I can’t get an image out of my mind of a young woman, a teenager, who was on the morning news recently.

She, along with three young men, also teenagers, were being interviewed because they did something heroic on their way home from their Junior Prom. (I’m purposefully being vague because I don’t want to call out this young woman too vigorously.)

The kids were being hailed as heroes.

Indeed, their actions that night were selfless and mindful and heroic.

In the interview, the young woman never smiled.

She didn’t say anything.

What I can’t get out of my head is the way she stood next to one of the boys—the one doing most of the talking—and straightened her already straight blonde hair with her hand during the interview.

I want to give her the benefit of the doubt: maybe she was nervous, camera-shy, uncomfortable, embarrassed, bored.

She did seem bored.

She also seemed like arm candy.

I’m not sure what the point was of having her in the interview in the first place.

I assume she took a bigger role the night of the emergency.

To be fair to her, there was a boy in the line-up of interviewees who didn’t contribute to the conversation either.

But he at least seemed interested.

The young woman just seemed apathetic.

She seemed checked out, like she would much rather have been sitting with her friends talking about fashion and the dance.

And, maybe everyone—except for the leader of the group—would have been happier doing that, too.

There’s nothing wrong with that.

My problem is that in a televised interview, she portrayed herself like every cliché of a modern white teenage girl who only cares about how she looks.

And it made me angry.

I thought young women had moved the needle on that characterization.

It’s not just about how you look!

It’s about your contribution to the conversation, the scene, your community, the world.

I realize she is one young woman caught in one moment and quite possibly she contributes a lot to many other things in her life.

But women don’t need more PR, showing women being vacuous, airy, arm candy.

I don’t want young women to think they’re only along for the ride.

I want young women to put themselves behind the wheel.

Say something.

Give us your point of view.

The teenager in this interview had no purpose.

And that made me sad, too.

To be honest, had that been me in the interview at that age, I wouldn’t have said anything either.

But I wouldn’t have agreed to be on TV in the first place.

This young woman did herself and girls and women the country over a disservice.

I would love to hear her tell me what her role was the night of the emergency.

How did she feel being able to help a family?

I want a role model not a cliché.

I want someone with agency.

My husband tells me I’m being too judgmental. (You might agree.)

In an effort to clear my head, I’m going to give that young woman a purpose: She made me understand that we have an obligation to keep writing characters that kids can root for or relate to or emulate or strive to become.

Male or female, they need a purpose beyond being a place holder, making sure their hair looks good.

We want Elle Woods, Katniss, Hermione Granger, Merci Suarez, Mia Tang, India Opal….

Thanks for letting me get that off my mind.

Have a great week,

~ Gail

(Tick tock)

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