The 'vanilla girl' trend shows that beauty is power

If you're more than a casual observer on the interwebs, you've probably heard the term, "chronically online" – someone who knows the ins and outs of viral trends, memes and memorable moments. But sometimes you can get too deep in the Matrix. That's why our new segment, Chronically Online, is here to find the balance.

To kick it off, host Brittany Luse chats with Buzzfeed News internet reporter Steffi Cao about her essay, "white women want their power back: on bbls and balletcore, and the entropy of aesthetic." After scrolling on Instagram Reels, Steffi noticed that the clean girl, coastal grandmother and – most importantly – the vanilla girl trends are all ushering in a very specific aesthetic. Brittany and Steffi talk beauty as soft power and the rebrand of white womanhood.

This episode was produced by Alexis Williams and Barton Girdwood. It was edited by Jessica Placzek and Jessica Mendoza. Engineering support came from Tre Watson. Our executive producer is Veralyn Williams. Our VP of programming is Yolanda Sangweni and our senior VP of programming is Anya Grundmann.