Mori girl style has unexpectedly gained the attention of the New York Times. The article (click here to read) portrays mori girls as 'living dolls' who shun any remotely aggressive or assertive behaviour and are terminally 'fragile'.
I can't say I completely agree with these sentiments. It is true that the mori girl subculture advocates a slow-paced lifestyle that is perhaps more passive than those of so-called 'carnivorous' women. It is also quite true that mori girl style tries to downplay sexuality, leaning more towards a sexless aesthetic.
However, I don't think the mori girl lifestyle advocates fragility or weakness in any way. Mori girls, while peace-loving, are ardent about expressing their individuality, albeit in discreet ways. Their penchant for unique clothing, creative hobbies and rejection of mainstream attitudes to life are a quiet protest against the status quo.
The article does make a good point about the escape from reality the mori girl lifestyle offers, though. It'd be a pity to waste all that imagination, wouldn't it? :)
Saturday, February 13, 2010
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I really couldn't help but laugh at this article. When they likened Mori Girls to "living dolls," I couldn't help but wonder why they didn't give that title to the lolitas. Don't get me wrong-- I love lolita AND mori girl, but lolita makes you think of porcelain dolls more than mori girl. I definitely agree with you on the fragility part. : O
ReplyDeleteAnd ageha girls? Did they mean gyaru? o_O
By the way, thanks for sharing the article! : )
^ Wow. Pardon the repetition. I'm kinda braindead right now. : X
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing they probably don't have much first hand experience with the mori girl lifestyle. Even so, it's interesting to see how other people view the subculture....
ReplyDeleteWow, that writer totally missed the mark. Apparently they didn't spend much time actually talking to mori girls...I think mori is not about looking like a doll at all! Perhaps more looking like a storybook character but that's a different thing altogether. I don't think the mori look is unattractive to men either, even if it's not overtly sexual. My husband likes it, anyway.
ReplyDeleteYeah there were quite a few inaccuracies, I'm assuming the article wasn't that well researched.
ReplyDeleteI never thought mori girls looked like dolls at all (associating dolls with artificiality in my mind, as opposed to mori girls' more natural aesthetic) but after reading the article I do see the association between mori girls and antique dolls, if you consider the emphasis on vintage and childlike clothing.
As for the part about men, everyone is entitled to their own tastes, but I think one of the points of mori girl style is to value indivuality over pandering to the tastes of the opposite sex. :)
:o
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