Telling It Like It Issexualization of children »

Abercrombie & Fitch Pitches New Trashy College Line T-Shirts to America’s Sexualized Youth

Lin — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:50:39 +0000

Abercrombie & Fitch is at it again. The “Abercrombie & Fitch pitches new trashy T-Shirts to America’s Youth” headline is creating quite a stir around the internet, and for very good reason. It’s called the Sexualization of Children and Abercrombie & Fitch continues to target American young people with their highly sexualized clothing lines and t-shirts. Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) has come out with a new line of t-shirts called “New College Tees” with inappropriate, sexualized messages appearing on the t-shirts.

College students may find A&F clothing styles appealing, but tweens and teens shop and spend their own money or allowance at Abercrombie and Fitch too. These tees are not appropriate for any age, let alone tweens and teens wearing such “sexy” smut. Parents would be wise to consider very carefully what department store gift cards to buy as gifts, especially gift cards or clothes from stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch.

The American Family Association and OneMillionMoms.com is spearheading an e-mail campaign to the popular A&F clothing store over their new “Get It On” Fall line of T-shirts. Regarding the new line of trashy tees, OneMillionMoms director Monica Cole said, “A few of their little slogans are pretty offensive to women in general, so you wouldn’t want your daughters or nieces wearing these shirts.” Cole continues saying the trashy tees are “only available in stores. It’s not online, and parents can’t even get a preview before they go in the stores, so they will be shocked; then it will be too late.”

Messages printed on Abercrombie & Fitch new tees:

Tie me up, don’t tie me down

All bed no breakfast

I always end up on top

Anyone you can do, I can do better

A&F also owns Hollister Co. which coincidently has a new “Surf Tees” line that is full of sexual innuendos as well, such as:

Chicks Dig the Long Board

Sand Jobs are for Surfers

She Goes Both Ways (Beaches & Long Boards)

Ride the Tip

Maybe Partying Will Help

Volley My Balls Please

OneMillionMoms.com and the American Family Association need your help to force Abercrombie & Fitch to pull their sexualized shirts. An email circulation by the American Family Assocation and OneMillionMoms.com says this:

“Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) continues its pattern of pushing pornographic-themed material into mainstream America. Abercrombie & Fitch has just begun offering their “New College” line of T-shirts.

The first A&F T-shirt pictures a young girl opening her blouse – exposing herself. A&F titles the image: “Show the Twins”.

The second picture is of a female running nude. A&F titles it: “Female streaking encouraged.” The next Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt is entitled: “Female Students Wanted for Sexual Research”. Abercrombie & Fitch does not merely sell a popular line of clothing – they sell a lifestyle. And because A&F clothing is popular among teens and college kids, the influence of their sex-as-recreation lifestyle is widespread.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention reports that Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain a major public health challenge in the United States. CDC estimates that approximately 19 million new infections occur each year – almost half of them among young people 15 to 24 years of age.”

How you can help: Send an email letter to Abercrombie & Fitch asking them to pull their sexualized shirts. After sending your email, call A&F at 614-283-6500 (press “0″ to speak directly to a real person) and let them how you REALLY feel about their continued sexualization of children efforts.

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Only Hearts Club Dolls Giveaway Contest

Lin — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 00:47:57 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to review the Only Hearts Club dolls by Only Hearts Club and fell in love with the 9-inch OHC dolls for children. Fortunately, parents are becoming more aware of the sexualization of children through the media, with children’s clothes and toys becoming more and more inappropriate as time goes by.

Only Hearts Club understands the growing problem for parents to find age-appropriate toys for their young girls and boys, with many parents not being too keen on buying Bratz dolls or Barbie dolls anymore, and a lot of parents were understandably very upset about the “Dora the Explorer Going Skank” nonsense that happened recently.

The good people at Only Hearts Club are allowing me to host a Only Hearts Club dolls giveaway contest! For a chance to win, there will be three (3) lucky winners of a 9-inch Only Hearts Club doll of their choice! This contest is open to USA and Canada residents only, sorry. Each winner will be contacted by email and asked to provide their mailing address. Should you be a contest winner, your contact information will be shared with the contest sponsor in order to send your prize.

Only Hearts Club Giveaway Rules:

a) Sign up for my free Newsletter Updates to my blog by email, confirm your subscription with the email you receive (check your spam folder), then come back and leave a comment that you’ve done so (I will be verifying).

b) Visit the Only Hearts Club website and choose the 9-inch doll you hope to win, then leave a separate comment with the name of the doll.

