rich are more powerful than the poor ones. That's why she is demonized, because she is not only more powerful than her classmate, but also uses her power to keep an "class system" and the status quo that benefits her. Besides from that, I think they did fair to her in the end. It was obvious that she would never become a friend of Vanessa or Troy, that would be unrealistc. Putting her in an "All About Eve" type of storyline on the third film gave her the redemption she needed, since we rooted for her.

[@fuckinstagram3377]

yea i think this is definitely the smartest comment i've seen in this section lol

[@imthebossmermaid3648]

God, read the pinned comment. She never says that Vanessa and Taylor aren't feminine.

[@Morgan0216]

Sharpay used to remind me of Paris Hilton... I grew up despising Paris. Now that I’m older I’ve grown to loooove Paris’ drive and ambition. She’s an amazing woman who uses her notoriety to help animals, and better herself from her past trauma.

[@misspriss2482]

Yeah, no. Sharpay was not punished for being feminine or ambitious. She was punished for how she goes about achieving her goals. There's a right way and a wrong way to go about getting what you want. She did it the wrong way. Sharpay deliberately sabotaged the competition so that she could win. As a matter of fact, the other characters set Troy up to look bad so that they could keep Gabriella and Troy apart and they were called out on it. They apologized and tried to make amends. Sharpay never does. In the second movie, Sharpay tries to get Gabriella in trouble and steal Troy away from her to win the talent show. She even ditches her own brother. Again, nothing wrong about her having goals. It's how she set out to get them. In the third movie, she has grown somewhat and has finally stopped being fixated on Troy. She still tries to get Gabriella out of the way, but is tricked by her assistant. The movie allows Sharpay to triumph anyway though. In her solo movie, she is just as ambitious but by now she has become a better person and is rewarded by getting the lead in the Broadway show. Oftentimes your goals don't make you the villain. Your methods do. It has nothing to do with femininity.

[@nimitha5905]

This!!

[@keelyn6970]

Were her method particularly awful? Sure she's done some shady things, but she that doesn't totally outweigh the good things.

[@OneRandomRuth]

That's not quite the point though. The point is her femininity was basically a tool to help establish how awful she apparently was. She could have been poor, unpopular, etc., and could have done the same bad things and people might have been more sympathic. But they used her popularity, love of fashion, and riches to make her seem shallower and worse than she really was.

[@bemjudah1594]

I mean I could see why people would hate on Sharpe but what bothers me is everyone hating on Gabriella what is wrong with people I guess it really bugs me when they hate on her butt I don’t know that’s how I feel I’m sorry I am not team Sharpay I’m team Gabriella

[@macg1898]

Honestly, I always wanted to be as girly as Sharpay. I thought she was amazing and I looked up to her because she never really cared what others thought. It was only later when my sister said how she was the villain that I realized how messed up the movies were. Here you had a feminine girl with confidence and ambition, and yet these good traits are “bad” in the movie.

[@ritaruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu]

I don't think Sharpay is portrayed as the bad guy because of her feminity/confidence/will to succeed at all, when improving herself wasn't enough she tryed to lower others, and that's why she was the modern villain. With this said, I loved the character and the actress portraying her, one of my absolute fav in HSM

[@Erika-xm2mi]

I get what you mean and I see where you are coming from, Sharpay had a lot of moments where she stooped low when she should have just backed away, but at the same time I get where she is coming from as a character - she's been a theater kid her entire life and took part in every production her school had, there doesn't seem like there is much room for improvement there since she had more than just the talent for it, she also worked towards her goal. And then two novices come along, are late for the audition, don't show any interest in the show and yet still get the lead roles. I understand why Sharpay was furious and she had every right to be.

[@bub9199]

@@Erika-xm2mi still that doesnt really have to do with her being feminine, plus gabriella herself was pretty feminine.

[@inferiorinferno8859]

@@bub9199 Watch the video. Gabriella is more of the acceptable feminine. Like with the white and all, she clearly is coded as the pure, innocent type of feminine. Wheras Sharpay is clearly coded as a girly girl and is the only girly girl at the front of the franchise.

