The Lolita Effect: The Media Sexualization of Young Girls and What We Can Do About It

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Abrams, Jun 30, 2009 - Family & Relationships - 288 pages
Pop culture—and the advertising that surrounds it—teaches young girls and boys five myths about sex and sexuality: Girls don't choose boys, boys choose girls—but only sexy girls; there's only one kind of sexy—slender, curvy, white beauty; girls should work to be that type of sexy; the younger a girl is, the sexier she is; and sexual violence can be hot. Together, these five myths make up the Lolita Effect, the mass media trends that work to undermine girls’ self-confidence, that condone female objectification, and that tacitly foster sex crimes. But identifying these myths and breaking them down can help girls learn to recognize progressive and healthy sexuality and protect themselves from degrading media ideas and sexual vulnerability.
 

Contents

Title Page
HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON? GIRLS AND THE MYTHS
THE FIRST MYTH IF YOUVE GOTIT FLAUNTIT
THE SECOND MYTH ANATOMY OF A SEX GODDESS
THE THIRD MYTH PRETTY BABIES
THE FOURTH MYTH VIOLENCE IS SEXY
THE FIFTH MYTH WHAT BOYS LIKE
THE SEDUCERS UNDERSTANDING MYTH AND SPECTACLE IN
SUPERHIGHWAY OF SEX GIRLS MEDIA AND SEXUALITY
CONFRONTING THE LOLITA EFFECT STRATEGIES
Notes
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About the author (2009)

M. Gigi Durham, Ph.D., is a professor of journalism and mass communication at the University of Iowa. Her research on adolescent girls and media has appeared in Youth & Society and Critical Studies in Media Communication, and she served on the editorial board of The Encyclopedia of Children, Adolescents and the Media. A passionate advocate for children's rights and social justice, she lives with her husband and two daughters in Iowa City.

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