From The Ypulse WTF Files, Ctd.
Posted by anastasia on 03-25-2008
Yesterday, I posted about The Pussycat Dolls and how they are now deliberately targeting tweens. A Ypulse commenter asked:
Suppose a tween in 1984 bought a Madonna album, and a tween in 2008 bought a PCD album. What’s the difference? Both acts involve female pop singers emphasizing sexuality.
There are so many differences. Madonna was self-styled, self made, not created via a reality show with the express purpose of casting “human dolls.” And while Madonna certainly attracted her share of teen fans and teen girl copycats or Madonna wannabes (remember those black rubber bracelets?), I don’t think she ever made the calculated decision to market the more sexual side of her personae to young girls.
Today’s pop culture (vs. the 80s) is way more saturated with marketing, product placement, related merchandise, tie-ins than ever before and tweens have now become a specific target demographic for marketers, one of the few who are actually buying physical music (or whose parents still are for them). The Pussycat Dolls aren’t just selling their live act, TV show or music — they just launched their own lingerie line. To admit to selling such a hyper sexualized version of what it means to be a woman to young girls, is well, WTF?
Moving on. Another reader sent me news about a new virtual produced in the UK. Remember The Coolest Girl In School? That was nothing compared to Miss Bimbo, where girls try to make their avatars into the biggest bimbos – plastic surgery included, if it helps. According to Radar Online, “The game, which also requires players to maintain their characters’ weights with pills and crash diets, is already wildly popular with about 200,000 players, mostly girls ages nine to 16.” WTF?
Update: Here’s a link to the full story in the UK Times.
Categorized under: Gaming, Tweens
March 25th, 2008 at 9:53 am
I agree- Madonna was breaking from the “lemmings” of the world, creating her own style– challenging a nation. The Pussycat dolls are just fueling a nation of body images and hiding behind make-up and selling yourself. Gross.
As for “My Bimbo”– that and VH1′s “I Know My Kid’s A Star”… they can go rot. Shame on the people who take advantage of kids by offering them fame and beauty, and secretly encouraging poor self esteem through promises of perfection & fame. Sick. Boo.
Not one to leave things on a sour note– i still wear my jelly bracelets. Every time one breaks, I replace it. Thank god for Claire’s appreciation of 80′s trinkets.
March 25th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
I agree, that shows like this are plain disgusting–and NOTHING like Madonna, who at least has an aura of Girl Power.
It’s no new knowledge that horrible companies and products are targeting vulnerable tweens, children, etc. However, as I’ve been keeping a blog for a college course (which revolves around the theme of marketing to kids), the one thing I have come to be annoyed by is..
The fact that parents, doctors, “experts”, etc only seem to be concerned with safety in relation to children when it has to do with the issue of weight. Week after week I look at tons of articles that talk about, “How McDonald’s is under scrutiny”, or “how junk food commercials need to be banned”. But it is RARE that I see an article that has to do with the fact that we need to start instilling positive values and self worth in the youth!
but like Izzy– to end on a positive note- New Madonna CD around the corner! Woo!
March 25th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
I agree with most of that. Funny thing you didn’t mention… the Dolls were inches from having their own dolls in Toys R Us a few years back – now that would’ve been interesting. Another interesting part of their history was when their song ‘Dont Cha’ was featured in a Heineken Ad (peformed by someone else) and if I remember right there was a cease and desist as the management did not want to be associated with alcohol (based on the fact they were marketing to teens).
Personally I think the Dolls are a very interesting act. Most of the ‘Perception’ is that they are like the Burlesque type show called the Pussycat Dolls that performed in Hollywood. I’ve seen them live and when it comes to dirty, they’re a lot closer to middle of the road than a lot of acts these days. Even G rated compared to the show I saw by Berlin in 84.
More than anything it has to do with the fact that the group is owned by it’s creator and not the members (similar to Menudo). I find it interesting when you look at what the individuals in the group are up to they actually have some really great things to say. Including Carmit Bachar… did you know she had a cleft palette as a child?
I do agree with you their Spice Girls on steroids marketing is challenging but more often than not people speak about them on ignorance. Out of all the music today they get picked on the most – although there CD doesn’t even have a parental advisory sticker on it? I’m not a fan of the edgy lyrics, but do give them kudos for doing it creatively. A song like BEEP is a great illustration of how to write an extremely dirty song, without dirty words. Something that challenges 95% of the artists today.
I’m not a fan of it… but there’s much worst.
March 25th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Hi Tommy. It’s not about the lyrics or even how sexual they may get in their show, it’s the image of the young women who make up the band. They are uber sexualized, scantily clad and a huge part of being “chosen” to be in the group. To explicitly market this to tween girls just feels wrong. Would you want your 9-year-old daughter wearing Pussycat Dolls lingerie?
March 26th, 2008 at 8:15 am
I’d be more comfortable with my daughter having PCD gear than Britney Spears stuff. I won’t be buying my 9 year old lingerie from anyone. Regardless of what is being sold, I look at the group as a total package. I think we’re talking about separate things – the group vs. a name that is owned by Robin Anton – which includes a TV show that was created to fill a niche on a small network.
That reminds me – totally crazy! Did Jamie Lynn Spears get any press on her guest starring role in ABC’s new show Miss Guided? She was featured in a new episode that aired last Thursday. She was seen in a school parking lot – prior to class with her legs hanging out of a car window toes up (with a boys legs out as well. The teacher knocked on the door and said that’s enough and they scrambled out the door with her hair all messed and lipstick smeared. This was probably shot a short period of time before the ‘announcement’. WOW!!!