To receive extra entry points to win an Only Hearts Club doll (each task will earn you 1 extra entry):

One Extra Entry-Add my banner button (right sidebar) to your sidebar or add me to your blogroll, then leave a separate comment informing me you’ve done so (Yes, I will be checking).

One Extra Entry-Follow me on Twitter (right sidebar), then leave a separate comment telling me your Twitter name.

One Extra Entry- Become a friend on Facebook, then leave a separate comment with your Facebook name.

One Extra Entry-Follow me on Networked Blogs (right sidebar) and leave your name in a separate comment.

One Extra Entry-Follow me on Friendfeed and leave your name in a separate comment.

One Extra Entry-Leave a comment on any article linked in this giveaway contest post, come back and let me know which article you commented on.

One Extra Entry-Tweet about this contest on Twitter, then come back and leave the URL Twitter status link so I can check. You are welcome to Retweet this contest once a day until the contest ends, but please come back and leave a separate comment for each Retweet, along with the URL permalink.

One Extra Entry-Blog about this contest, linking to the Only Hearts Club review article and Telling It Like It Is.

One Extra Entry-Favorite Telling It Like It Is in Technorati and leave your name in a separate comment.

One Extra Entry-Follow me on Google Friend Connect (right sidebar) and leave your name in a separate comment.

***In order to ensure all of your extra giveaway contest entries are counted, be sure to leave a separate comment for each completed task. NO KEYWORD NAMES will be permitted.

Winners will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email notice with their full name and complete mailing address, otherwise another winner will be chosen. This contest will run until Friday, August 14th at 10 p.m. CST and entry rules must be followed to be considered valid.

GOOD LUCK!

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Barbie Alternative: Only Hearts Club Dolls the Best Bratz, Barbie Alternative Doll Review

Lin — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:51:52 +0000

Barbie alternative? Appropriate dolls? Parents are looking for an age-appropriate alternative doll for their little girls to enjoy, especially since Barbie dolls and Bratz dolls, Dora the Explorer (amongst others), have been “updating” the clothes these dolls are now wearing to include inappropriate, racy, “sexy” outfits on dolls for young kids. Meet the Only Hearts Girls by Only Hearts Club, a great alternative to Barbie dolls and Bratz girls. Not only are the Only Hearts Club girls baby dolls that look real, but the Only Hearts girls are appropriate toys for young kids to play with.

What is Only Hearts Club? Only Hearts Club (OHC) is a family owned and operated company dedicated to creating a positive message to children through its line of realistic baby dolls and toys, and have been making dolls for 5+ years. Only Hearts Club Dolls are 9-inch dolls that look and dress like real little girls from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Realistic Baby Dolls That Look Real

Len Simonian, toy and lifestyle expert and president of Only Hearts Club said, “Dolls influence the image and behavior of young girls. From Bratz to Barbie, to Hannah Montana these companies each portray vastly different images through the marketing and ‘lifestyles’ of their dolls.” Simonian added, “Parents and grandparents can play a big hand in determining what dolls their kids buy. It’s up to us as parents of young girls to do our own due diligence about each brand’s messaging.”

The Only Hearts Club mission is to keep young girls age-appropriate while encouraging positive, conscious choices, turning Only Hearts Club into a multi million dollar business. The eight (8) life-like dolls, dressed like real girls, are each supported by its own book with the messaging, “in difficult life situations always do the right thing”. Each doll has its own personality and interests, all with the common goal of true friendship and a pledge to be nice to others.

Only Hearts Club were the winners of the 2006 Dr. Toy 100 Best Children’s Product Award as well as the 2007 Winner of Platinum Award, and has been featured on NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, as well as in magazines including Good Housekeeping, In Touch and Family Fun.

Only Hearts

Only Hearts dolls are adored by girls because the dolls look like real girls, like themselves and their friends, dress in cool fashions, and because their pose-ability encourages play. Only Hearts Club are loved by parents and grandparents because the brand delivers a wholesome image (cool, yet age-appropriate fashions) and positive message to their girls. The brand is called the Only Hearts Club because it is a group of girls who have formed a club with a promise to one another to “listen to their hearts and do the right thing.”

The Only Hearts company has received countless messages from parents, saying how thankful and thrilled they are to have found a doll that their daughters think is cool and love to play with, and that also provides such a positive influence, especially in light of all the messages and images with which their girls are bombarded in today’s world.

