Sexualization and Social Media: A Response to Frontline: The Merchants of Cool

The documentary "Frontline: The Merchants of Cool" that we viewed in Class this week explores marketing techniques that companies use to appeal to and engage the teen audience. One concept and technique explored was the creation of the "Midriff" stereotype. The midriff is prematurely adult, consumed by appearances, and is a collection of the same old sexual cliches but repackaged as a type of female empowerment. The Midriff was created to become the model for teen and preteen girls, and it has lived up to its purpose. Girls are taught to flaunt their sexuality, clothes are designed to show more and sell because they do. The Midriff and entire culture surrounding it have changed the way that young girls and teens are viewed and used by the media, both when it was created, and now. 

It is a well-known fact that girls and women are oversexualized in film, television, songs, media, and much of pop culture. It seems to be changing, but the effects of a time when it was obnoxiously prevalent are still seen.  Even before learning about the presence of the Midriff, I have noticed that many movies, especially the stereotypical high school movies targeting teens and younger children are full of sexual references and innuendos surrounding girls who use these references and aspects as leverage to get their way or control a story. For better or for worse, media and movies have embraced sexualizations of younger girls, teens, and women and is shown ways in which it "should" be used to get their way. 

While I definitely believe that shaming in any form is bad, I also believe that an early approach to sexuality for young teens has downsides and has done more harm than good. If an over-sexualized body image and persona is shoved at young teenage girls, it can reduce the growth of a personality and identity separate from a cookie cutter model. It frustrates me that this is their methodology. Maybe its good to sell products, but its helped create a negative culture that disguises derogatory actions and demeaning comments for empowerment. But, that's where we're going, and there doesn't seem to be a way to stop it.