[@nadiao8545]

i think the point SHOULD have been that writers like to make their malicious characters hyper feminine and associate villains' bad actions with said hyper femininity, but with that being said, this video does manipulate things and go out of its way to justify sharpay's toxic behavior. people disliked her bc she was a bad person, not bc she was girly. the problem isn't people disliking her as this video claims, but that writers will purposefully make their unlikable characters hyper feminine or their hyper feminine characters unlikable.

[@kailalynch1223]

I'm not sure I agree that she's the victim, I think the film is actually trying to get across is that Sharpay is self-absorbed, controlling, and kinda mean honestly. I think it's her intentions that make her a villain, not necessarily her ambition.

[@anonymoususer9197]

Plus i don't get why people are mad when Troy gave her the cold shoulder, i mean she chose to do stuff for him but that doesn't automatically make him owe her anything when he didn't even ask for it and was shown to be uncomfortable with that stress.

[@LexifromZargon]

@@anonymoususer9197 I think she helped him get the job if he helkped her with a duet which he didnt do i agree that she didnt desevre to be his girlfiriend for that but him not upholfing hois end of the deal is bad

[@anonymoususer9197]

@@LexifromZargon that is true if they had a deal go through with it but I've seen a lot of the fandom act like he owes her his soul now. But you're 1000000% right.

[@s3lin]

as a kid i always loved pink 'girly' things etc but disney and that type of movies always made them seem like some type of evil eventually i started to feel like liking girly things and pink are bad but now im looking at it...why did they make us thing this way

[@bm-mx5tk]

Me too i hated pink for a while as a kid cause i didnt wanna be seen like that stereptypical female one that they make out to be so bad. Our world is so awful to women.

[@jeffreypoh6181]

well now you know how guys feel when yall make masulinity look like a bad thing. ¨tOxIC mASculINity¨

[@ArcaniaSkypirateDen9516]

Have you ever seen a Disney Princess movie? Weren't people saying their movies too girly before? That's why some people hated Snow White and Cinderella,etc 🤷‍♂️

[@ArcaniaSkypirateDen9516]

@@bm-mx5tk not because of the color pink but because of serious issues like what's happening in West Africa and the middle East. Also people bully people for not wanting to be "girly" and that's WAY more common,this is why girly stuff is viewed this way now. If you want to see fem characters who are written well read Honey So Sweet or Skip Beat! I found this comment section to be terribly one sided. People aren't taking account how old the movie is and what was going on in popculture at the time.

[@leka2095]

@@jeffreypoh6181 as much as I agree that the "ALl MeN aRe TRaaAaAsH" mentality sucks and it's dangerous, I must politely say that this isn't about you. This is a video about Sharpay, and the portrayal of femininity. Don't get involved in matters that do not concern you like that, man.

[@krissygaming5818]

Idk, there’s more to femininity than shopping and wearing pink so I think labelling it in such a simplistic and shallow manner is rather offensive to women. She never gave me a “feminine” vibe rather just some rich child that needed to understand the difficulties and unfairness of life and that was her character development throughout the movies. At least in my opinion, as a history teacher in the ancient field their is more to a woman’s femininity than her looks and wanting to be popular/sexy etc. cleopatra was feminine yet most concluded she wasn’t attractive but rather feminine through her intellect and speech. Sharpay is feminine but she was very disconnected to the real world

[@imthebossmermaid3648]

Read the pinned comment. Also attractiveness is subjective and most of the people who said that Cleopatra wasn't attractive were her political enemies, same with Anne Boleyn.

[@dollette_dior1818]

idk why i used to think she was the villain, i used to dislike her but watching the film again, she's just a girl with sass and has fashion sense

[@CampbellStudio]

Yess this was exactly me!! Little me fell right into the trap🤣😭

[@mags506]

you mean other than the fact she threw her literal twin brother under the bus? manipulated troy with a "nice guy" mindset? treated everyone like they were peasants and below them because she was wealthy and they had to work through their summer break? yea, ok.

