Althouse: "In a world where parents of children ages 8 to 14 have long been concerned about hypersexualized clothing, early puberty and overly sophisticated media messages..."

April 2, 2017

"In a world where parents of children ages 8 to 14 have long been concerned about hypersexualized clothing, early puberty and overly sophisticated media messages..."

"... JoJo is part of a growing group of girls documenting routine, age-appropriate behaviors and activities such as being nice, doing their chores, divulging what’s in their backpacks, making dresses out of garbage bags and working to pay for their own clothes."

55 comments:

James Pawlak said...: If my memory still serves me, girls who work very hard (eg Amish) enter puberty later than those who do not.; 4/2/17, 4:41 PM
madAsHell said...: Legally Blonde for the Adderall set.; 4/2/17, 4:47 PM
MayBee said...: She would like to see girls being recognized for more thoughtful content, she said, such as that of Marley Dias, 12, who started the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign last year after recognizing a scarcity of black-girl protagonists.

“If I had a 13-year-old,” Ms. Long said, “I would push her toward someone like Marley Dias instead of JoJo. But Marley Dias doesn’t sell giant hair bows. Marley Dias sells social justice and social causes and writing and nerd culture. And there’s plenty to market there.”

Sigh; 4/2/17, 4:50 PM
bagoh20 said...: This is an outrage!

I mean it must be somewhere, to someone, right?; 4/2/17, 4:51 PM
Susan said...: Of course she would steer her own child toward social justice warrior tween YouTube videos. Just as children's cartoons can no longer be message free, neither can any other minute of a child's day be carefree entertainment or play. They must be woke every minute.; 4/2/17, 4:51 PM
David Begley said...: JoJo lives in Omaha. I don't think she will be attending the Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, but I could be wrong.; 4/2/17, 4:58 PM
MayBee said...: About Marley Dias:

NEW YORK (AP) — A 12-year-old advocate for diversity in literature is working on a book about activism and social justice.

Scholastic told The Associated Press on Thursday that it had a deal with Marley Dias, whose hashtag #1000BlackGirlBooks is part of her mission to collect stories about women of color. Her book is not yet titled and is scheduled for 2018.

Dias said in a statement she hoped her book would help advance "inclusion" and "social action." Her campaign for more books about girls like her led Ebony magazine to call her one of the country's "coolest black kids" and has brought her admirers ranging from Michelle Obama to author Jacqueline Woodson. Her Marley Mag, a publication sponsored by Elle magazine, has featured interviews with filmmaker Ava DuVernay and dancer Misty Copeland.

Who wants to read such a book by a 12 year old?

Frankly, I don't care much about Jo-Jo and her cutesy lifestyle. But I also don't like turning 12 year olds into political heroes, either.; 4/2/17, 4:59 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Divulging what is in her backpack? I just love how we are raising citizens basically willing to submit to anything on the basis of authority.; 4/2/17, 4:59 PM
TA said...: I need to go throw up.; 4/2/17, 5:09 PM
fivewheels said...: When I was a 12-year-old Asian boy, guess how many books I read that featured 12-year-old Asian boys? That's right, none. But I learned a lot by reading Heinlein and Asimov. Those books were well-written and thought-provoking, which was more intellectually fruitful than spoon-fed identity politics.; 4/2/17, 5:12 PM
David said...: Trunk fodder for Lazlo.; 4/2/17, 5:19 PM
Dan said...: Well said, fivewheels.; 4/2/17, 5:32 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: "Frankly, I don't care much about Jo-Jo and her cutesy lifestyle. But I also don't like turning 12 year olds into political heroes, either."

Between the Scylla of Jo-Jo and the Charybdis of Marley Dias, it's a tough time to be an 11 year old. I guess I prefer Jo-Jo's, "be nice and do your chores" to Marley's SJW preaching (you know she's going to be screeching at some conservative speaker on a campus 10 years from now), but I would have found the bows and girly-girlyness of Jo-Jo hard to take.

