An arts magazine at the University of Pennsylvania
21st Century Girl
Art by Elyssa Chou
Writing by Eva Ingber
A compliment bit me the other day, and left me
bleeding
They said ‘she’s stunning’
Only, they weren’t talking about me
Mother says: beauty
isn’t mutually exclusive
I swear I agree, I swear
I don’t need affirmations, I swear
I don’t
I don’t
I don’t
I don’t I don’t I
care
about the inside, just like I was taught
just like
I was taught
just like
I was taught ‘you are special’
but the words are shrinking
and I can’t seem to stop them
I am shrinking
with them
away we go
they go
I go
through her pictures at
2:34 AM and wonder
if a picture’s worth a thousand words, why
do I only see one?
perfect hair perfect waist perfect teeth perfect skin
perfect perfect perfect perfect perfect omg ur perfect
omg ur perfect stop it omg ur perfect perfection i wish wait ur
literally
perfect
no wonder he left me for her:
my nose is kinda crooked
Mother says: looks fade
I swear I agree, I swear
I know, I swear
I know
I know
I know
I know I know
that my neck will crinkle like tissue paper
and my jowls will melt and droop
and d
R
I
p
with age
But do you think she eats everyday? (because I don’t)
Can you also
see
your reflection
distorted
in her
shiny teeth? (do you like what you see?)
Mother says: being called doctor
is better than being called
pretty
she is right she is right she is right is right is
she is right is she right is she right is she right