In a Reuter’s interview with the Only Hearts Club president regarding the sexualizaton of children, Len Simonian said, “The sexualization of young girls is currently a huge concern. 10 is the new 15 and 8 the new 13. At Only Hearts Club we work against today’s television and music video culture where girls as young as 6 years old are told to wear revealing clothing, act sexy and chase boys.”

Only Hearts dolls are simply adorable for young girls, as are the other Only Hearts Club toys, furniture and accessories, which includes Only Hearts Club books and a complete equestrian line named the Only Hearts Horse & Pony Club, Only Hearts Club Li’l Kids, and a line of mini plush Only Hearts Pets for kids sold separately.

I’m not sure why, but I noticed there are no 9-inch Only Hearts Club boy dolls in the collection, except for a new boy doll named Trevor in the Only Hearts Club Li’l Kids collection. Hopefully Only Hearts Club will come out with some larger boy dolls soon, because I have a young nephew that would love to have one.

Other Barbie alternatives to consider are the Madame Alexander dolls, Marie Osmond dolls for young kids, and the Corolle dolls and accessories for children.

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The Sexualization of Children and Adolescents Epidemic

Lin — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 20:55:10 +0000

The sexualization of children and adolescents epidemic has been all over the news and across the internet, partly due to the recent announcement from Mattel, Inc and Nickelodeon that Dora the Explorer is going skank, but also because of the new Tattoo Barbie, Pregnant Barbie and other toys for children and clothes that are sexualizing girls and boys at a very young age.

CNN’s headline report “Dora the Explorer Going Skank, Moms Fear” quickly became a hot topic on various forums and social networking sites including Twitter, with users poking fun at upset moms and dads who fear their children are being targeted by media moguls and marketers to grow up faster than children should.

Sexualizing children is not funny and it’s not a joke, and if parents don’t start paying attention to what the American Psychological Association (APA) report found to be the growing trend to sexualize young girls and boys through video games, television shows, movies, music videos, song lyrics, magazines, clothing styles and toys, you’ll find yourself scratching your head wondering what happened to your little prince or princess well before they reach the teen years.

The definition of the sexualization of young girls or boys means to “make sexual in character or quality”, and sexualized images suggest “sexual availability to the exclusion of other personal characteristics and qualities”, which is inappropriate, obscene, and harmful for young children.

Sexualization of Children – So Sexy, So Soon

If you don’t believe me, just try and go shopping for children’s clothes and underwear that aren’t too tight, body-fitting, low-cut, too short, “sexy”, with messages and sexualized images that say things like “eye candy”, “So many boys, So little time”, “Who needs credit cards”, “Mr. Pimp”, “Mr. Well-Hung”, all while hearing your little prince or princess repeat song lyrics like “Don’t cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me”, “so blow me bitch,” “I rock for topless dancers,” and “I tell hoes all the time, bitch get in my car.”

“Hot Tots” and “Prostitots” are just two of the descriptive urban slang terms being used to describe girls who dress like tarts, as today’s tarted-up society teaches young girls as young as 4 and 5 that body image and looking like sexy lolita’s is important, even before reaching the tween years.

The Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. sees patients as young as six with eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem, as young girls worry and obsess about their weight and physical appearance, expressing increasing dissatisfaction with their bodies at a younger age than ever before.

Young girls who are barely out of diapers are getting a little girl “princess makeover” at kiddy salons, and are being encouraged to wear make-up, skin-tight mini-skirts, push-up bras, thong underwear and high-heeled pumps, to the extent that wanting to look pretty and cute has developed into something sick, demeaning and depraved.

Sadly, some people just don’t “get it”. Some people, including parents, view the sexualization of children as something of minor importance, while the APA report concluded that young boys and girls are growing up to view themselves as sex objects and are more likely to experience poor self-image, eating disorders, depression, academic failure in school, low self-confidence, with increased likelihood of engaging in sexual activity at a very young age, due to the fact that girls who look older tend to attract more attention from boys.

The “Ban Barbie” movement is very real, as is the online petition opposing the new sexy Dora, started by authors of Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing Our Daughters from Marketers’ Schemes, Lyn Mikel Brown and Sharon Lamb, who are asking the SoCal companies to resist giving Dora the Explorer a tween makeover and turning Dora into a skanky Bratz doll saying, Let’s Go! No Makeover for Dora!. The petition asks, “What next? Dora the Cheerleader? Dora the fashionista with stylish purse and stilettos? Dora the Pop Star with Hoppin’ Dance Club and “Juice” Bar?”

