Monday, October 31, 2005

Random Thoughts

Parents who think that "hooker" is an appropriate Halloween costume for 10-year old girls should be publicly flogged.

Parents who permit their preteen daughters to stand on the street corner and play "hooker" for Halloween candy should be flogged again.

5 comments:

Jody Harrington said...

and put in stocks.

Michael said...

I have actually encountered parents who considered it to be harmless and cute. Wow! As the father of two daughters, I am dismayed, to say the least.

I guess the fact that my daughters consider me to be something of a prude might say something.

Jody Leavell said...

Wow! And I thought the one young teen girl who came by dressed as "a Playboy Bunny" was bad. I started to tell her "...and I'm the dirty old man" just get her attention, but realized that wouldn't be appropriate either.

This may be another example of the normalization of pornography in our culture. Slowly but surely the distinction between fashions in the workplace, school, and various age sets, is beginning to blend more and more with the fashions of the pornography industry. Might I add that the trend is gender inclusive as more men are blending fashion for sexual arousal into their wardrobes. Even church services are failing to inspire more modest attire.

Call me a prude if you like. But let me tell you my personal experience with sexual excesses so that you don't get the idea that I just have never faced my sexuality. I've explored quite a bit including pornography, strip joints, multiple partners without any committments, etc. in my past. It leaves a profound scar on anyone. To allow our young people to play with the power of sexual arousal without an understanding of the consequences it produces in all parties is maddening.

Anonymous said...

I've just finished reading one book - Female Chauvenist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture - and working on another - Pornified: How Pornography is Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships, and Our Families. (Disclaimer - both are very graphic in their verbal descriptions and reader discretion is advised.)

Both are eye-openers. The first argues that women have "sold out" to male fantasy. The second anecdotally confirms that - showing how porn use has influenced male expectations and lowered female self-esteem. Many of the men acknowledge that they can't sexually interact with their "real" women without fantisizing porn images in the process.

It has become pervasive.

Last year I got hooked on my first (and so far, only) reality series - Outback Jack, about a cute male Aussie who does elimination "dating" with 12 women. I'd missed the first two segments and got to see them this past week in rerun. One of the contestants, when introducing herself, said that because she is such a flashy dresser people either think she is a model or porn star. It was clear she considered it a compliment.

Derek said...

I have to say I'm curious......of course, nothing will be much worse for me than the 16-year old girl who showed up at my front door trick or treating with a nurse's outfit on (top buttons undone and a mini-mini skirt).