[@MrsItsumi]

@Clareeex1649 It boggles my mind how people can just gloss over these things. I never felt that she was demonized purely because of her femininity (though that was definitely a part of it), but because she acted manipulative, dishonest, entitled and with disregard for other people's wants and needs. Same goes for her costume which was mostly a critique of an excessive display of wealth and luxury. I mean she definitely deserved better writing. But man, she's not like some misunderstood poor soul just trying to live her life peacefully.

[@Lintrovert]

I agree with a majority of what you said. But I also think you have manipulated some of her motives to make it seem selfless, when it was actually selfish. She changed the callbacks date so that she was guaranteed the main spot. She wanted a duet with Troy in HSM 2 so that she was seen as the “it girl” paired with the “it boy”. The motives you mentioned were quite possibly just simple side effects... The way the writers made her the antagonist was mainly by emphasising the selfishness of her actions. There is a difference between being ambitious and being selfish.

[@apussyhoecouldneva244]

Victim? No. Villain? No. Icon? Absolutely ❤️🥰🥰🥰❤️❤️

[@madelinemorales4532]

@BigBoy123 she was an iconic bully

[@franz3810]

@BigBoy123 yeah she may be feminine but is as toxic as Troy or Gabriella

[@wildfire0123]

@BigBoy123 okay but did chad and the other basketball team members along with the science club members fake a video to get the two of them to stop hanging out together and quit the musical. Not to mention everybody being really sexist to sharpay

[@MiniMeags]

To be honest, I like how Sharpay didn’t get her “happy ending” because honestly all those movies did was make kids like me think we had the same chance as someone like Sharpay because we thought they were all just on the same par but in the real world Sharpay and Ryan would’ve been put in solely because of their finances. All American teen TVs and or movies especially sequels talk about how much the protagonist wants to go to this certain elite school for college, but over in countries like Australia, we don’t have that. You go to whichever university accepts you and even if you have a preference that doesn’t mean much because if you’re not getting a 99 score, you ain’t getting anywhere near the enrolment centre. Sharpay not getting into Julivard, and accepting it with pride and being proud of Ryan still was what made Sharpay unique. Girls like Sharpay always get what they want in films & tv so the change was a nice shock for me.

[@pythonjava6228]

Sharpay: Gets the wildcats jobs and schooling opportunities despite them consistently being cruel to her. Wildcats: OMG Sharpay is so terrible!

[@angelizespino6776]

lets not be biased here cause Sharpay got them all jobs just to get closer to Troy, that was her plan all along also in the movie she tells the boss to make their job harder and harder so they could quit, all of these favors she did wasnt because she was an angel, she was clearly doing it so it could benefit her...although i do agree that the wildcats were incredibly rude sometimes specially when they would make fun of her in the first movie cause she was a theater kid, like if thats smth bad when it clearly isnt and shes just passionate about performing just like they were passionate about basketball

[@amandaa7708]

@@angelizespino6776 Did she even want them all to get jobs? I thought she threw a fit when she found out Gabriella was the lifeguard.

[@angelizespino6776]

@@amandaa7708 no, actually she told the boss to hire just troy bolton and do whatever it takes and then she got mad cause to get troy bolton he had to give jobs to the wildcats too cause sharpay's mom said it and then she told the boss that she wanted them all out except troy and i quote her own words "make them wanna quit"

[@alexarose6292]

it’s like you’ve never seen the movies, she only wanted Troy to receive a job and was upset everyone else was hired.

[@guillermojarne2803]

She is not demonized for being a woman, she is demonized for being superficial, selfish, egocentric, and discriminatory... if you think that those characteristics define a "woman" you are the one who is demonizing women in general :/ You can be a strong woman with a big personality and still be respectful, empathetic and kind...

