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Girls Gone Skank
I'd really like to pick up a copy of Girls Gone Skank, and not just because it was written by my professor.
From Amazon.com: Instead of advancing women's social and professional empowerment, popular culture trends appear to be backsliding into the blatant sexual exploitation of women and girls at younger and younger ages. This study investigates the effects of mass marketed sexual images and cultural trends on the behaviors and attitudes of young girls and describes many ways in which young girls are increasingly taught to go to outrageous lengths in seeking male attention. Topics include the powerful effects of cultural phenomena such as revealing fashions, plastic surgery, and beauty pageants in influencing teen and preteen girls to willingly participate in and promote their own sexualization.
I scanned through the book this morning after class, and it is all very interesting, if not a little saddening. Women's issues often come up in my PR classes due to the high percentage of women in the field (which is reflected in the ~30:2 female to male student ratio) and yet the surprisingly low percentage of female CEOs and senior managers. Though we have not discussed these trends at length in this specific class, Professor Oppliger often pulls from her previous research to illustrate concepts. I look forward to reading the book.
In other class news, we are continuing our crash course in statistics. I haven't done this much math since my senior year of high school! It's fun, though.
6:57 PM
Sounds like an interesting book. I agree with the fact that women have just become massive skanks lately. Especially the 12 - 14 year old girls who are dressing and acting like they shouldn't be.
This whole things gets my goat a bit. I may have to read this book.
7:08 PM
Ah, but I do not think women have become skanks, especially not preteen girls. The book investigates evolving cultural norms and their effect on prepubescent and adolescent females. "Girls gone Skank," a play on the title of a popular pornographic DVD series, refers not to the girls themselves, but the images propagated by American media and society.
2:55 PM
I need to pick this up. I'm always looking for a way to verbalize what I feel about women in today's culture. I agree with you though. There is a reason why 12-14 yr old girls are acting the way they are and American Society plays a huge role in this. Sometimes I feel like we aren't moving forward as fast as we should be.
3:50 PM
Agreed. I like to keep up with Jezebel.com and similar blogs that are participating in this dialogue.