CoverGirl broke beauty barriers earlier this month when 17-year-old male makeup artist James Charles was named the new face of the cosmetics brand.
Charles is a high school senior from Bethlehem, New York, but he still makes time to keep an active presence on social media with more than 100,000 subscribers on YouTube and more than 700,000 followers on Instagram.
I can’t imagine it’s hard for him to keep people interested with the amount of makeup tutorials and reviews he has done, encouraging boys and girls everywhere to become one with their inner makeup artist. This is why it was no surprise to me that he was chosen by CoverGirl to challenge gender norms and become the first male spokesperson in the company’s nearly 60-year history.
Many social media users took to Twitter and CoverGirl’s comment section on Instagram to complain that a boy should not have been chosen as a model for CoverGirl. One Instagram user even commented, “This is sad. This is not right. This disgusts me. Men should not be wearing that makeup. CoverGirl is not for men. Y’all need Jesus.”
By naming Charles the new spokesperson for their company, CoverGirl is starting a movement I support. In 2016, it’s not as uncommon as one might think for a boy to have an interest in makeup or any other form of cosmetics.
For years, women have dominated cosmetology-related career fields deemed unmasculine. But with the rise of social media, more men shine under the spotlight for demonstrating their talents at styling hair and applying makeup.
Representation like this can make an important change in the lives of many young boys and girls who are shamed for liking something that isn’t normal for their gender.
Young boys are taught that liking makeup and dresses is wrong because it’ll “make you gay,” and young girls are taught that they can’t get dirty or like action figures because that’s “boy stuff” or not “ladylike.”
The most common argument against Charles being named a CoverGirl is that the makeup brand is CoverGirl and not “CoverBoy.” Playboy magazine has plastered naked women all over everything they published for years, yet their models weren’t required to be boys. CoverGirl is the name of the company, not a requirement for their models.
Just as Hillary Clinton being a major party presidential candidate is important for America’s youth, so is Charles being a CoverGirl. Having people like him in these positions shows young boys and girls they can do what they want without fear of being judged.
Representation is important for society’s development and growth. Representation is needed to force conversation about things that are sometimes uncomfortable to talk about. That’s when positive change happens.
Brianna Rhymes is a 19-year-old mass communication sophomore from New Iberia, Louisiana.