WHO: One L.A. girl.
WHAT: Channeling various personalities and types, I must change my profile picture compulsively (okay, not really…just once every day for a week) and get feedback from my friends after each new look.
WHERE: On Facebook and all over my news feed. Oops, sorry in advance.
WHEN: All week long baby!
WHY: See article title above. We wanted to find out what a Facebook picture really says about who you are (and, of course, if it’s actually worth a thousand words).
DAY SEVEN: THE GIRLFRIEND (OR ANNOYING COUPLE PIC)
Well, if a profile picture of you and your boyfriend kissing doesn’t get people talking, I’m not sure what will. It was the last day of the challenge though, so I might as well go for shock value! And shock people? Boy did I ever…
First off (and for all my Facebook friends who are reading this), I’d like to preface this post by saying I am NOT the type of girl to normally post PDA pictures all over her Facebook page, much less change my profile picture to one. So if you know me, NO, I wasn’t actually serious putting up this pic.
At any rate, we all know “the girlfriend” (or someone just like her). She’s constantly posting personal photos of her and her boo making out or getting way too close for comfort, and if you were to sneak a peek at her boyfriend’s wall, 90% of the posts—obviously from her—would read a little something like this: “OMG, I have the best bf ever!” or “can’t wait to see you tonight! Xoxo, love ya babe!” Yeah, eww, gag me…I know. Her relationship status clearly states “in a relationship with <insert name here>” and she’s got at least a hundred mobile uploads (if not more) of her and her oh so adorable prince charming.
Okay, SO not my style, but with the cooperation of my boyfriend who so kindly agreed to take the below photo with me, let’s get to the fun part!
I knew this photo would draw a lot of attention (which it did), so I decided to keep my wall post short:
Last day, what does my photo say about me?
Here are just a few of my favorite comments, although there were definitely PLENTY more!
- “I just vomited.” (“liked” by multiple friends)
- “Omg. Stop this immediately.”
- “You are a romantic.”
- “Gross.”
- “Um wtf. You’re 24 and pregnant.”
- “Good god.”
- “You must really like this guy if your [sic] making it your profile pic…I hope he likes you back.”
- “Um is that your new man in your Facebook pic!?!?!??!?!”
Moral of day seven’s challenge? People kind of freak out when you change your profile pic to a photo with major PDA. And hey, I don’t blame ‘em…I’m not a fan either.
See how the rest of my photo “types” fared…
WHO: One L.A. girl.
WHAT: Channeling various personalities and types, I must change my profile picture compulsively (okay, not really…just once every day for a week) and get feedback from my friends after each new look.
WHERE: On Facebook and all over my news feed. Oops, sorry in advance.
WHEN: All week long baby!
WHY: See article title above. We wanted to find out what a Facebook picture really says about who you are (and, of course, if it’s actually worth a thousand words).
DAY SIX: THE PARTY GIRL
Ah, the party girl—every college gal’s favorite Facebook persona to depict, that is, until she graduates or tries to apply for internships and realizes potential employers might actually be judging her for that girl(s) gone wild photo.
Needless to say, the party girl is pretty easy to spot. She’s generally very cute and bubbly, and more often than not, has upwards of 1,000+ Facebook friends (many of which she met during the prime partying hours of 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.) If you ever need a friend to go out with or just want to rage at the club, you know you can always count on the party girl to be your partner in crime.
Other than her affinity for alcohol and being on the scene, the party girl loves to tear up the dance floor and have a good time. Fun to be around, but not always a great friend, the party girl typically doesn’t have the best rep with the guys either.
To properly emulate this chick, I decided to use the below picture of me taken at a Hollywood club last year.
With only a couple days left of the challenge, my wall posts are getting shorter and shorter:
2 days left – what does my photo say about me today?
Oh well, let’s see what my friends had to say about this one:
- “You seem elusive and in your own world with really high cheek bones.”
- “You look young and like you’re maybe at a frat party. I feel like teenagers take pictures from this angle.”