I don't remember having role models who were my own age when I was 11. There were adults I looked up to and wanted to be like - some were real life people I knew, others were fictional. Cherry Ames was a nurse who went around solving mysteries, which I thought was pretty cool.; 4/2/17, 5:46 PM
Kate said...: I won't click through to the NYT. Your blurb, though, reminds me of a Jo March-style adventure. The Pickwick Papers! Jo was always such a great feminist.; 4/2/17, 6:37 PM
Joan said...: Alexis wears her reddish-brown hair in a braid, no makeup and braces.

These girls today! Since when are makeup and braces were things that you do to your hair?

Here I thought being a junior high teacher kept me in the loop on these developments. I do like the idea of being nice equating with being cool, though.; 4/2/17, 6:42 PM
bagoh20 said...: The people whose lives I most wish I could emulate are not people I look up to. They are lucky people with few responsibilities, too much time and money, and too few scruples.

More Charley Sheen than Mother Teresa. I just don't have what it takes to be who I want.; 4/2/17, 6:43 PM
Mike Sylwester said...: The article's author spells her name Hayley.

She should spell her name Hailey.; 4/2/17, 7:13 PM
Bill said...: Cue mass Twitter shit-fit in 10, 9, 8, . . .; 4/2/17, 7:20 PM
madAsHell said...: When I was a 12-year-old Asian boy

Didn't Steve Martin cover this?; 4/2/17, 7:40 PM
Sammy Finkelman said...: children ages 8 to 14...working to pay for their own clothes."

Isn't that illegal?; 4/2/17, 7:41 PM
Laslo Spatula said...: Thirteen-year-old Betsy Michigan Looks At Her World...

I remember my first Slut Walk. I felt empowered in my provocative clothing, like I could even be a Fancy Hooker -- at age twelve! Men stared at me with what I now know is male desire, but I was with women who understood The Cause. Or at least I thought so...

After the Slut Walk started I noticed other older women in the Walk were giving me Nasty Looks. At first I just thought they smelled something funny -- a lot of those women didn't seem to have washed properly, and there was a LOT of armpit hair -- but then I realized those looks were directed at me...

Then I realized it was because all the men were looking at ME, and taking MY picture, rather thank looking at them. I thought the Point of the Slut Walk was to show that we didn't care about the Male Gaze, not to get all jealous about it, right...?

Many of the women were topless, but the Men on the street kept shouting at ME to Show Them My Tits. Ha! I was twelve: I didn't even have tits yet! But some of the women got angry, anyway...

Looking back, I don't care about those silly women, I was Proud: I showed those Men that I was more than a Sex Object, and many of them even signed up to my YouTube Channel...!

I am Laslo.; 4/2/17, 7:45 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: bagoh20 said...
I just don't have what it takes to be who I want.

I dunno, no children is a good start.; 4/2/17, 7:53 PM
Laslo Spatula said...: Thirteen-year-old Betsy Michigan Looks At Her World...

I'm getting a lot of followers on my YouTube Channel -- it's like every morning I wake up with even MORE people who want to be My Friend...!

Sure, there are the Haters: a lot of girls are Mean, and don't like a girl who can just be Happy with being Herself. Life is short, people: I mean, couldn't you find something better to do with your time than to call me Mean names? Like, when I feel like I could be Mean I look at Cute Cat Videos and then I feel SO much better...

I get a LOT of Male Followers. They always compliment me on my clothes and make-up and hair: it's weird, some of them being my Dad's age, but I like to think I just remind them of being Young again, although my sister Kara says they just watch my videos to masturbate...

I can't wait for summer to make some Summer Fun Videos -- my mother promised me that, now that I'm thirteen, I can have my first two-piece bathing suit! I bet it will be so cute...!

I am Laslo.; 4/2/17, 8:00 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Sammy Finkelman said...
children ages 8 to 14...working to pay for their own clothes."

Isn't that illegal?"

There used to be this thing called "an allowance." You did chores, you got a certain amount of money given to you by your parents. You wanted to buy something special? You did some extra work around the house and got some more money.

