Message and the Media

MESSAGE AND THE MEDIA
[SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle, AUTHOR: Eileen Zurbriggen, University of California at Santa Cruz]
[Commentary] There are many examples of products and media images that sexualize girls and girlhood and are part of a widespread phenomenon that has led to concern on the part of parents and child advocacy organizations. In response to these concerns, the American Psychological Association has formed a committee to evaluate and summarize all available research pertaining to the sexualization of girls. The research results, released last week, are sobering. In virtually every form of media that has been studied, including television, movies, the Internet, magazines, advertising and sports media, women and girls are sexualized and objectified. They wear revealing clothing, are portrayed as decorative objects and are referred to with sexualized and demeaning labels such as "bimbos," "hos," or (in the case of the 1999 World Champion U.S. women's soccer team) "booters with hooters." The problem isn't one particular doll, or song or hypersexualized young heiress. The problem is that girls today are swimming in a veritable sea of toxic messages about what it means to be female. The problem of sexualization is serious, but not insurmountable. It's up to us to do whatever it takes to provide girls with a healthier environment, one in which they can grow and develop as well-rounded people encouraged to explore all of life's possibilities.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2007/02/26/EDGC7N72QC1.DTL

* See the APA report at http://www.apa.org/pi/wpo/sexualization.html