My sister and I had lunch yesterday.
We were talking about magazines and she was sharing with me her observations in the latest issue of a leading Canadian women's fashion magazine. As we are Turnbull women by lineage, the dicussion quickly became a highly opinionated debate on the effects of media on our culture.
She noticed that the current fashion trend seems to be a very youthful (oh, there's a shocker) model, dressed in baby doll dresses, with big Kewpie doll eyes and pouty drawn on, bright lips, painted on high arched eyebrows. While this style is wildly popular on waiflike models, actresses and preteen girls, it is not entirely practical for women our age, our size, our profession or our global location. (Snow here today again) While I appreciate the 'art' in fashion and certainly am draw to current styles, particularly in shoes, bags, belts and jewelry... I don't always 'get' what it is that designers are going for... (On this note: saw The Devil Wears Prada... didn't love it...)
Anyways back to this trend of the innocent-mod-waif-look (whatever they call it)... It once again becomes apparent to me as a woman, how inappropriate and often degrading current fashion trends can be.
As females we are surrounded by images of what the perfect female looks like...
Tiny, buxom, beautiful, tall, slender, doe-eyed, luxurious hair, pouty lips, high cheekbones, swan like neck, milehigh legs, size two, stilettos, tanned, wrinkle free, self-tanned, collagen injected, cover-your-gray, silicone implanted; whatever the word you choose to describe, we could add it here.
Think of the toys we see for girls. Bratz dolls are the perfect example. The have big hair in every color from jet-black to bleach blonde, these huge sex-pot eyes with long fake eyelashes and a ripe full pouty mouth. They are dressed in the latest trends, micro-minis, low-rise pants, footless tights, a collection of bags, makeup, cellphones, high-heeled shoes and fashion boots.
Or what about television? The new reality show 'The Search for the Next PussyCat Doll' is the perfect example of this. My thirteen year old daughter (AND my fourteen year old son) routinely watch this program. A group of 17 - 20-something beautiful young women are competing for the position of the next PussyCat Doll. Every week, they dance and sing, strutt and pose their way towards the dream of becoming that all desired, famous, sought after, sex kitten that is the newest and hottest member of the group.
My daughter came to me last week after watching the latest show and asked if she could join dance lessons again. She is honest with me that she equates popularity, success and making her life's dreams come true by being thinner and sexier, dressing like a pussycat doll and learning to bump and grind her way through life. (and if you look around at junior high fashion trends - she isn't the only one led by media)
Anyone who tells me that young women do NOT come away from watching that program HATING themselves is full of horseshit.
Then we take a look at tabloids. Several young females (former child stars, starlets and pop princesses) have been photographed in public with their dresses hiked up (which isn't too difficult in a micro-mini) and NO PANTIES IN PUBLIC.
Hey, its cool with me if you prefer commando, but try not to flash everyone else. WHAT'S WORSE, is that their private areas are completely shaved clean! Don't get me wrong, maybe you prefer the feel of a close shave, but follow me to the end on this.... please.
So here we have all this information directed at us as females: girls, teens, young and middle age women...
Be beautiful, be sexy, be vivacious, be fashionable.
Do your makeup. Whiten your teeth (anyone seen the cover of Chatelaine this month - this famous mother's teeth are SO white they are almost gray! They are whiter than her tiny daughter's young teeth
Color your hair. Lift your booty. Lift your boobs; more cleavage. Tighten your abs, tighten your rear. Do more pilates. Wear the right clothes. Eat less.
Look younger. Be more youthful. Fill your wrinkles. Plump your lips. Get bigger breasts. Get a tummy tuck. Get botox injections.
Tan your hide. Loofah your dryspots. Moisturize more deeply. Shave your armpits, shave your legs, shave your 'cookie' completely bald (not unlike that of a child - and then our SOCIETY WONDERS WHY we have men who lust after teens, pre-teens and children and why pedophilia is rampant.
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR WOMEN (AND GIRLS) TO LOVE THEMSELVES, THIER BODIES, and THEIR LIVES WHEN EVERY DIRECTION THEY TURN THE MESSAGE THEY RECEIVE IS: 'You are not good enough just the way you are.'
Just an opinion.
