Bindi Irwin, the 15-year-old daughter of the late Australian wildlife expert Steve Irwin, has remained in the spotlight over the years due to continuing her father’s work and for beginning an acting career. However, Irwin may have gotten herself in an unsavory spotlight recently due to several comments she made concerning the outfit choices of teenage girls.
In an interview with News Corp Australia, Irwin revealed her opinion on the current fashion stylings of other girls her age:
I’m a big advocate for young girls dressing their age.I mean, for me, I look around at a lot of young girls that are my age and they’re always trying to dress older. Whether it’s wearing revealing clothes or hardly wearing any clothes at all, I feel really bad for them. It kind of has the opposite effect in some ways … it kind of does the opposite where it makes you look younger and like you’re trying too hard… I almost wish I could tell young girls, ‘look, in 10 years when you look back at yourself, you’ll cringe honey, honestly’. A lot of times I want to grab these girls and say ‘look … in 10 years you’ll regret this. Just dress like who you are. Don’t try so hard. A pair of jeans and a T-shirt is just as gorgeous and even makes you look classier’… The way I choose to dress, I want to influence other people around me I suppose.
Perhaps Irwin’s fashion stylings derive from her 86-year-old soul, or perhaps it is due to her having to wear khaki outfits everyday of her life. Whatever the reason, former Neighbours star and current Reign actress Caitlin Stasey took offense to Irwin’s comments, launching a social media battle the media relished:
Open letter to bindi, in ten years you'll wish you stood beside your shared sex rather than be proud you belittled their choices & agency
— caitlin stasey (@caitlinstasey) June 23, 2014
Stasey’s animosity toward Irwin stems from her outspoken and vehement feminist beliefs. If one takes a glance at Stasey’s twitter feed, one can see how much she supports the #YesAllWomen and #FreetheNipple campaigns.
After all of the commotion caused by the media, however, it quickly became apparent that Stasey was more upset with the media’s interpretations of her feud with Irwin than Irwin’s actual comments:
Hey, I still disagree with her but more than anything am furious with the face of tabloid journalism & their stance on women's modesty
— caitlin stasey (@caitlinstasey) June 23, 2014
To show that it was not Irwin she was upset with, Stasey took to social media to issue a peace-offering to Irwin:
@BindiIrwin olive branch of clear communication
X pic.twitter.com/H6JK241sve
— caitlin stasey (@caitlinstasey) June 23, 2014
Throughout the ordeal, Irwin has decided to participate in the exchange indirectly through the use of applicable quotations and aphorisms:
The mouth should have three gatekeepers.
Is it true?
Is it kind?
Is it necessary?
Let kindness fill your soul.Stay positive.Effect change.
— Bindi Irwin (@BindiIrwin) June 15, 2014
Whatever the means of voicing one’s opinion, the position of both sides can be summed up through one Instagram post from Irwin herself:
Image via Twitter
