Young women enjoying sex as equals is not titillating to marketers and it is not profitable, because then no one would be running out to buy slimming drinks and booking cosmetic surgery. But if we do not help our children analyse and reject these mores, remind them that sex is healthy and there to be enjoyed, then we allow Lolita to flourish.
The abstinence-only message doesn’t help either by focusing only on the negatives and the risks, leaving “girls scared to death of admitting that they have sexual feelings, and with no place to acknowledge normal sexual feelings”.
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/relationships/article6846155.ece
I'm interested in the Bratz doll image-- since those dolls appeared I've been trying to figure out why parents think they're cute and not borderline violent.
ReplyDeleteI feel like Bratz can be cute from an educated adult perspective: they're caricatures, of sluts and hos, but still. We can understand them.
ReplyDeleteKids don't have that experience and they don't understand the joke, parents who buy them for their own kids or as gifts for other kids are delusional.
I think this conversation exists more broadly in the notion of 'literacy' among youth. Teens need to understand how to read the media, whether it's advertising, movies, books, toys, etc. When they don't have these skills, they become simple consumers. They get info dumped into their heads, but they don't understand how to process it, and instead choose solely to emulate.
ReplyDeleteDo marketers and corporations have an obligation not to see only the dollar signs and behave responsibly? You'd like to think they would, but in a market driven world, there is no accountability.
thanks for sharing. great article! i totally agree that if our culture was more open to discussing female sex/sexuality with youngsters it would be much healthier for all involved.
ReplyDeleteNot only are marketers and corporations ignoring whatever moral implications their products may have, they seem to be deliberately warping the hearts and minds and self-esteems of their customers in order to stay in business.
ReplyDeleteSexual literacy is just as important as media literacy, and considering that sex sells both media and consumer products, maybe even more-so.
I agree that the idea of processing these messages is where we need to start. Young people need to develop something I think is a very big and mature leap- being able to handle transferring creative exploration into critical thinking skills. With these skills young people are more likely to be able to sort through the messages that they receive. There is no stopping the media and instead of being at war with it I think we need to talk about it with these young people. Talk talk talk.
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