We were talking about magazines and she was sharing with me her observations in the latest issue of a leading Canadian women's fashion magazine. As we are Turnbull women by lineage, the dicussion quickly became a highly opinionated debate on the effects of media on our culture.
She noticed that the current fashion trend seems to be a very youthful (oh, there's a shocker) model, dressed in baby doll dresses, with big Kewpie doll eyes and pouty drawn on, bright lips, painted on high arched eyebrows. While this style is wildly popular on waiflike models, actresses and preteen girls, it is not entirely practical for women our age, our size, our profession or our global location. (Snow here today again) While I appreciate the 'art' in fashion and certainly am draw to current styles, particularly in shoes, bags, belts and jewelry... I don't always 'get' what it is that designers are going for... (On this note: saw The Devil Wears Prada... didn't love it...)
Anyways back to this trend of the innocent-mod-waif-look (whatever they call it)... It once again becomes apparent to me as a woman, how inappropriate and often degrading current fashion trends can be.
As females we are surrounded by images of what the perfect female looks like...
Tiny, buxom, beautiful, tall, slender, doe-eyed, luxurious hair, pouty lips, high cheekbones, swan like neck, milehigh legs, size two, stilettos, tanned, wrinkle free, self-tanned, collagen injected, cover-your-gray, silicone implanted; whatever the word you choose to describe, we could add it here.
Think of the toys we see for girls. Bratz dolls are the perfect example. The have big hair in every color from jet-black to bleach blonde, these huge sex-pot eyes with long fake eyelashes and a ripe full pouty mouth. They are dressed in the latest trends, micro-minis, low-rise pants, footless tights, a collection of bags, makeup, cellphones, high-heeled shoes and fashion boots.
Or what about television? The new reality show 'The Search for the Next PussyCat Doll' is the perfect example of this. My thirteen year old daughter (AND my fourteen year old son) routinely watch this program. A group of 17 - 20-something beautiful young women are competing for the position of the next PussyCat Doll. Every week, they dance and sing, strutt and pose their way towards the dream of becoming that all desired, famous, sought after, sex kitten that is the newest and hottest member of the group.
My daughter came to me last week after watching the latest show and asked if she could join dance lessons again. She is honest with me that she equates popularity, success and making her life's dreams come true by being thinner and sexier, dressing like a pussycat doll and learning to bump and grind her way through life. (and if you look around at junior high fashion trends - she isn't the only one led by media)
Anyone who tells me that young women do NOT come away from watching that program HATING themselves is full of horseshit.
Then we take a look at tabloids. Several young females (former child stars, starlets and pop princesses) have been photographed in public with their dresses hiked up (which isn't too difficult in a micro-mini) and NO PANTIES IN PUBLIC.
Hey, its cool with me if you prefer commando, but try not to flash everyone else. WHAT'S WORSE, is that their private areas are completely shaved clean! Don't get me wrong, maybe you prefer the feel of a close shave, but follow me to the end on this.... please.
So here we have all this information directed at us as females: girls, teens, young and middle age women...
Be beautiful, be sexy, be vivacious, be fashionable.
Do your makeup. Whiten your teeth (anyone seen the cover of Chatelaine this month - this famous mother's teeth are SO white they are almost gray! They are whiter than her tiny daughter's young teeth
Color your hair. Lift your booty. Lift your boobs; more cleavage. Tighten your abs, tighten your rear. Do more pilates. Wear the right clothes. Eat less.Look younger. Be more youthful. Fill your wrinkles. Plump your lips. Get bigger breasts. Get a tummy tuck. Get botox injections.
Tan your hide. Loofah your dryspots. Moisturize more deeply. Shave your armpits, shave your legs, shave your 'cookie' completely bald (not unlike that of a child - and then our SOCIETY WONDERS WHY we have men who lust after teens, pre-teens and children and why pedophilia is rampant
.HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR WOMEN (AND GIRLS) TO LOVE THEMSELVES, THIER BODIES, and THEIR LIVES WHEN EVERY DIRECTION THEY TURN THE MESSAGE THEY RECEIVE IS: 'You are not good enough just the way you are.'
Just an opinion.
on August 31, 2008, 8:10 am
Reply to this comment