It's only shocking to the uninitiated that 'Teen Vogue' would

Hear the voice of Elaine Welteroth, who declared with clarity and defiance: “It’s only shocking to the uninitiated that ‘Teen Vogue’ would have the audacity to be both political and style-focused.” Her words rise like a challenge to the assumptions of the world, a reminder that what seems surprising to those who do not know is, in truth, the natural order for those who live within it. She speaks to the blind expectation that young women must choose between beauty and intellect, between self-expression and civic power, when in reality the two have always belonged together.

To call something shocking to the uninitiated is to unveil the ignorance of outsiders. The uninitiated are those who cling to stereotypes, who cannot imagine that a magazine known for lipstick and fashion spreads could also speak with fire about elections, identity, justice, and power. Yet to those who dwell within the reality of youth, there is no contradiction. A girl may paint her nails and raise her voice against oppression in the same breath; a boy may care for style and also care for truth. What is surprising to the world is ordinary to the young, and Welteroth exposes this hypocrisy with sharpness.

Her words are born of the moment when Teen Vogue rose beyond the expectations placed upon it, publishing essays on politics, justice, and society alongside articles on fashion and beauty. To the world outside, this was shocking. But to Welteroth and her readers, it was only natural. For the lives of the young have never been confined to a single interest. Their days are filled with questions of identity, social change, and expression all at once. By daring to honor both, Teen Vogue revealed the richness of youth, and the blindness of those who had underestimated them.

History itself testifies that the union of style and politics is no strange thing. Recall the suffragettes of the early 20th century, who marched in white dresses and sashes of purple and green. They understood that fashion was not trivial—it was a weapon, a banner, a symbol of dignity in a world that denied them power. Or remember Frederick Douglass, who carefully cultivated his image in portraits, knowing that his refined style was itself a defiance against the dehumanizing image forced upon him. In each case, the union of beauty and politics was not a contradiction, but a strategy of liberation.

Welteroth’s words, then, are both defense and revelation. She defends her magazine against those who mocked it for daring to speak of politics, and she reveals that such mockery comes only from the uninitiated—those too narrow of vision to understand the complexity of human identity. For the wise, there is no shock, only recognition: people, especially the young, are not one-dimensional. They seek to be informed and inspired, empowered and adorned. To deny this is to deny their humanity.

The lesson for us all is clear: never let the world divide what is whole. Do not believe the falsehood that you must choose between depth and delight, between activism and artistry, between intellect and appearance. As Welteroth shows, the union of these things creates power greater than either alone. Practically, this means embracing the fullness of yourself: read widely, speak boldly, dress as you please, and know that none of these diminish the others. Support platforms and voices that honor this wholeness, and resist those that belittle it.

So let her words echo as wisdom: the audacity to be political and style-focused is not a contradiction, but a declaration of truth. It is only shocking to those who have not yet seen clearly. But to those initiated into the fullness of life, it is the most natural thing of all. Therefore, live without dividing your spirit. Be brave enough to unite beauty with power, fashion with justice, style with substance. For in that union lies not only freedom, but also the audacity to change the world.