There are some laughable quotes, some scary stories related to the pop stars driving dangerously and falling down drunk, and disturbing photos of Britney Spears' cleavage-but overall what I took away from this article was the message of empowerment for teens (the focus being girls) in this century! The article reiterates the fact that "women are excelling in sports, academics and the job market" but we are also more savvy and intuitive and our next generation will certainly follow suit. In the grand scheme of things it can be considered a recent development that girls and women can (meaning permitted to) think for themselves, form opinions and challenge information presented...
Women have come a very long way on the road of social freedoms and expression and when Madonna passed along her title (and a lot of spit as well during their long french kiss) as the "Queen of Bad Girls" at an MTV Music Awards Ceremony she failed to include the brainwashing recipe. I think that Madonna held a much greater spell over her fans then Britney or her friends/fellow celebs could ever generate. Sure the Brit Pack has a huge following and girls do emulate the way the Brit Pack dress, what they own (purses,phones,etc.) and are curious about the sagas they are involved in-but I also think teens today see through it!
According to the Newsweek article:
"Some observers think the real effect of the Brit Pack on our culture is more subtle,
but no less negative. Rather than instantly inspiring kids to rush out and have sex,
out-of-control celebs create a sense of normalcy about behavior-drinking,
smoking, casual sex-that is dangerous for teens."
As we learned though from the "Merchants Of Cool" piece and reactions from teens stated in this article, teens are not fooled by the glitz and glamour and have higher moral standards than I think most give them credit for. I think the various inlets and outlets of media that surround present day teens allows for a broader yet sharper perspective, and they realize that the celebrities (pop stars, actors,athletes) are the minority and can "afford" to be out-of-control and although it may be fun to watch or read about-it is NOT what they are aspiring to...
My favorite quote in the Newsweek article speaks to this sense of empowerment:
"'They've got great clothes and boyfriends. They seem to have a lot of fun'...But fascination and admiration are two very different things. As they get arrested for drunk driving and feuding with their former BFF's, the Brit Pack makes it easy for young women like Boyce, a top student and accomplished equestrian, to feel superior to them. 'My friends and I look at them to laugh at them, our lives seem pretty good by comparison. We're not going to rehab like Lindsay'."
Anyway I found this article interesting and relevant and hope others in the class will check it out too!
1 comment:
I'm always thinking about the hype of this stuff vs. the reality. What's the purpose of the article - is to educate, scare, sell, what? It is very interesting the way the authors describe teens, their behaviors, and the impact on the future. Is it real what they suggest? How many teens do the tales told in Newsweek really reflect?
I'm not saying which way it goes but those are the questions that I'm always thinking about when I read this stuff. It's great to add to our discussion in this class. Let's think about how teens are portrayed by media published for adults and consider whether or not that portrayal is reality-based.
Thanks for spending time thinking about the class while in the pediatrician's office.
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