A recent case in the media directly tied into the article by Rice, discussing body and culture. On page 153 it reads, “Between the ages of eleven and fourteen, however, many girls face increasing challenges to their body and self-esteem.” This is the population of girls I currently work with, ages 12-14. We meet once a month to talk about issues that they deal with that are unique to them both as girls and as middle-schoolers. One of the issues that we will bring up at our upcoming meeting this weekend will be about the Abercrombie Ads portraying a “padded” swimsuit for girls as young as 8.
This story has drawn a lot of attention and I think this is a perfect example of just how the message of beauty has normalized sexuality for girls, communicating the importance of sexual attractiveness at any age. Abercrombie seems to be targeting girls at the age where, which this article confirmed, they are becoming susceptible to sexual gazes (pg 155) and also targets the time of a young woman understanding that she can use her body as “currency” to receive attention, praise, and self-worth (pg 158).
Do you think that this issue of padded swimwear for young girls would create as serious of a concern in non-western societies? Would it be considered a way to adhere to Western beauty in the minds of other cultures that constantly face pressure to westernize? Do you think Abercrombie specifically targets those looking to conform to a racial standard of whiteness through their advertisements?
-Andrea Abramson
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