The other day in my political status of women course we were talking about culture and relativism and the way it effects basic human rights especially for women. There is a culture in Africa where being a 'large' women is considered attractive. This means that young women are taken into huts and beaten and forced to eat and drink until they are the right size for men to find attractive. There were many people in the class who were appalled by this, myself included, because these girls have no choice at all. But Dr. Petersen, our professor, said something that struck a chord in my mind, and I think she is entirely correct. She said, "We do the same thing to our own children, our daughters, except our stick is the media, and we beat into them the idea of perfection from an early age."

It makes sense; you just have to think about it. Look at the women on television, the teen idols for girls. Young girls have role models like the Olsen twins, Brittney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and many other stars who have too many problems to count. The images they are bombarded with are those of thin, 'flawless', women in tight fitting clothing showing off lots of skin. Perfection is shown as skinny, and beauty is skewed as if to say that if you aren't tiny you aren't attractive. It's no wonder that eating disorders are so prevalent. Young women feel they must starve themselves to be pretty enough and acceptable. Heavier people are always depicted as the butt of the joke, the unpopular characters. Pretty thin girls are the popular, well-liked characters.Think of the message you are sending your children when you allow them to take what they see on television and in the media and apply to real life as if it were the only truth. "Be thin and pretty and you will be loved." That is the message that the media is sending young girls.

And let's take it beyond that. Have you seen the Halloween costumes and toys for young girls these days? Girls dress up as a 'sexy pop diva' or 'sexy cowgirl' at the age of eight. It's ridiculous. Little girls running around in skimpy costumes that show way too much skin. What are these parents thinking? And don't tell me it's harmless fun either. There is serious harm in allowing your daughter to run around scantily clad pretending to be a 'pop princess'. The message you are sending is one that fundamentally objectifies women. You are teaching them that it's OK to allow yourself to be judged on what you wear and how you look. This teaches them that women aren't smart, strong, and independent; this teaches them from an early age that women are sex objects. And to add idiocy to the moronic, give your child a Bratz doll. These dolls with their over done make up and skimpy clothing is sending the same message. And not only that you also have Bratz Kidz and Bratz Big Babyz, two more dolls that encourage young girls to be solely concerned with being a 'diva'.

I know what you are thinking now. Why is Nicole so concerned with this stuff? She sounds like a grouchy, bitter, feminazi. Well maybe I'm just a little disturbed by the fact that we are teaching our daughters that all that matters is image, make up, clothes, and being thin. Maybe I'm thrown off by the fact that eating disorders become more prevalent everyday because young girls are convinced that in order to be loved they have to be thin and beautiful. Frankly folks I think that it's bull shit, and it's time for a change.