"Buying into Sexy": Preteen Girls and Consumerism in the 21st Century

We live in a hypersexualized society that
infantilizes women and commodifies girls at the
service of the capitalist system. In recent years,
Western societies have witnessed a rising concern
about preadolescent girls showing signs of
precocious sexualization. This issue, dismissed by
some as a media moral panic, is taken very seriously
by many others who worry about the increase in
negative health outcomes. The media sell an ideology
that normalizes sexualized attitudes and behaviours.
On one hand, corporate culture "seduces" girls with
offerings of glitter, popularity and fame through
sexualized popular icons; on the other hand, girls
are blamed for letting themselves be lured into
dressing and/or acting in oversexualized ways. Girls
are caught in the crossfire between competing
scripts: "Be sexy! Popular girls are" and "Good
girls don't". This book, based on a thesis but
written in accessible language, should help shed
some light on these issues for teachers, youth
workers, parents and academics concerned by the
subject.