I agree that the media and the marketing that goes on through it plays a major factor. About fifteen years ago I saw signs of the rot setting in. A major metropolitan Sunday newspaper ran an advertising feature on weddings in which the gowns were modeled by twelve year olds. These weren't twelve year olds who looked twenty either. They looked their ages! Why do this? Who are the advertisers supposed to be targeting? I'm sure modeling agencies have literally thousands of beautiful young women in their twenties on their books. Why weren't they used? I think it's perverse in the extreme to have twelve year olds modeling wedding gowns in these circumstances.

This wasn't an isolated incident either. That same newspaper has, over the years, frequently run fashion features in which young teens were used, often modeling provocative swimwear and other types of clothing that are, in my opinion, inappropriate for young girls. I stopped reading newspapers and watching television a few years ago, but I doubt anything has changed.

While we're on the subject, as I've gotten older I've felt more and more insulted by advertisers who think women my age are only interested in buying things that supposedly will remove domestic drudgery from my life. Advertisers seem to ignore their own demographic statistics that show the biggest group with the largest disposable income is in the age range of 35 to 50. I want to "buy sexy things" every bit as much as a woman in her twenties. STOP TRYING TO SELL ME SOAP POWDER!

hehe

~End: Grumpy old woman rant~

anonymouse