That's probably considered "child abuse" now.; 4/2/17, 8:05 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Or if you really needed a few extra bucks, you set up a lemonade stand and there waiting for thirsty people to turn up.

But they're shutting down kid's lemonade stands now:

http://blogs.findlaw.com/law_and_life/2013/08/5-legal-issues-with-your-kids-lemonade-stand.html

The threat of illicit lemonade sold by 10 year olds was a major threat to this nation, but don't worry, politicians and bureaucrats have the problem under control!; 4/2/17, 8:12 PM
Laslo Spatula said...: Thirteen-year-old Betsy Michigan Looks At Her World...

It's so amazing -- so many of my YouTube Channel viewers REALLY care about me...

Just a couple of days ago I was feeling sad and put up a video about my worry that my breasts would never grow. SO many people told me not to worry, they liked me just like I am...!

Some men even said they LIKE women who look like young girls best! They said young girls have a Special Innocence that big breasts ruin -- I never even thought of it that way...!

So I like myself, just as I am -- and now I don't feel so self-conscious about posting my Yoga Videos...!

I am Laslo.; 4/2/17, 8:14 PM
gspencer said...: "Where have you gone, Betty & Veronica? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you?"

Go, Riverdale girls!; 4/2/17, 8:18 PM
Laslo Spatula said...: Thirteen-year-old Betsy Michigan Looks At Her World...

I don't get it, sometimes. I put up a video of me talking about my thoughts, and -- Yeah -- I get viewers, but I post ONE video of me eating a banana and the viewer hits go crazy...!

The Internet can be weird that way...

I am Laslo.; 4/2/17, 8:28 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: As offputting as I would have found the bows and cutesyness when I was 11, at the other extreme, there are teen girls putting up Youtube videos like Laslo's Betsy Michigan. The worst I've heard of was a 15 or 16 year old girl who posted a video of herself - brace yourself - not only removing a tampon but sucking on it after removing it.

My stomach rolled over when I read that (I didn't follow the link to the actual video for the same reason I don't watch ISIS videos), but then I'm kinda old-fashioned and unhip when it comes to things like that. Given that today's feministas are all about the Almighty Vag and its workings (except for when it functions as birth canal), and it's only logical that a teen girl could come to the conclusion that hey, it's neat to show the world your private bodily functions!

Or maybe she just thought it would make the boys like her. The boys of my era were intensely embarrassed at any mention of menstruation, but that's because we were all so repressed in the 70's.

So, given the sea of garbage that's out there, maybe hair bows and "be nice" and "do your chores" aren't the things which should inspire outrage.; 4/2/17, 8:39 PM
Mr Wibble said...: "Where have you gone, Betty & Veronica? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you?"

Go, Riverdale girls!

Riverdale on the CW is in the process of trying to ruin Betty and Veronica.; 4/2/17, 9:14 PM
Kathryn51 said...: I remember a time when Britney Spears (former Mickey Mouser) was considered a wonderful role model for pre-teens - until she turned 18 (or was it 17) and went full-on Madonna lite. A new Slut Icon was born.

And who could forget precious Linsey Lohan. Parent Trap! Mean Girls. Drunk (or addled by drugs). Rehab. A great role model.

And then there was sweet Miley Cyrus. At the heyday of Miley's TV show (I forget the name but it was on the Disney channel), a co-worker's young daughter was enthralled and Mom thought she was a great role model. I warned her that Miley was the next Britney or Lindsey. She didn't listen. And then at age 17 (or was it 16), Miley went full frontal near porn and . . a new Slut Icon was born.

Trust me - JOJO and all of her youTube buddies are carefully managed by parents (usually a Mom) and when these lovelies are no longer making money being cute "tweens", they will pivot to Slut Teen to keep the moolah pouring in.; 4/2/17, 9:33 PM
M Jordan said...: Susan Rice.; 4/2/17, 9:48 PM
Inga said...: "My stomach rolled over when I read that (I didn't follow the link to the actual video for the same reason I don't watch ISIS videos), but then I'm kinda old-fashioned and unhip when it comes to things like that."

