Words and images by Mia Turnbull
From Jennifer Aniston vs Angelina Jolie to Meghan Markle vs Kate Middleton, society still seems obsessed with pitching women against each other. We see it everywhere, from social media and tabloids to TV, especially reality television. The formula has been around for decades, so why – despite everything that has changed – do we still keep doing it?
The common causes behind women being pitted against one another include misogyny, patriarchy, double standards and the unrealistic expectation that women have to be perfect. These pressures are particularly visible in popular culture, where women are often portrayed as being in competition with each other.
As writer Sophie Gilbert explains in online magazine Service95, “Unfortunately today’s popular culture is in thrall to the idea of women fighting and will fan the flames of conflict whenever possible.” She argues that an entire generation of women has been encouraged to view one another as rivals, and explores how we can begin to break this cycle.
This idea is particularly evident when female celebrities are portrayed as though they hate or are competing with one another. Once this narrative becomes popular, audiences can divide into opposing groups, with each side defending one woman while criticising or tearing down the other. Social media can intensify these divisions, turning celebrity comparisons into wider arguments about what women should look like, how they should behave and what choices they should make.
Gilbert also explores this issue in her book Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Each Other, explaining: “I’ve spent three years researching the entertainment of the 21st century for my book, ‘Girl on Girl’, and one thing that was truly striking to uncover was how insistently this era taught women that they had to fight with each other to win.”
The competition does not only exist between celebrities. It can also be seen in everyday cultural debates, such as “pick-me girls” versus “baddies”, childless women versus mothers, and stay-at-home mothers versus working mothers. Women are repeatedly placed into opposing categories, creating the impression that there is a right or wrong way to be a woman.
As Gilbert points out, “Feminism has never been perfect.” Despite significant progress, inequalities and double standards still exist, making it easier for women to be compared, judged and criticised. Whether the comparison is between two famous women or between different groups of women in society, the underlying message remains similar: women are encouraged to compete with one another rather than challenge the expectations being placed upon them.
It’s all all-too familiar story, and one that many of us can recognise: think Nicola Peltz and Victoria Beckham or Amber Heard vs Johhny Depp, when Heard was constantly being compared to Depp’s exes such as Kate Moss. This shows how common, public and toxic the culture around female celebs can be.
“I think when I was younger it was less of thing,” said Carol Glover, 57, a charity worker for Advance, a women’s charity. “In the ’80s and 90s, maybe it was Madonna and Kylie Minogue.”
Carol Glover.
Mind Mate magazine explores the way society constantly compares women and creates conflict between them, saying that fueds sell. “The older I get, the more I notice in society how we pitch women against one another. It must be so hard to be a woman in the public eye, yet why do they pitch them against each other?”
Women in the public eye already have to deal with judgement, scrutiny, misogyny and many other negative aspects of fame, but they are now also expected to deal with being compared to and pitted against other women. The article questions the impact of this, asking why women are “constantly being torn down for things out of their control” and what message this sends to younger generations.
However, female friendships can provide a powerful way of resisting these narratives. Jennie, one of the members of BLACKPINK, one of the world’s most popular girl groups, discussed the importance of her friendship with the other members in Cosmopolitan magazine’s October 2026 issue.
Speaking about her first solo project, she said, “I grew up with these girls. We were together for the hard times and the good.” The article explains that critics often compare the women and place them against one another, but their shared experiences have strengthened their bond. Jennie added, “We took care of each other and never felt lost.” Their friendship demonstrates how women supporting one another can be a source of strength in an industry that often encourages competition between them.
There are also examples of female celebrities who have repaired their relationships after being portrayed as rivals. Pink and Christina Aguilera, Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez, and Brandy and Monica have all experienced periods where their relationships were publicly compared or scrutinised. Their stories demonstrate that misogyny and constant comparison do not necessarily have to destroy female friendships.
This pressure to compete is not limited to celebrities. The Barbie movie highlights the impossible expectations placed on women through the character of Gloria, played by America Ferrera. In her famous speech, she explains that women are expected to meet contradictory standards: “You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas.” She goes on to describe how women are expected to be successful while remaining selfless, attractive, caring and likeable. The speech highlights how women are often judged regardless of which choices they make.
Ultimately, Barbie shows the power of women supporting one another rather than competing with one another. Female friendship and solidarity can challenge the way women are represented in the media and treated in wider society. Instead of accepting narratives that encourage women to fight, we can reject gossip, false rumours and the idea that another woman’s success threatens our own.
Hopefully, in the future, women will be able to exist without constantly being compared, judged or made to feel that they must compete. Rejecting harmful stereotypes such as the “cat fight” and “bimbo”, challenging media narratives and supporting other women are all ways of resisting the cycle. Women do not have to tear each other down to succeed; they can support one another and succeed together.
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