[@Lumors]

I guess people don't like when someone doesn't have any humility. I knew a girl like that. She's talented, and she works hard on her craft, absolutely true. But she makes sure to push that into everyone's line of sight to get all the praise and attention. Even among peers. Complains about how her peers are not very good, then somehow ends up complaining that she doesn't have any friends. Talent is good. Confidence in your art and self-promotion are good. But you need one foot on the ground and make sure that you treat people around you with respect. I think this was the main problem with Sharpay. (I only saw the first movie sry)

[@gbbs9]

Facts🔥🔥🔥 Sharpay is a great character when we also talk about her flaws. She does the same thing in HSM2. I never remember the third lol

[@amandaqueiroz4095]

I always like sharpay more then gabriela or any other characters and it hurt so much when some one says she is just a spoiled rich girl. She is so much more then that, she is the most active character! And the 2 movie is the best no discussion

[@Shanspeare]

I'm barely a minute in and the editing is blowing me away! this is truly the content i signed up for on youtube

[@elleliteracy]

um sorry QUEEN! hey!

[@elleliteracy]

you don’t understand.. like your content... i’m obsessed

[@Shanspeare]

@@elleliteracy omg hey bestie!!

[@divinecommanderofgoldcave9825]

Good interpretations. Disagree with some of your points about the portrayal of blondes in cinema. I agree with you that writers use the dumb blonde stereotype often, and it’s definitely present in HSM, but let’s be honest, it’s no longer a persisting trope and hasn’t held white women back from taking up space in the academy. White blonde, ginger, and brunette women alike are highly praised and romanticized in film and society. I’m not gonna start boo hooing for the blonde girls.

[@esrasenyuz]

I loved this! You can really see your passion come through the video, I know this probably took a lot of work and believe me that isn’t going unseen! Great take on her and thanks for giving her some justice :) Amazing job!!!

[@elleliteracy]

you're too kind, this made me smile! thank you so much!!!!

[@inua6566]

No! Sharpay is seen as the antagonist because of how she keeps trying to get between Troy and Gabriella and how she feels like she is more entitled to Troy than Gabriella because of who she is. If Sharpay just left them alone while continuing to act overtly feminine, maybe throw a friendship with Gabriella in the mix, and everyone would love Sharpay. You can't tell me that you didn't like Sharpay a lot more when she was cooperating with the characters.

[@scoops2659]

People wrote the movie, and they chose to portray her that way. This movie is critiquing the writing, not defending every action the character takes.

[@carmelalinka]

Even as a kid I’ve always loved Sharpay and have preferred her over Gabriella. Her strong will and determination to win, despite her scheming antics were an inspiration to me whilst Gabriella with little to no effort always got everything!

[@Lady_Katherine]

All I am going to say is Humuhumunukunukuapua'a Makahikimalahinihu Humuhumunukunukuapua'a Oooh, hawanawakuwakuwakunikipupupu is still stuck in my head. Sharpay is iconic.

[@fifi3649]

While I agree with some of the things you said (particularely about the ending of the third movie), I don't think it's fair to victimise her. She is indeed confident and talented, which are positive qualities, but she's also extremely self-centered. She almost never does anything purely for someone else, but all her actions are driven by her own interest. For example, she does offer Troy the possibility to get a scholarship for college and meet people that could help him in his future, but she does that to have him dueting with her, not because she actually cares about him.

[@LegioXXI]

Glad i could find at least one comment that is not jumping on the victimizing-train. Its also unbelievable overdramatic and unnecessary political to claim "femininity is demonized" in this movie. No, femininity is never demonized - being self-centered, egoistic and mean is. If people cant differentiate those things from "femininity", maybe they are unintentionally demonizing femininity themself - without even realizing. But i guess identity politics and playing the victim is just the Zeitgeist we live in.

[@islandbeachmusic-ibiza7068]

@@LegioXXI Yep. Self-absorbed, egotistical narcissism is being lampooned via this character yet the video maker and most of the commentariat equate this behaviour with femininity? We're more screwed than I thought...

[@fifi3649]

@@islandbeachmusic-ibiza7068 I think they claim the films demonize femininity because the most negative character (Sharpay) has a very girlie girl style. Personally, I don't think this is the point. Her style defines her character (as any character in HSM has their own style), but that's it. As a child, I used to love her clothes, car, pink locker etc... and for quite a long time I tried to imitate her (with poor results, though!), but I still thought she was a selfish girl. Damn stylish, but still selfish

[@ece748]

i came from tiktok and your videos def didn't disappoint, hope you'll make more!!

