ARE THEY HELPING YOU?

This is a piece about how western internet cultures affect Asian youth today in their ways of thinking. These visual artworks provide liberty in the self-expression for Southeast asians (particularly women). As recognised by online subcultures, these lie on the stereotype of “toxic femininity” also known as Femcel culture.

One of these references include the Portrait of a Young Woman in White by Jacques-Louis David, the famous cover art for Ottesa Moshfegh’s My Year Of Rest And Relaxation. Other key references include dry-witted fictional television character Fleabag, the “Sad-girl” personas of musical artists like Lana Del Rey and Mitski, and female fictional characters such as Lain Iwakura from Serial Experiments Lain and Lux Lisbon from Eugenides’ The Virgin Suicides. While these references imply negative connotations such as insufferable characters, these in a way provide more catharsis and freedom for pressure-cooker systems that are ingrained in Asian families. We just want to resonate with people who are flawed, emotional and human. Because we were taught not to “rebel” in the ways that they did, it is relieving to see fictional characters or personas live out that anger.