“I’m just a girl“” is an ironic catchphrase used as a meme in TikTok videos and elsewhere in response to “boys will be boys.” Both phrases excuse some kind of undesirable behavior, but “I’m just a girl” taps into a sexist view that women are incompetent, naive, and lack the full agency of an adult, while the other phrase excuses any bad behavior.

On TikTok, this phrase is often accompanied by the 1995 single “Just a Girl” by rock band No Doubt, which denounces a culture that treats women as fragile and incapable.

What does “I’m literally just a girl” mean?

In recent years, there has been a trend in which women have developed the attitude that they can get away with doing tasks poorly or refusing to put in the effort.

@houseofmaeli #sadhamster #funny #funnyhamster #hamstergirl #sadhamstermeme #sadhamstercorporate #corporatelife #corporategirlies ♬ Sad Hamster – I do things with a greenscreen

The expression has also become a common joke used by women to make fun of themselves, especially in videos where they have attempted a task and not done well.

Why did everyone start saying, “I’m just a girl”?

This phrase has appeared several times in popular media over the years, challenging old sexist views. On February 17, 1994, the episode “Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy” of The Simpsons and showed the disappointment of the family’s eldest daughter when her new talking doll had nothing more intelligent to say than “I’m just a girl.”

The following year, on September 21, 1995, No Doubt released “Just a Girl.” In the lyrics, Gwen Stefani complains about a world that treats her like a child, a freak, a burden, and a sex object, saying sarcastically, “So don’t give me no rights.”

Because I’m just a girl, I’d rather not be
Because they don’t let me drive late at night
Oh, I’m just a girl, I guess I’m some kind of freak
Because they all sit there and stare with their eyes
Oh, I’m just a girl, look at me closely
Just a typical prototype

The sentence also evokes a Notting Hill Quote in which Anna (Julia Roberts) rejects the idea that she is too good or too famous for her crush William (Hugh Grant).

“I’m just a girl standing in front of a boy and asking him to love her.”

The slogan became a meme on TikTok around 2022. The following year, women used a sound with a clip of the song “No Doubt” to make ironic videos or make fun of their flaws. Some users may unfortunately drift back into the realm of everyday sexism by posting footage of other women with this sound.

The “I’m just a girl” mouse

On February 23, 2024, TikTok user @iwasbella combined the slogan with the sad hamster meme that had surfaced online earlier that same month. On February 9, Twitter user @Doguindolink posted a video consisting of a still image of a small, fuzzy hamster with huge black eyes staring at the camera while sad violin music plays.

The TikTok video shows this hamster wearing a pink bow on a bed covered in stuffed animals and holding a video game controller with the caption, “When he asks me why I can’t aim (I’m just a girl).”

@iwasbella #violin #hamster #hamstermeme #justagirl #sad #viral ♬ Original sound – Bageera

Meme examples

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