She says that after saying THIS:

"The worst I've heard of was a 15 or 16 year old girl who posted a video of herself - brace yourself - not only removing a tampon but sucking on it after removing it."

She seems to get some sort of 'zing' or something from describing it, yet protests that it turns her stomach, I call bullshit. In the past she described in detail torture done to POWs in a Japanaese prison camp. Despite her protestations I suspect she enjoys the gore aspect of such commentary, which is disgusting and weird.; 4/2/17, 10:02 PM
Guildofcannonballs said...: What we need are gangs above the law to look after these young girls, just like in the U.K.

Americans are rednecks and racists, the U.K. is full of enlightened folks better than we are. Sad.; 4/2/17, 10:08 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/2/17, 10:32 PM
Inga said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/2/17, 10:33 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Inga once again plays blog shrink. Describing something gruesome or distasteful means you approve of or enjoy it. By Inga's logic, everyone who wrote books about Auschwitz did so because they harbored a secret wish to be Mengele.

The quote which heads this post is ""In a world where parents of children ages 8 to 14 have long been concerned about hypersexualized clothing, early puberty and overly sophisticated media messages..." My comment was intended to show that parents are indeed correct to be concerned about those things.

Keep trying, Inga. Maybe some day you'll write a coherent and logical comment.; 4/2/17, 10:37 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: "She seems to get some sort of 'zing' or something from describing it"

Please explain how you arrived at this insight. What exactly did I write that stuck you as gleeful?

Otherwise, people might get the idea that you're delusional and illogical.; 4/2/17, 10:42 PM
Inga said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/2/17, 10:43 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/2/17, 10:47 PM
Inga said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/2/17, 11:10 PM
Inga said...: "The quote which heads this post is ""In a world where parents of children ages 8 to 14 have long been concerned about hypersexualized clothing, early puberty and overly sophisticated media messages..." My comment was intended to show that parents are indeed correct to be concerned about those things."

But your comment does not do this. Telling a story about a teen girl and her used tampon does not describe "hypersexualization". It describes a disturbed young person, aberrant behavior. You do seem to add odd things to your commentary for shock value quote often.; 4/2/17, 11:17 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: In the other thread, Inga, who is now bizarrely referring to herself in the 3rd person, wrote about me " Inga will just go back to ignoring her altogether which frustrates her even more."

Well, that lasted about 5 minutes, LOL.

" You do seem to add odd things to your commentary for shock value quote often."

The real, brutal world gives you the vapors. I understand. Liberals don't like to face the cultural morass they helped to create.; 4/2/17, 11:27 PM
Inga said...: Adolescents and adults stuck in their development have been known to add gruesome "facts" to their commentary when they are attention seeking. After raising four teens and observing their friends, I've seen this plenty of times. And Exiled, when I referred to myself in the third person I was mocking you and Birkel for your continued obsession with me. It's time it stops. Or are you once again going to tell me how you plan on " stalking" me some more like you did last week when Althouse had to chastise you and delete several of your comments? Is this good faith commenting? Grow the hell up and act like a woman in her mid fifties, not some attention seeking teenager obsessed with strangers online and gory stories. Ignoring you doesn't seem to help, I really don't know how to deal with your aggression anymore. I hope Althouse and Meade can see the need to do some more deletions in this thread and the other one that you couldn't stop talking about me for hours while I was away.; 4/2/17, 11:41 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Or it could just be that you're pissed off at me and were looking for a chance to attack and play your favorite role of "Inga, Internet shrink" and so seized on my comment, which was about how willing a young girl was to degrade herself in a horrible way on the Internet in exchange for attention and approval. Anybody who could read that comment and come away with the absurd idea that I somehow approved of or enjoyed what that girl did is simply operating out of malice and spite.; 4/2/17, 11:41 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Althouse did not single me out in that thread, nor did she name names. I believe she was pissed off at all three of us but the only comments she deleted were Mary's, not mine, and she always deletes Mary's comments. She said one of us was "acting in bad faith." She did not say who she thought that was. Maybe it was Mary, maybe me - and maybe she meant you. Did that ever occur to you?

