Calling all fathers: Save the girls
March 6, 2007
Thanks to Michael Kruse for spotting this gem. Since I am a father with girls, and since my girls have their own girls, etc., it behooves me to pass this along.
When it comes to figuring out what’s gone wrong with our culture, we can usually rely on the American Psychological Association (APA) to catch on last.
Thus, it came to pass a few days ago that the APA released its findings that American girls are sexualized. And that’s bad.
If you missed the headlines, it may be because of stiff competition from the breaking news that Anna Nicole is still dead and Britney is still disturbed.
Irony doesn’t get to be ironic when it’s that conspicuous.
I urge you to read the whole article. It’s a priceless essay on the … I’m stuck. What can I say without being accused of being an old fuddy-duddy, even if I am? Anyway, continuing on,
The APA report found that girls are sexualized in nearly every medium and product — from ads and video games to clothing, cosmetics and even dolls. Anyone who has walked down an American street the past few years has seen the effects — little girls dressed as tartlets and teens decked in bling, while mom takes pole-dancing lessons at the gym.
“Decked in bling” … “pole dancing lessons”? Good grief! I don’t even speak the language any more!
I’m not a psychologist, but isn’t it possible that wearing a bathing suit isn’t conducive to math testing, rather than that bathing suits made them so unhappy with their bodies that they couldn’t do math? Paging Larry Summers.
If nothing else, I think we can conclude that girls shouldn’t wear bathing suits to take the SAT.
Writer Kathleen Parker has a way with words that I love, but maybe it is my distant fatherhood experience that drives my appreciation.
The APA is calling for more education, more research, forums, girls groups and Web zines to tackle girl sexualization. But my instinctual guess is that getting fathers back into their daughters’ lives and back on the job would do more than all the forums and task forces combined.
Ultimately, it’s a daddy thing.
Daddy Dave, who thinks Kathleen has the right of it.
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