[@elleliteracy]

thanks Ece! there's definitely more on the way I've just been swamped with college but will hopefully get another out in the next week!

[@espeon871]

Sorry if off topic but i want more diversity to the representation of hyper feminine women like elle woods, because usually they’re depicted by white women, I loved Bratz and monster high and ever after high and winx growing up because they had hyper feminine characters who were minorities/ poc coded and who’s femininity was embraced and I’m very feminine so those made me very happy as I felt represented. I’m happy that nowadays feminine poc are getting representation through hyper femme female rappers and the popularity of anime/ kpop but I think we could extend this convo to poc communities. I believe that internalised misogyny is very dangerous and vilification of femininity just reinforces misogyny as a hardcore feminist and in some poc communities where theyre more conservative i think its more important to talk more abt the vilification of women and femininity as it affects all women negatively but in some more conservative cultures it affects women more visibly. This is not to disregard or play down the sexism faced by women as a whole regardless of cultural bg and ethnicity, i just want this convo to be covered in poc communities as i think sometimes woc are rarely discussed in issues. I love all the existing hyper femme characters but would love more diversity for representation and for more enriching discourse.

[@avagrima5636]

the way you really enunciate your T's is very adorable

[@rileytimes]

Absolutely amazing video. Also i did a big double take because i haven't watched high school musical in ages, but have recently played House of Ashes in which this actress did face modelling and it was ao surprising to see this no nonsense soldier be someone else.

[@auliahusna4849]

Back then or now i always love sharpy she's my favorite caracter in hsm, i think it's just me that love her caracter and think that it's really unfair ending. from sharpy i find confident about expressing what i like and my personality

[@periwinkle8689]

sharpay was one of my first crushes it always bothered me how she was constantly being belittled for going after what she wants while troy was doing the same thing and being praised. he didn’t deserve her anyways.

[@Lil_lulu_heartfilia]

Tbh I loved Sharpay the first time I watched hsm. I wish everybody would stan a queen when she is shown.

[@rossalyn.cuevas20]

The only thing that she did wrong thing she did was trying to steal Troy away from Gabriella

[@thefairybug40]

The repeated demonization of femininity is why I love 'Legally Blonde'.

[@marrodc]

A few months ago I rewatched HSM 2 with my siblings, and I was surprised by how much I empathized with Sharpay. Like, Sharpay provided Troy with all these opportunities and money so he could sing and dance with her in a meaningless talent show. There really wouldn't be a problem in the movie if Troy were better at communicating with Gabriela and his friends about why he's spending so much time with Sharpay, and if his friends and Gabriela were more understanding of him, considering he had a great opportunity at landing a basketball scholarship at a university he was interested in.

[@thelovelyone2828]

Yes I agree he could have communicated better but Sharpay only gave him free opportunities to bribe him into performing with her, not because she genuinely cares about him and his interests

[@woosanersburn943]

fun fact my mom was neighbors with ashley tisdale and was friends with her older sister since they were in the same class

[@yupseedeasy2783]

She’s not just “girly” she’s loud and rude and flashy 😂 but her character can be loved or hated, that’s the audience’s decision.

[@donthaveausernameonmind7450]

Thats what id like to hear👏🏻👏🏻

[@Isthie]

THIS HAS VALIDATED MY CHILDHOOD OPINIONS IN EVERYWAY

[@Wolfmaedchen]

You are right about her motives and ambitions, however it is quite hard to overlook her bad attitude while speaking to others. She’s just plain rude, which in my opinion is one of the bigger reasons why the others won’t accept her dreams as valid. However, it might be another way of prioritizing her musical ambitions. She probably doesn’t need a social network to feel fulfilled and therefore doesn’t put time and effort into building friendships

[@chibibeingchibi3197]

A few movies with Girly Girl protagonist who are in the stereotype but isn't a bad guy and remains as girly and fabulous, but learns something in the end: -Clueless -The House Bunny -Legally Blonde I just realized that Mona May often design for movies with Girly girl protagonists hahahha

[@marzimoon4060]

I always took Sharpay's character as more of a symbol of vanity than femininity.