“We don’t need any more tween dolls teaching girls that growing up means turning into a fashionista, excited about secrets and crushes and going shopping… Please don’t push this version of what it means to be a teenager on young girls. It limits them, narrows their options, and leads them to think that what matters most about themselves is how they look and what they buy.”

Look Like a Barbie Doll? Look Like Bratz?

Young girls, tweens and teen girls are searching the internet for information on “look like Barbie”, “look like a Barbie”, “how to look like Barbie”, “want to look like Barbie”, “look like a doll”, “look like Bratz” and “Barbie look a like” just to name few. Add “look like Dora” to that “look like” list for girls, who try and copy the look and appearance of Bratz dolls, Barbie dolls (and soon the Dora the Explorer Goes Skank doll), and the battle over Barbie vs. Bratz vs. Dora the Explorer will rise to new heights.

Do you really want your daughter growing up thinking she needs to look like a Barbie doll pop tart? What about your young sons? Boys face sexualization too, as has been seen in Calvin Klein ads, where pubescent-looking boys pose provocatively with perfectly sculpted six-pack abs hawking teen fashion clothing lines, to point out one noteworthy example.

If you don’t have daughters but you do have sons, don’t ignore or discount the effects of seeing or being around little girls who dress like little prosti-tot tarts can have on your little boys. Just because the APA report focuses primarily on girls being targeted with sexualized images and products, with 85 percent of ads sexualizing and objectifying girls in some form or fashion, the damage and harmful effects on boys is of great concern to many.

Parents, read the APA report yourself in its entirety and make up your own mind. Protect your children’s innocence. Take the television out of their bedrooms and monitor what your kids watch, and don’t allow your children to have computers in their bedroom where you can’t monitor what they’re doing online.

Don’t buy “sexy”, skanky, racy, inappropriate clothes, toys, games or other products for your children, and don’t accept inappropriate gifts for your kids from others. Learn to say No and mean No! Be the parent, not their friend.

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Tattoo Barbie, Pregnant Barbie, Trashy Barbie-Ban Barbie Once and For All

Lin — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 05:31:33 +0000

Tattoo Barbie? But of course there’s now a tattoo Barbie! Totally Pierced Barbie is sure to be next on Mattel’s list of upcoming toys coming soon to a toy store near you! It was just a matter of time before Barbie doll maker Mattel would introduce Totally Stylin’ Tattoo Nikki, Barbie’s brunette friend and counterpart, as part of their new spring line of Barbie dolls. Mattel’s excuse for marketing a doll that comes with tattoo stickers is to just help girls “express themselves and be creative” and to “keep up with the changing times” we’re living in.

Tattoo Barbie comes supplied with tattoo stickers for herself and 40 temporary tattoos for Barbie-loving kids to put on themselves, with the help of a water gun for easy application of the tattoos to children’s skin. But wait! This isn’t the first time Mattel has marketed a tattoo Barbie doll, and it’s not the first time there has been a Barbie doll controversy brewing, that leaves parents wondering if this nonsense will ever end.

Why not consider an age-appropriate doll that looks real, which is the Only Hearts Club dolls (and others), as the Only Hearts girls are one of the best Barbie alternative dolls on the market today?

Back in 1999, Mattel introduced its first tattoo Barbie by the name of “Butterfly Art Barbie”, with a large butterfly tattoo covering her mid-drift area, which also came with tattoos for children. Butterfly Art Barbie was yanked from toy store shelves after four months due to a storm of controversy by outraged parents.

The Sexualization of Children

Mattel is either not paying attention or doesn’t care about the growing concern over the sexualization of children in today’s society, and how their continued efforts to market inappropriate toys to children is harming kids. This new Barbie with all her tattoos is a big hit amongst clueless parents, with some stores being completely sold out of the tattoo-stamped doll, while informed parents are furious and demanding that Barbie be banned.

It wasn’t long ago that “Pregnant Barbie” was banned and removed from store shelves, although that doll was Barbie’s married friend Midge, pregnant with her second child. Pregnant Barbie comes with a detachable tummy where the doll’s baby should be, and this doll also become a big hit amongst little girls, and parents were all too willing to buy into the targeted marketing of inappropriate toys for their children.