- “You are trying to be mysterious by hiding your face. And it shows that you like to go out because you have a drink…likely to clubs where it is so dark that you can’t see people anyway.”
- “This photo is a mix between a weird emo/Myspace pic and trying really hard to look cool (but failing).”
A pretty good mix of responses but, even so, I think I got my party girl point across!
WHO: One L.A. girl.
WHAT: Channeling various personalities and types, I must change my profile picture compulsively (okay, not really…just once every day for a week) and get feedback from my friends after each new look.
WHERE: On Facebook and all over my news feed. Oops, sorry in advance.
WHEN: All week long baby!
WHY: See article title above. We wanted to find out what a Facebook picture really says about who you are (and, of course, if it’s actually worth a thousand words).
DAY FIVE: THE ROCKER
At some point during my college days, I definitely went through a stage where channeling my inner “badass” looked a little something like the rocker babe (see below): lots of chain necklaces, a cut-off black tank, heavy eyeliner, drink in hand, and so forth.
Similar to the sporty girl, the rocker chick is an independent tough gal who doesn’t take sh*t from anyone and can fend for herself. She may or may not actually be in a rock band (I definitely wasn’t), but either way, she loves attending shows and is a little bit—no, a lotta bit—edgy. Some of her favorite things to sport?
- Leather (especially jackets, boots, and bags)
- Skinny jeans
- Chunky accessories and chains
- Vintage rocker tees
- Converse
- Red lipstick
- Anything studded
- Anything black
- Smoky eyes
- Heavy eyeliner
- Lace-up military boots (black of course)
If you’re still confused as to what the rocker’s all about, just think in terms of a few famous celebrity prototypes: Taylor Momsen, Courtney Love (yikes!), Ashlee Simpson, and Gwen Stefani (love her!)
How did I do as a rocker chick? Let’s find out!
Your feedback re my new profile picture would be much appreciated! Thanks guys 🙂
- “Rocker babe.”
- “A little rocker, a little gothic… but great smile :)”
- “From the hot rocker babe planet, hayyyy!”
- “Party like a rockstar.”
- “You look young and obviously you drink. You want to show that you are a fun, lovable party girl!”
- “From the looks of it, not too bad…move over Taylor Momsen, here I come! Just kidding (kind of).”
The Challenge:
WHAT: Channeling various personalities and types, I must change my profile picture compulsively (okay, not really…just once every day for a week) and get feedback from my friends after each new look.
WHERE: On Facebook and all over my news feed. Oops, sorry in advance.
WHEN: All week long baby!
WHY: See article title above. We wanted to find out what a Facebook picture really says about who you are (and, of course, if it’s actually worth a thousand words).
DAY FOUR: THE THROWBACK
Before you get confused, the below photo is a framed picture taken of me as a child (no, I don’t have one of my own, although that is a completely different type: the mom). Anyway, I’ve dubbed day four “the throwback”.
The throwback is a bit different than any other type—without fail, her default is ALWAYS set to an image of herself from the past. Whether it’s a picture of a bouncing baby or an old nostalgic photo from high school, no one actually knows what this girl looks like because none of her pictures are recent.
I mean, there’s got to be a reason for this right? Did you gain a little weight and don’t want anyone to know, or are you just living in the past and hope to somehow turn back time? Let’s take this dilemma to my Facebook page and find out!
I wanted to make sure people didn’t just comment with “awww” and “such a cute baby,” so the throwback wall post had to be a bit more specific:
What does my picture say about me today? Think in more general terms of people who have an old photo or baby picture as their default!
Of course, my cuteness couldn’t be denied (especially by my mom), but I did get a pretty decent amount of real responses this time. Some were spot on, like quotes one and five, while others were either super informative or just seriously made me laugh.
- “Cute baby, but makes me wonder…are you ugly now? Baby pics scream you have something to hide. Or else you would have a more recent pic of yourself!”
- “That you were adored by your mommy who thought you were a princess! You are beautiful! And you like vintage!”
- “You had muscular arms.”
- “BABYDOLL.”