[@megalenzbyxx8358]

Aren't we forgetting sharpay was actually rude and spoilt though?

[@haillight14]

Your voice was so soothing and nice to listen to, I love it. Also never really thought about any of this before, Sharpay got really screwed over by the writers of these movies.

[@itzelgc4637]

That swimsuit outfit is still amazing! I need it

[@elleliteracy]

i want her entire wardrobe!!

[@itzelgc4637]

@@elleliteracy yes!!! 🤩

[@larissafonseca4007]

I thought this was really insightful!! Thank you so much!!

[@Facieee]

As a child, I loved pink but acted like I hated it because of how it was portrayed and how girls who wore pink were portrayed

[@lovemusicreplay]

This video made me feel conflicted. I remember watching the movies and I think I connected with the story of Gabriella because I was intimidated by hyper-femininity. However, I think Sharpay's character was deliberately created to be someone to envy. She is confident, she comes from a rich family, she is confident on the outside and good at what she does. In British culture they have pantomimes, which are very flamboyant versions of stageplays where everything is exaggerated. Within this format, there always tends to be an antagonist who is "the bad guy" or "the villan". When they come on stage they are booed and hissed off stage as they try to spoil the plan for the protagonists. I reckon the HSM writers have done a similar thing with Sharpay, she made to be the "bad guy". It would be interesting to see the three movies of HSM from Sharpay's perspective, maybe it is all buds and roses, but perhaps you would connect with her on a personal level.

[@katehu7194]

Thank you for sharing your views. I would argue diva-ness and femininity are separate things. I considered Gabriella to be uber feminine: delicate, sweet, and lovely. That's just my take though. I wonder how you would see Legally Blonde. Do you think Elle and Sharpay would get along?

[@fionacollins8776]

I can choose Sharpay Evans villains on Wiki. She played as a villain for drama arts!

[@chloehuang8128]

when i was younger i hated sharpay, but now all i wanna be is sharpay 😩

[@Minsi40]

Honestly, I thought she was hated because she was a horrible person. She was vain, mean, and entitled, if I remember, correctly. She used her connections to isolate Troy and tries to often times cause friction in the group and even switched around scheduled events, just to get an advantage. For me, her hor pink ensembles and drive, have nothing to do with it. She was just a bad person. For me, you could dress her in all black and sneakers, and she would still be a horrible person.

[@machaly9]

excellent video that analyses and examines an often overlooked aspect of the franchise. good job dude

[@adrianastn6129]

I’m sorry that nobody pointed out how much effort you put in this. This could easily be turned into a Bachelor-Thesis!!

[@eleventwelve2650]

I think everyone who watched Highschool Musical knows how ICONIC Sharpay it, Disney failed, we all secretly wanted to be Sharpay.

[@fuckinstagram3377]

so many people in this comment section and the girl analyzing sharpay have failed in missing the mark. lol sharpay was iconic and disney knew it by keeping her character around not only in the rest of the movie franchise but again in her own spinoff movie series. are people just forgetting sharpay's fabulous adventure?? was there a 'gabriella and troy facilitate their dreams as a team movie?? no. because probably no one related to them enough for disney to consider investing money in a spinoff movie based on them.

[@aekazeoyaoi4108]

Everyone be like « she deserve better” she have her own damn movie....

[@Gyro42]

You missed the point of the video...

[@aekazeoyaoi4108]

I didn't miss anything a just point out that she have her own movie, because it's sound like those in the comment section forget that she have her own movie, so we doesn't need to say “she deserves better” cause we give it to her....

[@Gyro42]

@@aekazeoyaoi4108 one movie doesn't change the mistreatment of a whole trilogy, even less if it wasn't officially addressed by the production

[@aekazeoyaoi4108]

But they still try... I don't like Gabriella but I didn’t love sharply too it her movie that make me like her so he did do something

[@aekazeoyaoi4108]

Sharpay

[@alidelatierra]

I’m not very feminine at all so this is funny to me growing up I always viewed Gabriella as super feminine and looked up to her as the girly girl I never knew how to be

[@amandaa7708]

Yeah. This take is interesting to me because I always came away from HSM thinking “Man. Gabriella is the epitome of femininity.”