I apologized to Althouse because I was sorry you two harridans had dragged me into such a stupid argument.

And now you're doing it again. My, what an end to a "delightful evening with your friends" - where you sat and talked about Birkel and me to dinner guests.

Yeah, right. Goodnight.; 4/2/17, 11:50 PM
Inga said...: I didn't say you approved or enjoyed what she did. I said you got a zing by mentioning it, which was a totally unnecessary "factoid " and didn't even speak to the subject matter of the blogpost, which was hypersexualization, early puberty and sophisticated media messages. It was gratuitous gore.; 4/2/17, 11:56 PM
Inga said...: No one "dragged" you into any argument. Take responsibility for your actions. You are the aggressor day in and day out, not I. You truly have no self awareness. I'm trying to comment on this blog to express my opinion which seems to enrage you, I'm sick of it and I bet so us everyone else.; 4/3/17, 12:03 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: I'm sick of it and I bet so us everyone else.

4/3/17, 12:03 AM

You wish to comment without being criticized, no matter what you say. Look at what you did here - you took my comment about a particularly horrific incident of teenage exhibitionism and somehow made it about me and my supposed mental state.

"Take responsibility for your actions."

I did, by apologizing to Althouse. You simply imagined that you were not to blame at all for that thread and that Althouse was upset with me and only me.

That is exactly why people get irritated with you - because you stir up shit and then pretend that you are the entirely innocent little victim.; 4/3/17, 4:53 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: "Trust me - JOJO and all of her youTube buddies are carefully managed by parents (usually a Mom) and when these lovelies are no longer making money being cute "tweens", they will pivot to Slut Teen to keep the moolah pouring in."

That's a cynical take Kathryn, but you might very well be correct.; 4/3/17, 4:57 AM
Mike Petrik said...: "She seems to get some sort of 'zing' or something from describing it, yet protests that it turns her stomach, I call bullshit. In the past she described in detail torture done to POWs in a Japanaese prison camp. Despite her protestations I suspect she enjoys the gore aspect of such commentary, which is disgusting and weird."

Easily the most incoherent comment on this thread.; 4/3/17, 5:49 AM
I Have Misplaced My Pants said...: My 11 year old loves some kids on YouTube called the GEM Sisters. They are silly and harmless but completely inane. I tell her she's rotting her brain by looking to YouTube for entertainment and make her go pick up a book. I don't think she knows about these other kids yet.

It worries me that YouTube is replacing TV because at least TV has the potential to be a group activity that parents can participate in and discuss. YouTube is solitary and is a perfect medium for messages of dubious quality to go straight to vulnerable brains with no speed bumps.; 4/3/17, 6:01 AM
Inga said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/3/17, 6:44 AM
Inga said...: Pants, my 3 year grandson loves some YouTube videos called "Blippy". It features a kooky guy that shows life scenarios at toddler level, trucks, jobs, stores, different things small children would be interested in. One of his older cousins introduced him to "Blippy" and now my grandson begs to watch him daily. My daughter doesn't allow it daily, which is doable at age three. Teenagers are another story altogether, been there, done that. I've got a 16 year old granddaughter and her online watching is out of the control of my daughter, as she has an iPhone, as do so many teens. My granddaughter is pretty level headed and age appropriate thank goodness, she's off to France with her French class soon.; 4/3/17, 6:51 AM
Birches said...: It worries me that YouTube is replacing TV because at least TV has the potential to be a group activity that parents can participate in and discuss. YouTube is solitary and is a perfect medium for messages of dubious quality to go straight to vulnerable brains with no speed bumps.

My oldest is 11. Our computer is still password protected so they have to ask to use it and "looking up YouTube videos" is not a good enough answer usually. On the occasion I will let them look stuff up to watch, I don't allow them to click on related videos. I think that's been helpful to minimize the exposure to crap. Also, our computer is in an open area and we have a filter. My 8 year old's friend keeps telling him about clips from Sausage Party that he watches on YouTube. Yeah.; 4/3/17, 2:09 PM