trashy bratz get the smackdown.
By jameson • Feb 24th, 2007 • Category: BlogThe American Psychological Association recently released a report from their Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls. To me, the report was many things: depressing, empowering, frustrating, a statment of the obvious, hopeful. I reccomend reading through the entire report if you feel the need for some well researched feminist ammunition.
Summaries of the report are everywhere, so I will only shortly summarize here: The sexualization of girls can lead to problems such as: eating disorders; depression; self esteem issues; poor performance in school; and self-objectification, a way in which girls look at themselves through the eyes of other, always unsatisfied, third parties.
What do I think of this report?
Finally. Finally there is widely accessible evidence that dressing five year olds in “Little Flirt” t-shirts is not good for them. Finally there’s something to point to when super-girl-power feminists insist that makeup is empowering and there’s nothing wrong with teenagers being sexy. Finally, Bratz are called out on being terrible toys for children.
This whole thing makes me sad, to tell you the truth. The fact that this report was needed at all is enough to furrow my eyebrows and bring out the frown. Also: How do little girls have the money to buy trashy-ette clothes? Oh wait, they don’t . Their parents do. I see. Parents across the country have been allowing and encouraging this sexualizing behavior. The report says this in a more tactful and diplomatic way, but the honesty is in there.
What else is in there? Research on how gender roles are learned and not simply “the way things are”. A stab at understanding how these issues affect girls differently along lines of race and class. Acknowledgment that sexual exploration is a healthy part of childhood, and that sexualizing girls is not a part of this healthy exploration. Trading touches with youngin’s your own age is one thing; wearing a mini skirt before you even know what you might be flashing is another.
Read the report, or the summary if you’re pressed for time. Read the reccomendations for change, which include Media Literacy classes for girls and interactive parent-child tv time (child: laughing at sexist joke on sitcom. parent: I hate it when they joke about women being dumb. Did you know that this year the first woman is running for president? How cool is that?).
I wasn’t the happiest with their analysis of porn (we all know that I consume the “explicit imagery” by the boxfull, and I’m doin’ just fine), or with the quick smack-down they gave schoolgirl themed lingere for adults (fantasies within the context of consent are an entirely different issue than real-life sexualization of real-life children). Overall, however, I was impressed. And sad. And hopeful.
Did you read the report? Will you? Do, and let me know what you thought. I’m curious…
.jameson.
jameson is a very wholesome looking pervert who is a sex cheerleader by day, super sex cheerleader by night. she majored in women's studies but hates assumed gender differences, loves porn, and was never taught how to think her words are worthless, so obviously she likes to write (and talk and talk and talk, fast).
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