Why “Valley Girls” Are Totally Misunderstood With Koa Beck

Like, why did the “Valley Girl” become America’s favorite punchline?

Today, Christiana sits down with journalist and author, Koa Beck, to talk about how the Valley Girl stereotype took off in pop culture, why it has been so misunderstood, and how it reflects America’s bigger anxieties about young women and femininity that still shape how we see them today.

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00:28 The Valley

01:25 Defining the “Valley Girl”

05:03 Valley speak and the valley girl accent

08:10 From the valley girl to the modern day influencer

17:35 The history of the Valley Girl

24:31 Why the trope of the “Valley Girl” is white 

26:44 Why the valley stereotypes are associated with girls

31:00 How the concept of the “Valley Girl” became negative

40:00 The Valley Girl and sex 

44:29 The Valley Girl and influencer culture

48:19 The future of the Valley Girl

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