Maybe if I act like that...

Ah yes, the media. It has such a big hold on us all. There is no real way to escape it, even if you think you do. Not letting your children watch TV is not enough anymore. The media is everywhere. It reinforces our roles in society. No longer is it simply sitcoms that tell us how couples should and should not act. Food packages are now gendered as well. It’s truly amazing. If you don’t believe me, look at the frozen dinner section at your local supermarket.

What stuck me immediately in the “Just a Girl?” reading was the “trend” in the 90’s among female musicians trying to look and act like girls. This whole idea of girls being more attractive than women isn’t really new – Betty Friedman addresses it in the Feminine Mystic which was written in the early 1960’s. America has been sexualizing its girls for a long time. There are stilettos for babies. Padded pushup bras for 8 year old. Bratz dolls that look that kid prostitutes (which is a real problem facing this nation, dolls or no dolls). I was shopping for a Halloween costume this year and the teen line is called “Wicked Innocence.” Those are just products marketed toward girls. There are millions of dollars to be made trying to promote youth to older women – Olay anyone? It’s everywhere. Youth=sexy.

It’s not just the idea of youth that makes the media hard on young girls. It can be difficult to find a role model as well. Queer Girls addressed this with the character of Willow. There are very few queer females on TV. But really, there are very few women on TV that portray strong, successful women. If there are, fewer still are meant for younger groups. I am reminded of a Pink song called “Stupid Girls”. If you read the lyrics, I think it really shows a lot of the emotions many young girls, including myself, have or had. If you have heard this song, or even if you haven’t, I encourage you to watch the music video. Not only is it appropriate, it’s entertaining. I think you'll find that while it's a parody, its scarily accurate.

I noticed a couple of interesting things in Red this week as well. First, Grace and her love of Johnny Depp. While I knew many people who loved Depp while I was in school, (thank you Disney and Pirates of the Caribbean) I feel that this kind of fandom with an older actor really shows something about gender roles. The idea that a young woman needs and older man, which is the counter to the older man wants a virgin ideal, really hits me here. The other story that caught my attention was by Kali, the angry not so emo. The media is a huge influence on stereotyping. We are told that everyone that is part of a group is the same. Clearly, I think many of us can say that is not the case. Stereotyping is not just a problem faced by girls or boys, but people of different races, social classes, and chosen social groups. Just one more obstacle girls have to face.