Review by Choice Review
Durham (media studies, Univ. of Iowa), a respected scholar of girl and ethnic studies, offers a welcome addition to a literature that is too often mired in conservative approaches to sexuality and/or outlandish claims insufficiently substantiated by research. The author begins with the basic statement that children are sexual beings, and she argues that to deny this gets one into unhealthy territory. This said, Durham acknowledges the overt sexualization of girls in contemporary mainstream media. After analysis of some of the major myths circulating in popular culture about sex, beauty, violence, and boys, the author suggests forms of activism and resistance designed to support girls in becoming happy adults with a healthy approach to sexuality. Taking a realist approach, she points out that mass media are not going away, and that girls can develop critical skills and carve out a strategy for a healthy life. Based on a rigorous review of the research literature yet written in accessible language, this book will useful to an audience ranging from seasoned scholars to general readers. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers, all levels. A. N. Valdivia University of Illinois at Urbana
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
In this intensely researched exploration of the media's exploitation of girls, Durham exposes the links between destructive teenage self-images and the popular, highly sexed, and negative representations of girls in magazines, television programs, and movies. Considering everything from suggestive Halloween costumes for little girls to the relentless onslaught of articles about how to get a guy in teen publications, Durham makes her persistent way across the media landscape. Seventeen magazine in particular bears the weight of her analysis, and the results are both shocking and disturbing. By pointing to specific articles, she exposes a pattern of teaching girls to attract and please the opposite sex while minimizing serious conversations about sex or equal gender roles in relationships. In her conclusion, she asserts that this cumulative Lolita effect is a major factor in the high rates of teen pregnancy and STDs in the United States and many other countries. Durham's provocative and erudite study of the demeaning way society views girls serves to both alarm and educate; consider it required reading for parents and their daughters.--Mondor, Colleen Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
We've all seen it--the tiny T-shirts with sexually suggestive slogans, the four-year-old gyrating to a Britney Spears song, the young boy shooting prostitutes in his video game--and University of Iowa journalism professor Durham has had enough. In her debut book, she argues that the media--from advertisements to Seventeen magazine--are circulating damaging myths that distort, undermine and restrict girls' sexual progress. Durham, who describes herself as "pro-girl" and "pro-media," does more than criticize profit-driven media, recognizing as part of the problem Americans' contradictory willingness to view sexualized ad images but not to talk about sex. Chapters expose five media myths: that by flaunting her "hotness" a little girl is acting powerfully; that Barbie has the ideal body; that children--especially little girls--are sexy; that violence against women is sexy; and that girls must learn what boys want, but not vice versa. After debunking each myth, Durham offers practical suggestions for overcoming these falsehoods, including sample questions for parents and children. In a well-written and well-researched book, she exposes a troubling phenomenon and calls readers to action. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Images of sexy young girls permeate contemporary popular culture, from children's cartoon shows such as Winx Club, with characters dressed in tube tops and hot pants, to the Bratz line of dolls marketed to young girls with the tagline "Girls with a passion for fashion." Durham (journalism, Univ. of Iowa) examines how girls' sexuality is portrayed in various media and argues that it is our ethical responsibility to challenge popular representations to create a more balanced, healthy, and emancipated view of girls' sexuality. She goes on to identify five core myths that make up the "spectacle" of girls' sexuality: exhibitionism attracts male interest, only unrealistic and unhealthy body shapes and sizes are sexy, the younger the girl the sexier she is, sexual violence is exciting and appealing, and girls need to fulfill male fantasies and desires. The discussion of each myth includes recommendations for interventions, e.g., to counter sexual violence she suggests using group discussions, inviting an expert to speak, using visual and Internet tools, and involving boys in the issue. Specific resources are recommended in the text and also listed at the end of the book. Offering strategies for action that will be of interest to parents, teachers, and other professionals working with girls, this book is a good addition for both public and academic libraries.--Judy Solberg, Seattle Univ. Lib. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