Media efforts to sexualize children and turn young girls into little Lolita’s is very real in our society, and toy makers and marketers continue to target young girls and boys with their ideas of fun toys for kids, regardless of the harmful effects brought on by inappropriate clothes and toys made for children.

Parents, if you really want your daughter to grow up dressing and acting like a two-cent skank, keep on buying your little girls street-walker Bratz dolls, push-up bras, thongs, “eye candy” panties, mini or micro-mini skirts, sequined crop-tops and other hooker-style “fashionable” outfits, and the trouble you’re having with your daughter will be unlike anything you could have imagined.

Go ahead, turn a blind eye and claim that Tattoo Barbie, Pregnant Barbie, Bratz dolls and the inappropriate clothes and toys you’re buying for your kids, or the trashy stuff you’re allowing others to give your kids, doesn’t have any effect on the clothes teens and adults choose to wear as they get older or how your kids turn out. But then again, even very young children as young as three or four years old are being allowed to wear these types of clothes. Be forewarned: You shall reap what you sow.

At least some of us are paying close attention to the crap manufacturers and marketers are constantly trying to shove down our throats, while they continue to line their own pockets with your hard-earned money, while at the same time your kids are suffering the harmful effects of the sexualization of children in society today.

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Book Giveaway: The Lolita Effect by M. Gigi Durham

Lin — Fri, 30 May 2008 23:43:53 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to interview M. Gigi Durham regarding her book, The Lolita Effect, and I hope you have had a chance to read the interview and have given serious thought to the issues involved with the sexualization of children, as the problems are only getting worse.

Well, Professor Durham has been kind enough to send me not one, but TWO SIGNED “Lolita Effect” books to give away to two very lucky readers. How cool is that?!

If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to read the interview, I high recommend that you do and carefully consider what she had to say about the effects sexualized images in the media have on young children, and what we can do about it.

This book giveaway is for M. Gigi Durham’s book, The Lolita Effect: The Media Sexualization of Young Girls and What We Can Do About It. The two lucky winners will be selected by random draw on Wednesday, June 4th and the winners will be notified by email, along with the request for full name and U.S. only address of where to send the book.

If you live within the U.S. and are interested in entering this random drawing, please leave a comment below indicating your interest in The Lolita Effect, but please do NOT leave your address at this time in order to protect your privacy. I will email the two winners privately and ask for the mailing addresses at the conclusion of the drawing.

Good Luck in this book giveaway!

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The Lolita Effect: The Media Sexualization of Young Girls and What We Can Do About It

Lin — Wed, 28 May 2008 11:00:26 +0000

Playing dress-up is a normal part of growing up for little girls, and has been for a very long time. But, “A lot of very sexual products are being marketed to very young kids,” said Gigi Durham, a professor at the University of Iowa, discussing how she became quite disturbed last Halloween when a 5-year-old girl came knocking on her door wearing a gauzy miniskirt, tube top and platform shoes while carrying the Bratz doll that had inspired her racy outfit.

M. Gigi Durham, who heads the Iowa Center for Communication Study at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication said, “I had an instant dizzying flashback to an image of a child prostitute I had seen in Cambodia, dressed in a disturbingly similar outfit.”

We live in a world that encourages the raising of Pop Tarts and Sesame Streetwalkers, with the media telling girls “if you’ve got it, flaunt it” along with the ridiculous pressure from popular culture to have the “anatomy of a sex goddess” and the importance of looking “hot”, while mommy’s high heels compete with pole-dancing kits sold in the toy section of stores, Hooters Girl in Training T-Shirts for toddlers, and let’s not forget the infamous padded bras and sexy underwear for young children.

Someone please tell me, when did Happy Meals Become Sexy?, and do little girls really need sequined bras and spa treatments at shops like Libby Lu, or why little girls are being turned into tarted-up prostitots while many people (including parents) continue to view sexually provocative images of children as “cute” or “no big deal”?

Professor Durham’s book, “The Lolita Effect: Why the Media Sexualize Young Girls and What You Can Do About It” should be required reading for all parents, as Durham provides the results of her 13-year research into the sexualization of children, especially girls between the ages of 8 and 12. In her book, she makes the argument that there is a link between the constant flow of highly sexualized images of young girls in the media, including Beyonce Knowles Bootylicious Kid Ads, how these sexualized images have a detrimental effect on children, and the increase in child pornography and sexual violence against young girls and women worldwide.

