Girl
Power: All Dolled Up
A
film by Sarah Blout
Rosenberg
This
thought-provoking short film examines the notion that “girl power” has been
co opted by commerce to create a feminist construct that is ultimately
damaging to girls’ identity and development. In a range of diverse,
revealing interviews with girls as young as seven, we witness the power of
the popular media in developing brand loyalty and image self-consciousness.
Complementing the girls’ testimony are numerous pop culture examples, as
well as academics illuminating how the concept of girl power has been used
to bring in big money by focusing on appearance. From Dora the Explorer’s
grooming aids to Disney’s Princesses line to the highly sexualized Bratz
dolls, the message is clear: girl power means being attractive. As one
particularly astute young interviewee puts it, “Somewhere along the way
girls get the idea ‘okay, I’m supposed to look hot every time I leave my
house.’” GIRL POWER is critical viewing for women’s studies, advertising
and mass communications courses, educators or anyone who works with young
girls.
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