How the “Get Ready With Me” Video Shapes Identity

The confessional of our time

Get Ready With Me (GRWM for short) is a visual representation of someone’s life, a gateway to a variety of emotional curves, including humor, sadness and joy. The poster is there to engage the viewer, provoke a response and, if possible, spark a conversation. In the video, people vary in how they get ready and where they’re going. It could be something as simple as getting dressed for the day or getting ready for a party, but the important thing is that they invite you, the viewer, into their thoughts.

GRWM content can also be seen as peak capitalism — someone shares their favorite lip liner, hand cream, or socks, and you, the viewer, can’t live without them. There’s also sponsored content, where people are more alive because there’s money behind the smile. Sometimes the entire video is permeated with an overwhelming feeling: you must have these ten items or your life is worthless.

Even though I’ve cut back on my viewing, I still enjoy watching GRWM. It’s also because I love “real world” confessionals, too. I feel connected when someone shares their thoughts and gets into the nuances of their experiences. Sometimes I even get inspired by them. GRWM has evolved into sharing ways to take a break, a first date after a heartbreak, or other very personal moments. There’s also a hilarious Droniak Grandma who shares wisdom through GRWM.

I watch Vogue Beauty Tips primarily on YouTube. Over the years, I’ve noticed a large number of “date night” videos, especially from married women. While I sometimes feel like the video category is stifling, as if women are the only ones who get married, this particular channel has evolved. Now there are people sharing character and personality, sometimes embodying an aesthetic like “party girl.”

Sometimes these videos become a promotion of sorts, like someone’s upcoming movie, new album, or beauty campaign, but underneath it all there’s still a sense of personal candor and personality.

More male GRWM videos please?

I believe that when men are given space to share their experiences, desires, and needs, the patriarchy will be partially dismantled. Adrienne Maree Brown discusses this in her upcoming book, Letting Go of the Patriarchy Loving Correctionwhich builds on her previous work in the Emerging Strategies series. We’ve covered joyful activism on the site before. Most men have been indoctrinated into the idea that being an “alpha” is what makes them a man. Toxic masculinity loses its zest when men are in a vulnerable state, and that status may have to be cultivated on their own.

I love this Bloom and Plume video from creator Maurice Harris. His usual “capitalism doesn’t care about your creativity” creates a conversation that allows people to move beyond fear and beyond societal expectations. I also love this video from Jalen Noble where he shares what he’s learned about trust through learning to love while making flower arrangements. Men are absolutely capable of being the soil that plants what they don’t nurture. They are pulling up the weeds of ingrained alpha lies.

I want to see more men preparing for dates, going out with friends – I want to see space on the internet for them to cultivate their own opinions, relationships, and lives beyond the boundaries set for them by the patriarchy. Something bigger, more expansive, in which we can all thrive. A massive audience is ready to receive your insights, unlearn, and bloom.

I also highly recommend watching Niall Horan’s GRWM for Vogue Beauty Secrets. Taking care of your skin is also a way to express yourself. Let your soul shine!

Ending scene

I believe that self-expression is an evolving commitment to growth. GRWM videos are a space to explore something unfinished, unfiltered, and unflinching. Self-expression often goes hand in hand with consumption and consuming, but it can also go hand in hand with learning. I hope GRWM continues to grow as a journal entry.

Ashley Paul is a traveler, runner, and baker. She is an insatiable bookworm and cultural maven. She is passionate about supporting high school juniors and seniors in writing engaging stories for their post-secondary careers. She enjoys stories with social commentary, a sense of atmosphere, and engaging characters.