As the ever-increasing controversy rages on over what is child porn vs. edgy art, as well as the debate on child pornography’s link to child molesting, I had the opportunity this past week to have a conversation with Professor Gigi Durham about her book, and I asked her some questions about “The Lolita Effect” and how many parents are completely missing the sometimes subtle tactics marketers are using to target and sexually exploit YOUR children.

Interview with Professor M. Gigi Durham:

Lin: Professor, the title of your book obviously alludes to Vladimir Nabokov’s book “Lolita” published in 1955. Considering that Nabokov was an admitted child molester of 12-year-old Dolores Haze, why did you choose to name your book “The Lolita Effect”?

Gigi: I picked the title and the name of the “effect” primarily because the heroine of the Nabokov novel has become a kind of cultural shorthand for a sexy little girl who seduces older men. This is a complete misreading of the novel and the character, because in the book, we are seeing Lolita through the eyes of the predator, Humber Humbert. Many child molesters accuse their victims of seducing them or willingly participating in the abuse, but of course children are never responsible for the abuse. (See: The Profile of A Pedophile).

In the same way, I see the contemporary media as constructing girls as little Lolitas who want to project a stereotypical vampish sexuality. But the girls are the targets of media and marketing corporations: they don’t originate these fashions and these projections of sexuality. I want to emphasize that I see sexuality as a normal, natural part of human development: I’m not anti-sex. But in the book I make a clear distinction between healthy, empowered female sexuality, and the Lolita myth, which is objectifying and dis-empowering.

Lin: How does your book address the growing problem of the sexualization of girls in pop culture and sexual exploitation of children in the media?

Gigi: The book analyzes the growing occurrence of representations of sexualized young girls in popular culture, drawing on published research as well as my own analyses of a wide variety of media aimed at kids, including magazines, TV shows, web sites, movies, video games and so on.

After I establish the five core “myths” of girls’ sexuality that are circulated in these media, I show parents how identify them. At the end of each chapter, I provide concrete suggestions for helping parents (and other caring adults) to discuss these issues with girls and foster a healthier concept of sex that’s beneficial to girls and to society as a whole. I call it DIY media literacy.

Lin: How are girls learning a distorted view about what girls sexuality is about from magazines and advertisements? What are boys learning from this as well?

Gigi: Both boys and girls are getting these messages, but girls bear the brunt of them. In these media, girls are coaxed into buying into certain myths of sexuality — for example, that the more skin you show, the sexier you are, which oversimplifies the complex phenomenon of desire and sets girls up as eye-candy and boys as voyeurs. There’s no sense of equity, responsibility or mutual connection in that construction.

Other myths include girls needing to have the anatomy of a sex goddess in order to be sexual, which again is ridiculous: everyone is sexual. A third myth, probably the most dangerous one we have, links sex with youth: that is, it suggests that the younger a girl is, the sexier she is. This implies that young girls are legitimate sex partners, which is just not okay: young teens and pre-teens are not capable of making good sexual decisions. A fourth is that violence is sexy, again a very dangerous idea. Finally, the fifth myth is that girls must please boys sexually, which again disempowers girls and puts boys in charge. We have to demolish all these myths if we are to see female sexuality in other, more powerful, more ethical terms.

Lin: In your professional opinion, do you believe marketers are purposely targeting boys and men with sexualized images of girls that encourages viewing and treating girls as sexual objects? How and Why?

Gigi: Yes, I do believe this is a deliberate marketing strategy. In the book, I demonstrate the ways in which girls’ bodies are put on display for the male gaze in the mainstream media, posed and styled in passively exhibitionist ways that deny the possibility of female agency or desire while inviting male voyeurism. The reasons are multiple and complex, but ultimately they support a system in which girls’ social power is diminished. In addition, they tacitly support the burgeoning child porn and child trafficking industries.

Lin: What can we as consumers and parents do about the mass marketing and sexualization of children in order to get the marketers to change their tactics?

Gigi: The first step is consciousness-raising, and my book is part of that effort: we all need to be able to distinguish between healthy sexuality and sexualization. The next is to talk with our daughters about these issues. The next is to talk back: we can write to media outlets, we can communicate with marketers, and we can boycott products that sexualize young girls. It’s all part of media literacy and grassroots activism.

