The SPARK Research Blog: Real Talk about Really New Research on the Sexualization of Girls, is brought to you by the ASAP Initiative at Hunter/CUNY, one of the SPARK leadership team partners. The goal of the bi-weekly SPARK Research Blog is to tell you about the latest research findings in clear and plain language, with a…
By Sarah Case “Teaching kids to self-hate,” “give your child neuroses,” and “body fascism” are just a few of the Amazon.com tags already linked to Paul Kramer’s children’s book, Maggie Goes on a Diet, scheduled to hit the shelves in October. Now it’s time for SPARK to — excuse the pun — weigh in on…
By Julia Bluhm “Juust gott the neww Justin Bieber perfumeeee, I’m innn heavennn <3” This was literally the status of one of my friends on Facebook. I threw up a teensy bit in my mouth while I was reading it. Justin Beiber’s new fragrance for women, called “Someday,” comes in this girly little bottle with a…
By Maya Brown This month images of 10-year-old Thylane Loubry Blondeau started making their way around the Internet. This young model posed for French Vogue a couple months ago and pictures were recently published in a two-page spread alongside two other preteens. The pictures are very much in line with Melissa Campbell’s awesome blog about Loungerie…
by Susan Linn, The Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood My initial thoughts about the Canadian couple refusing to make public the sex of their baby were not kind. It seemed like just another media circus fomented by parents exploiting their children for celebrity—like Jon and Kate, or the balloon boy. But two things made…
By Ness Fraser Well, the time has come for hipsters to draw the line. Urban Outfitters, provider of stylish clothing, music, and apartment furnishings, have taken their quest for “irony” about ten steps too far. On a simple grey t-shirt, the Urban Outfitters design team has embellished the words “Eat Less” — an attention-grabbing mantra targeted…
by Culley Schultz Recently, Danica Patrick seems to have more attention on her clothing than on her extraordinary racing career. As the first woman to win the Indy 500 and a female athlete who has made a name for herself in a predominately male-driven career, this is disappointing. Even more dissatisfying is that this is…
By Melissa Campbell The Internet has been blowing up lately with discussion around Jour Apres Lunes, a French company that’s released a lingerie—excuse me, loungerie—line for little girls 4-12 years old. The photo shoot for the line features girls with big pompadours and expertly applied makeup. The reaction, of course, has been largely outrage. It’s…