The entertainment industry, particularly the digital space, is a labyrinth of opportunities and setbacks, with women often navigating a more convoluted path than men. From the early days of Hollywood to the modern era of YouTube and Instagram, women have faced a harsher spotlight, stricter scrutiny, and plenty of double standards that persistently challenge their journey to fame.
Lizzy Capri
In the entertainment industry, transitioning from family-friendly youtube videos to content for mature audiences has been a unique rite of passage for many. But, while male artists frequently navigate this transition with ease and encouragement, their female counterparts tend to face criticism and even shaming – all of that for simply expressing their artistic evolution.
That said, some women are courageous enough to see beyond the criticism and the backlash and thrive in spite of it. One of them is Lizzy Capri, an immensely popular content creator who first etched her name in the YouTube annals of history through child-friendly content together with her former colleague. Their videos, filled with pranks, adventures, and DIYs, quickly resonated with their audience, propelling Lizzy to digital stardom.
However, somewhere in the midst of juggling her audience’s growing and fluctuating expectations, Lizzy fell into the throes of burnout. Forcing herself to produce content that no longer resonated with her own values and interests took a toll on her mental health, motivating her to reconsider who she wanted to be - or who she should have strived to become in the first place.
“Creators often feel trapped by this expectation from their audience, but they also have a responsibility to prioritize their own happiness and live their lives,” Lizzy shares. “No one should be stuck doing what they used to do if it no longer brings them joy. This is why I decided to pivot and pursue what I actually wanted to do.
But, as a woman in the unforgiving digital realm, Lizzy had to overcome one stumbling block after another. Being authentic while challenging societal norms had always been important to her, yet achieving this meant dismantling the age-old stereotypes that demanded female creators to fit within designated molds - of behavior and appearance.
“We’re often dismissed as one-dimensional, as just another pretty face, without even considering the fact that we’re multifaceted human beings with aspirations, ambitions, and opinions,” Lizzy says. “I’ve worked hard to build my brand and my business, and it wasn’t simply given to me just because I’m a girl, yet so many people completely overlook that.”
The fact that women can be attractive, intelligent, and successful in business seems obvious. As Lizzy highlights, it’s definitely not an either-or scenario, yet for women fighting for some room in the digital space, it’s a reality they must bring down in order to become successful.
The categories society trends to put women into are rigid, creating false dichotomies. Women are frequently reduced to their physical appearances, and their success attributed to their looks rather than their capabilities or hard work. Conversely, women who are successful, particularly in traditionally male-dominated fields, are often perceived as less feminine.
Then, zeroing in on content creation, there’s an additional layer. “The way our actions are interpreted are vastly different from men’s, and it requires delicate portrayal, filming, and editing to avoid negative labels,” Lizzy states. “But that’s precisely why I’m doing what I’m doing. I want people to see through my example that it is possible for women to thrive in diverse roles.”
Since transitioning into mature content, Lizzy has undeniably left her mark - and she’s nowhere near done. From the CHEAKS podcast, in which she invites reputable guests to discuss relevant, contemporary topics - particularly those pertaining to women’s roles in the modern era - to her progressive and ‘edgy’ CHEAKS apparel brand, which promotes self-acceptance and bold exploration through fashion, Lizzy has proven her critics and naysayers wrong.
More importantly, she has been able to leverage her online presence to break down barriers, question the binary thinking that often limits women’s opportunities and perceptions in the digital world, and inspire her audience to do the same.
As she says, “I believe that by challenging social norms and advocating for gender equality, we may create a ripple effect that brings about long-term change for women.”