In Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls, Lisa Damour, Ph.D. examines the rising prevalence of anxiety and depression among adolescent girls and offers practical advice for parents trying to help their daughters (and sons) navigate these overwhelming feelings and find coping skills for life. Whereas many people who write about girls … Continue reading
In 1991, My Girl, starring Anna Chlumsky, Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Macaulay Culkin, brought audiences precociousness, adorable coming of age tropes, some bizarre funeral home stuff, and so much crying. By the mid-90s it was playing every summer on TBS or TNT or whatever, just waiting for me to learn about becoming a woman … Continue reading
This is wonderful and well said!
Please see my response to the backlash against the backlash here: Click! [Quick update/clarification: Victoria’s Secret is pointing out that the Bright Young Things line is not explicitly for teens, it’s just part of their PINK brand. Nonetheless, their CFO has stated that they are marketing toward 15 and 16 year old girls (see below) … Continue reading
Gilmore Girls is like comfort food to me, so when I heard that series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino had a new series premiering on ABC Family, I had to watch it. So far I’ve found Bunheads pretty hit-and-miss. Sometimes the banter is spot-on and other times it feels forced or out of place. For example, in … Continue reading
For a couple years, I’ve been hearing that I should read The Hunger Games Trilogy. These suggestions from friends, conference attendees, and students were always prompted by a discussion of my work on The Twilight Saga. Having read The Hunger Games, it became pretty clear to me that the suggestions were in hopes of showing … Continue reading
Last year at the PCA/ACA Conference, I presented a paper about Rachel Berry and Glee‘s portrayal of gifted girls, specifically the way the show reifies the notion that adolescent girls who are high-achievers in academics or other areas have to choose between being socially acceptable or nurturing their abilities. I’m kind of frustrated to see … Continue reading
I can remember vividly the first time I was told I was beautiful*. I was about eleven years-old and at the ballpark for one of my brother’s games and a mom of another kid on the team stopped me midway between the concession stand and the stands. She told me that I was growing so … Continue reading
Ph.D.s and Pigtails 