subscribe to ym
|
YM (Feb 2000 issue)
The Perils of Popularity
Ever look around the caf and wonder why some people get all access
passes to the cool crowd while others can't even scoot pass security? Even
if you've never had popularity pangs, just checking out an episode of
"Popular" is enough to make you want to opt for home schooling. The
show's star's Carly Pope and Leslie Bibb are convinced that seemingly
opposite personalities have more in common than anyone suspects.
"On the show, sure you see the surface stereotypes that
exist at every school", says Carly. But you also see what's going on
inside the characters homes, and you see that everyone is fighting
insecurity." In real life, the actresses have moved on from
highschool woes to cool careers. After growing up in Vancouver, B.C.,
Carly racked up acting experience with small parts in flicks like
Disturbing Behavior, then enrolled in college before scoring her
big gig as Sam. Now living in L.A., she says,
"I feel like the new kid in school, trying to figure out
where I fit in" Myth #1..Popularity equals a problem
free life
"I saw people at school who seemed to have easier
lives,"adds Carly. But when I actually sat down to talk to them, I
realized we were in the same boat, just trying to determine our place in
the social structure" Myth #2..Cliques are always bad
news
Cliques become harmful only when you feel like you must act or dress in a
certain way to be accepted. Carly dubs her gal group her comfort zone.
Myth #3..Eventually, you'll find the look or attitude tht will
make you
queen of the scene
Carly cautions against putting too much of a premium on appearance.
"When I was 11, I was friends with some girls who suddenly
became more popular than I was, and we drifted apart, she recalls. Then
one day, one of them came up to me and said, "Oh, I see you've started
shaving your legs! We should hang out sometime. Of course, I went home
and hugged my mother for letting me shave. But you know what? The
feeling that I'd achieved something special sure didn't last
long" Yet the friendship did last. The two began hanging out
again, and she realized that fuzz free legs or smooth beauty moves weren't
the keys to being fab.
"She was just using the shaving thing as an excuse to
reconnect with me" Myth #4..The friends you have now
are the only friends for you
Carly says the divisions between the groups at her high school dissolved
during senior year
"The class realized that we'd been shuting each other out
for too long, she says. It taught me that you can form the deepest
friendship with someone you might have disregarded because you thought
you had to stay in your tiny group" Myth #5..
Surrounding yourself with friends 24/7 is the only way to
feel good
about yourself
Carly took comfort in chilling at home.
"I got to a point at school where I just didn't feel like
traveling in a herd, and I didn't want to be going to parties
constantly, she says. I wanted to spend time bonding with my little
brother. I didnt need to do things just for the sake of being accepted
by a certain crowd" Myth #6..There's only one kind of
cool
No way -- cool commes in styles. Still as Carly notes, It isnt always easy
to be yourself in a crowd.
"Its a frightening thing to act on your opinions, You've got
to find confidence in yourself, not in what others think of you. Im
still trying to separate how I see myself from how I'm perceived, It's
not easy, but it's worth it"
I have omitted certain sections of this article. To view the whole
article please contact ym magazine
|
|