[@MrKrabs-br5vt]

As a kid, I never wanted to wear girly things like that or be perceived as girly even though I loved those kinds of things because of tropes like this in all the movies I watched. All the girly girls were the mean and dumb ones, and I didn't want to be associated with that, so I refused to dress up like I love to as a kid. I do now because I've stopped trying to conform to societal things and stuff, but oftentimes, these kind of thoughts still enter my head when I'm out and about. Occasionally I also have preconceived notions about girly girls when I see them too because of the way they've been portrayed in media. I think we really need more movies like legally blonde and stop antagonizing "girly" things in shows and stuff. People should just be allowed to wear what they want without this stereotype plastered to everything. I love Sharpay for unapologetically being super confident and hyper-feminine without caring about what other people think. She deserved so much more.

[@SoVidushi]

Sharpay has always been my favourite, lovely video!

[@felicitylee3501]

Hiya! so ahh this video popped up in my reccomendation and im so glad it did. I thought it was cool how you compared Elle Woods from legally blonde to Sharpay evans and it got me thinking. I actually ended up re-watching Legally blonde recently and after i went back over it and looking into it deeper, In my opinion it shows that Elle woods is only seen as important and successful once she becomes more "serious" and does well in law. Her overtly feminine fashion and interests are looked down upon and shamed and it seems to me that it paints a picture of a women having to be smart and do smart things such as becoming a lawyer for this more feminine side and fashion to be acceptable. Obviously the idea of showing that women are able to break into a male dominated industry among many other messages is a good thing and i enjoy the movie i do think this was a little bit annoying. Im not sure if this makes sense and this obviously just my opinion and my take on the movie but there are so many more factors i could go into detail about legally blonde (dont even start about "red, white and blonde") it could be an interesting video idea. idk

[@elleliteracy]

yes!! i rewatched legally blonde recently and Elle is constantly put down for being girly and has to 'prove' herself to all the men (and even the women) around her

[@mm4843]

I hate how people in this comment section are putting down Gabriella to hype Sharpay up. Gabriella is better than Shapay, she was nice and kind to others. Both were talented. It’s not Gabriella’s or Troy’s fault.

[@jactober]

i always LOVED sharpay since i first saw high school musical and i never knew why she was always demonized now i know why. Sharpay is the queen and she deserves justice 💅🏼

[@starryeyedtarot8876]

Not to mention that her logo on her items in the movie is *literally* the Summer's Eve logo.

[@switch1e]

I first watched this video a couple weeks ago after watching High School Musical 2 and agreeing with the central premise of Sharpay’s brand of femininity being demonized but disagreeing about her not actually being a villain because she was being sort of crafty and dishonest in that movie. But I just watched the third movie and she basically had everything stolen from her and was treated like a scourge when she didn’t do anything wrong. Really disappointing but I agree with this video a lot more now

[@goodnightgoodnightgoodnight]

this is SUCH a good video essay oh my god! i havent really thought about high school musical in years but youre absolutely right! subscribed immediately, cant wait to see more of your stuff!

[@Natalie66796]

Shrarpay is an underrated queen

[@miricori]

This is really insightful und so interesting! Great work! :)

[@flamethrow868]

She is a villain because of what she does tho; villains come in all shapes and form, and if we follow your train of thoughts, whatever traits these villains show (outside of their foul deeds) is supposed to be hated too, and the showrunners should stop doing it? Are we supposed to just stop making human villains now? I mean, this is in context to a show that's mainly targeted towards children and preteens, and where the villain has to be almost always in one shade (instead of the shade of greys we get in good adult movies). Yes, the 'hyper-feminine' villain was kind of popular in the 2000' when the show came out, thanks manly to mean girls and the mean cheerleader trope that was going on, but it was also more in reference to how more wealthy she was than anything else; her clothes are toned down version of shit pop stars used to wear at the time; it didn't necessarily scream hyper-feminism as much as RICH daddy girl who has 'fabulous' clothes; still in context to the targeted audience here; her outfits looked really more outlandish and expensive to the kids watching the show; it's again a cue to say that she's rich and can afford multiple 'beautiful' outfits. Just a few years ago (or maybe decades, damn I'm getting old); the female villains in most movies were the total opposite, kind of 'manly', or, to use terms that go along with your vocabulary; hypo-feminine. In some movies, the villainous women were just 'normal'. It's not to demonize any kind of woman, it's just ... diversity. Again, this is a movie for kids. It's really not that serious, there's plenty of Disney films where the 'hero' is super girly; but they always make the villain as outlandish as they can because while the heroine is gonna stay on screen for a while, the villain gotta make an impression in the few(er) scenes he's in.