Lin: What about the violent video games, such as “Grand Theft Auto”, that treat women as degraded sex objects that can be killed after having sex with them?

Gigi: I am troubled by how insistently violence and sex are linked in many video games and other media targeted at young boys. But I am not in favor of censorship. Once again, discussion and dialogue are important. Boys need to hear girls’ viewpoints on these games. Boys have mothers, sisters, and girlfriends: they will realize that these representations of violence have deep impacts on girls’ lives.

It’s important to make all children and teens aware of the problems of violence against women in this — and every — society. Boys can become part of the solution. Once again, with young teens parents and other adults have a right to monitor their children’s media use, being sure to explain any restrictions they impose. (Interview concluded)

Some people, including parents, believe these products and provocative images are “cute” and “no big deal”, not realizing how all of it is linked to child porn, child trafficking and the prevalence of child sexual abuse. If you’re going to allow your little girls to dress like vamps and tramps, don’t be surprised when she grows up dressing like a two-cent hooker as a young adult.

The Lolita Effect: Why the Media Sexualize Young Girls and What You Can Do About It

Further Reading:

So Sexy, So Soon: The Sexualization of Childhood in Commercial Culture
You Are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Say About You
Lets Talk About Teens and Sex

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Dirty Dancing at Eisteddfods Dance Contest: Premature Sexualization of Children

Lin — Sun, 18 May 2008 05:51:46 +0000

Teachers are being accused of creating raunchy, inappropriate dance routines involving girls as young as seven, in a bid to beat rival schools at the Queensland Eisteddfod Contest, with the blame for prematurely sexualizing girls being placed on “fierce competition between schools”. Marie Schrader, president of the Sunshine Coast Dance Eisteddfodd says, “No one wants to see an eight-year-old come out in a teeny weeny bikini, but it’s become a copy-cat situation between schools, and teachers are trying to outdo each other to win.”

Ms. Schrader went on to say, “They purposely dress the girls in ill-fitting leotards that are creeping up at the back, and then they put them in opening positions on chairs, sitting with their legs apart, facing the audience. Some of the lyrics in the music are also distasteful. One group was dancing provocatively to a song about having a man’s baby. I was appalled.”

What I found equally disturbing was that Les Killion, president of the Rockhampton Eisteddfod Association, says “the youngsters had become easy pickings for pedophiles.” Duh! It seems Mr. Killion doesn’t see any end in sight to the problem by going on to say, “Unfortunately we can’t put any rules in place to prevent it happening in the future”.

What a cop-out! Hey, Mr. Killion? How about establishing and enforcing some rules against child contestants wearing inappropriate, sexy outfits for dance routines, along with rules about the music and song lyrics included in these provocative dances? Perhaps, get a backbone?!

Even Anne Hellen, secretary of Brisbane Eisteddfod Association, gave a pretty lame response to the situation by saying, “Unfortunately, we can’t stop this. All we can do is express our discontent or disappointment, and that doesn’t seem to make much difference with the teachers. They just want to make an impression to win a contest.”

Considering the increased need for greater awareness of the dangers of pedophiles, for teachers to be party to this kind of behavior is appalling and disgusting. Aren’t children under enough pressure from unscrupulous commercial exploitation without being prematurely sexualized in pursuit of passing competitive success? I guess they haven’t gotten around to reading my article, So Sexy So Soon: The Sexualization of Childhood in Commercial Culture, in order to consider the damage being done by sexualizing children, and the role they are playing in it.

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Beyonce’s House of Dereon: Sexualizing Children

Lin — Sun, 11 May 2008 04:23:07 +0000

If you are one of many who thought my rant about Miley Cyrus’ photo shoot was over the top, let’s see what you think of Beyonce’s new children’s clothing line, and see if you don’t agree this time that the sexualization of children is a serious problem. Shame on you Beyonce.

I’m not a prude, but this is simply disgusting. If you want your child to dress like she’s ready for a stroll along Hollywood and Vine, this would be the store to shop from.

Beyonce’s clothing line for hookerette’s young girls reminds me of these infamous dolls for little girls. See a resemblance?

Take a few minutes and read “So Sexy, So Soon: The Sexualization of Childhood in Commercial Culture“, and let me know your thoughts. I rest my case.

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So Sexy, So Soon: The Sexualization of Childhood in Commercial Culture

Lin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:00:46 +0000

An entire generation of young girls is being psychologically damaged by the onslaught of marketing tactics surrounding inappropriate “sexy” children’s fashions, toys, music, books and sexualized images in the media, and parents should be very concerned.

