The Origins of the E-Girl | What Does It Meme?

Get a full month of MUBI FOR FREE: (With the support of Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union) The Internet’s newest bad-girl crush is the E-Girl, whose aesthetic comes from a mix of influences like anime, cosplay, and the early 2000s. While her label kicked off as a derogatory nickname for attractive young females in typically male online spaces, the E-Girl and E-Boy rose up in the late 2010s as a social media aesthetics trend and Tik Tok subculture. We can also understand what makes the E-Girl tick through her predecessors in film, TV, and games who helped inspire this look, worldview, and attitude. We can even view her as a fresh take on old tropes like the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Weird Girl, and Outcast -- but with unprecedented bodily autonomy, confidence, and personal empowerment. Here’s our Take on the real origins of the E-Girl, and how she represents where our society’s values are evolving today. Support The Take: Shop our Limited Edit