[@itz_kaylie2061]

Sharply carried every scene she was in

[@YoSoFunnyx3]

I really love all of these deep dives coming out on fictional hyper femm characters from my childhood. I can really see how the demonization of these characters really effected of how kids treated other kids who were fem and I would go along with it. Now that I’m an adult and see all the sexism, I’m starting to become more like myself and exploring more with hyper fem style.

[@nawel5219]

Sharpay has always been my favorite, her character is way more interesting and realistic in some way, she works so hard to be the best in what she likes, despite being rich, she doesn't take things for granted. When Gabriella and Troy doesn't do that much and get all .

[@sneakylemon8513]

That's an interesting take and I agree. However I feel like the reason I demonized Sharpe was that she was a classism issue because she was just so much wealthier than the other students leading to a power imbalance. Although choosing to lump that in with hyperfemininity is also a common trope. I'm also biased because in my middle school I was a tomboy and unpopular and a nerd and poor compared to my peers while the popular girls were rich and hyper feminine. Sharpe looked like the girls who would bully me so seeing her suffer was cathartic. However when I went to highschool our economic circumstances changed and suddenly I was rich and popular and also became hyperfeminine. But I was still a math nerd and I didn't become mean to anyone.

[@elsiemukuka3880]

I got emotional watching this, it has just occurred to me that I've been robbed this way several times. I never contemplated this perspective.

[@kippsyj5386]

so happy to have found this video while searching for a way to explain the "i hated pink as a kid but love it now as an adult" phenomenon of the genz/zillennial generations

[@Boonies]

I see myself as the boy version of sharpay, NOT RYAN 😭🤣

[@urmomsaidshewouldgixmewaff294]

When I was younger I thought it was wrong to like sharpay because I thought people hated her because she was really girly but deep down I knew I loved the way she acted and dressed and her femininity. I’m 13 now and I realized sharpay was ahead of her time and deserved so much better than what she got and I embrace my love for pink and femininity

[@aspenzatlo2751]

Appreciate your take, thanks!

[@Thisisholly]

Sharpay was also a spoiled rich white girl. Plus continually flirted with a guy who she knew had a girlfriend. I think the point of her arc was to make her humble, and to recognize that while she is ambitious. She can also be very selfish. Especially when it comes to her brother and his dream. All things aside. SHARPAY IS STILL ICONIC!!!

[@marysummers233]

I mean things kinda just went wrong for sharpay. Troy broke her heart and didn’t seem to care. He and Gabriella stole her thing and she doesn’t have anything else but the theater unlike troy and Gabriella having basketball and the scholastic decathlon. Then summer comes along and Gabriella and Troy kind of steal that to. Then her own brother ditches her and she gives him a trophy anyway. And she even doesn’t get into the college she wants. I dont blame her for not liking Gabriella.

[@vyvisabastard]

Sharpay has been my favorite character since i saw high school musical. Being a kid who was severely bullied and often compared to the plain jane characters, I wanted to be Sharpay growing up but i couldn’t since my family would actively discourage overt femininity like Sharpay showed.

[@zuzannawrobel]

the first hsm came out when i was in kindergarten. every girl wanted to pretend they were gabriella and they run around chasing their troy. meanwhile, i said fuck it, i was sharpay and i was just trying to get my stupid twin brother to practice our routine so that we'd ace the auditions

[@oopsallbugs]

absolutely fantastic video, thank you! i honestly loved sharpay as a kid and was annoyed that we weren't allowed to have characters like her as the main protagonists in disney movies