According to the American Psychological Association, in their Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls, girls as young as 4 and 5 years old are no longer wearing “old-fashioned” clothing styles but are now wearing push-up bras, thongs, mini or micro-mini skirts, sequined crop tops and other hooker-style “fashionable” outfits. Well, how about that? Walk into any number of department or boutique stores aimed at young girls, and you will find clothes that were once reserved for fully grown, adult women akin to Fredericks of Hollywood.

Young girls are being bombarded by images they see on television, in magazines, children’s books and toys, and are facing greater pressures to “fit in”. Supermarket giant Tesco came under fire again for selling a padded push-up bra for girls as young as seven, and it’s not the first time Tesco has come under fire for selling similar products to young girls and teens. The in-depth APA Report says the prevalence of eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem, has greatly increased in very young girls, also saying that girls are more likely to have underage sex as a direct result of the media’s sexualization of children.

“So Sexy So Soon” Video- Jean Kilbourne & Diane Levin on “Today”

Ten year-old girls are sliding on their low-rise jeans over “eye-candy” panties, wearing slutty Halloween costumes, and high heeled shoes, with young girls worrying about their weight and physical appearance at much younger ages. Young girls, and young boys, are wearing racy, obscene and violence-related clothing, including T-shirts with alcohol and sexual innuendo messages displayed.

(Photo by: Newsweek)

Little girls are learning how to be “sexy” and how being pretty is important, as well as learning how they can look like Bratz dolls, according to Diane Levin, PhD. Professor of education at Wheelock College in Boston. Levin is soon to release her new book, So Sexy, So Soon: The Sexualization of Childhood in Commercial Culture, stressing that the problem is not that children are learning about sex; the problem is what they are learning about relationships. Girls are being taught to be sexy and that being sexy is extremely important, even at a very young age. They’re not learning how to treat others as people, they’re learning to treat others as objects, says Levin.

Make no mistake about the sexual influence on young girls, from the likes of celebrity stars Miley Cyrus a.k.a. Hanna Montana, Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears, Lindsay Lohan and numerous other high-profile actors, actresses and musicians. The consequences of the sexualization of girls in media today are very real and are likely to be a negative influence on girls’ healthy development, says Eileen Zurbriggen, the APA’s task force chairwoman. “As a society, we need to replace all these sexualized images with ones showing girls in positive settings. The goal should be to deliver messages to all adolescents – boys and girls – that lead to healthy sexual development.”

Parents think it’s clever or “cute” to allow their young girls to wear tight T-shirts that say, “So many boys, so little time”, or smiling as their young daughter sings “Don’t cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?”, but likely won’t be so amused when they’re child becomes sexually active or pregnant by the time they turn 12.

Parents need to protect their children as much as possible. As much attention as there has been about protecting kids from pedophiles, parents can either play a major role in contributing to the sexualization of children, or they can play a protective and educational role.

The APA recommends that parents support campaigns, companies and products that promote a healthy and positive image of girls and boys. Complain to manufacturers, advertisers, television and movie producers and retail stores that “sell sex” with their products targeting children. Parents should be very careful that they’re not raising Lolita in the Classroom, but encourage girls to become involved in sports and other extracurricular activities that promote talents, skills and abilities over their physical appearance.

Talk to your young children about sex, even as young as 3 or 4 years old, because they’re already learning about sex and “sexy” and how girls “should” be sexy to get attention from boys. If you haven’t paid close attention to what kids are seeing on mainstream television and in movies, you might be stunned to see the flirtacious female characters, sexual innuendos, racy body language and the importance placed on being “hot”.

Even if you’re not a parent of girls, but only have boys, you’re still not out of the woods. Consider the effects sexualized girls has on boys, and your feeling of relief of not having girls to be worried about will likely be gone for good. Fashion trends in clothing for boys depict disrespectful, violent themes with sayings on T-shirts such as, “Mr. Pimp”, “Mr. Well-Hung” and similar disgusting messages.

As a parent, have you noticed how children are being sexualized by marketers, celebrities, and other media? Are you concerned about the effects this is or may have on your own children? What are you doing to protect your own children from these pressures?

Further Reading:

You Are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Say About You

Miley Cyrus AKA Hanna Montana Goes Topless For Vanity Fair

Let’s Talk About Teens and Sex

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