- “Perhaps you are trying to rekindle an old friendship or reminisce about the past. Also, most people have cute baby pictures so you will look good.”
- “When people put up younger photos of themselves, they want others to see where they came from and how they grew up. Their roots are probably important to them, and maybe they’re family oriented (but not necessarily).”
Check back tomorrow for a look at my new persona!
WHO: One L.A. girl.
WHAT: Channeling various personalities and types, I must change my profile picture compulsively (okay, not really…just once every day for a week) and get feedback from my friends after each new look.
WHERE: On Facebook and all over my news feed. Oops, sorry in advance.
WHEN: All week long baby!
WHY: See article title above. We wanted to find out what a Facebook picture really says about who you are (and, of course, if it’s actually worth a thousand words).
DAY THREE: THE SPORTY GIRL
As a former tomboy and athlete, I decided to take a break from the whole hipster/hippie scene and do something completely different for day three. Thus, behold the “sporty girl.”
The sporty girl herself is pretty self-explanatory: she’s energetic, strong, athletic, and probably in a hell of a lot better shape than any of her beer guzzling girlfriends…or guy friends for that matter. She loves watching sports almost as much as she does playing them and never passes up the opportunity to attend a good game (college or pro).
While she may still be “girly” and into fashion (hey, I was), the sporty girl’s rep as an uber athlete often lands her the role as “just one of the guys”…not always though.
More prevalent in college, the “sporty girl” doesn’t really seem to exist much anymore amongst my friends (probably because none of us have actually played organized sports since high school). Either way, I figured my best bet for day three’s profile pic was probably this snapshot of me snowboarding in Park City.
Keeping with tradition, here’s my daily wall post:
What does my photo say about me today? Message me or leave a comment with your response. Thanks 🙂
Again, the influx of responses was huge! And while I’m not sure my friends really caught on to the whole sporty girl image I was trying to portray, they definitely DID get the drift that I was a super cute and stylish snowboarder (which I’m by no means mad at). Check out some of my favorite responses below:
- “Resort girl, likes to travel, athletic.”
- “Fishtail braids=fashionable, too tan to be a mountain town local.”
- “Big Bear…first run of the day b/c you are still lookin freshhh.”
- “Snow bunny.”
- “You like to ski.”
- “You are outgoing and enjoy snowboarding.”
- “When you are not being a California beach bum in the summer, you like to go snowboarding during the winter. And dressed cute while doing it!”
- “Must be fashionable even on the slopes with the fishtail braids and chunky turtleneck sweater, never knowing who you can run into (literally?) on the mountain.”
Can you guess who I’ll be next?
WHO: One L.A. girl.
WHAT: Channeling various personalities and types, I must change my profile picture compulsively (okay, not really…just once every day for a week) and get feedback from my friends after each new look.
WHERE: On Facebook and all over my news feed. Oops, sorry in advance.
WHEN: All week long baby!
WHY: See article title above. We wanted to find out what a Facebook picture really says about who you are (and, of course, if it’s actually worth a thousand words).
DAY TWO: THE HIPSTER
Ah, my personal fave: the hipster. Loved by many and hated by more, the hipster is probably one of the most controversial types of all to emulate. Other than being really “deck” (see The Hipster Handbook for definition), the hipster is sarcastic, edgy, and shuns anything too mainstream, preferring the obscure of course.
Some of the hipster’s favorite things include:
- Cheap beer (mostly Pabst)
- Parliament cigarettes
- Indie Rock
- Ironic t-shirts
- Skinny jeans
- Combat boots (see mine!)
- Fedoras
- Fixed-gear bikes (hey, I tried.)
- American Apparel
- Vintage clothing
- Hipster glasses
How else would you describe the hipster? Hipsters typically work (or aspire to work) in music, art or fashion and can be found dwelling in such neighborhoods as Williamsburg in NYC and Silver Lake in L.A.
Some celebrity prototypes? Ellen Page, Agyness Deyn, Chloe Sevigny, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michelle Williams.
Here’s my Polaroid hipster pic… let’s find out what my friends think about this photo!
Another day, another self-made wall post:
Same drill today. If you want to help me out with my article (which would be much appreciated), please shoot me a message letting me know what my Facebook picture says about me!
And guess what? This time, the responses came pouring in! Here’s a look at a few of my favorites—some dead-on (or at least applicable), and others just downright funny:
- “I’m so deck, you’re so midtown.”
- “Los Feliz hipster taking artsy photographs with iPhone’s Instagram. Shops at NastyGal.com, Scout & Wasteland.”
- “You probably like to smoke pot.”
- “Adventurous, independent, small town girl.”
- “Cute little hipster.”
- “You shacked up in the spring so the morning was brisk and you needed a sweater to accompany you on your bike ride home.”
Well, if the answers above are any indication, it looks like I’ve at least got the hipster thing halfway down. Not too shabby for a first timer, eh?
Now, on to my next persona…
WHO: One L.A. girl.
WHAT: Channeling various personalities and types, I must change my profile picture compulsively (okay, not really…just once every day for a week) and get feedback from my friends after each new look.
WHERE: On Facebook and all over my news feed. Oops, sorry in advance.
WHEN: All week long baby!
WHY: See article title above. We wanted to find out what a Facebook picture really says about who you are (and, of course, if it’s actually worth a thousand words).
DAY ONE: THE HIPPIE CHICK
Living in California, I deemed it only appropriate to kick off this challenge with an image that wouldn’t completely shock my FB stalkers (or my friends). Hence, here we have the “hippie chick”…or perhaps just the boho-chic girl? Who knows, you be the judge.
In any case, we’re all familiar with this girl—she’s free-spirited, fun loving and, at times, a little bit weird. Her hair’s always slightly disheveled (never blown straight), and her least favorite activity just might be taking a shower. She hearts oversized sunglasses, long flowing skirts, and has a serious problem saying no to layering. Naturally, her most cherished and go-to accessory is the forehead headband. Check out mine below!
Some celebrity prototypes of the hippie chick? Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, Nicole Richie, and everyone’s fave: the Olsen twins.
Hmmm, wonder what my friends will have to say about this one…let’s find out!
As if my mysterious new pic wasn’t cause enough, I decided to write on my own wall to spark some feedback. The blurb went a little something (okay, exactly) like this:
I’m doing research for an article I’m working on, and will be changing my Facebook photo every day for a week. If you want to help me out, shoot me a message with your feedback re “what my Facebook photo says about me.” (i.e., what type of girl I am, the things I might like to do, where I probably shop, etc.). Thanks!!
The first person to message me? My amazing mom of course: “That picture makes you look like a hippie surfer type girl, so I would say Lucky Brand and surfer shops, sundresses and lots of bracelets.”
Nice job mom, pretty much spot on. I wasn’t quite expecting the surfer girl part, but then again, the boards in the background kind of give it away. Woops, must have overlooked that one…the Olsen Twins DO love their accessories though, don’t they?
Anyway, while I’m contemplating my mom’s message, a couple of my good girlfriends comment on my wall post. Andria simply writes the word “Urban.” Does she mean Urban Outfitters? “Yes, that headband is SO Urban”. Haha, true…I think I bought it there actually! Olivia, on the other hand, responds with “thrift stores.” Hmm, good call. I mean, what boho-chic chick doesn’t love a good thrift store? None I’ve ever met!
My last two victims? Another good gal pal and my slightly unwilling but forced participant boyfriend. Here’s what they had to say:
Nina: “This picture says ‘I’m cooler than you and I don’t give a….’ No, but really, indie/hipster/badass.” Indie? Hipster? Badass? Hey, I’ll take descriptions like that any day!
My Boyfriend (mind you he prefaced this message with a “please don’t get mad at me.”): “Baby, you look like a hippie in your picture…a hippie with chapped lips. You need some chapstick :).” Ha. Thanks babe. You’re probably right about both.
So what’s up next now that my day as a hippie is finally over? Check out Day 2…
