At summer camp, girls learn to shop for self-confidence, excel at “posing”
Asthma Mom looks at a summer “Fashion Camp” held at a Louisville mall in Teaching Young Girls How to Shop. For Self-Confidence.
The camp coordinator says that while the camp “has a fashion background . . . it also has to do with personal development and self-confidence.”
The personal development must come from these activities:
– lessons in modeling and posing;
– learning fashion terminology;
– putting together and accessorizing outfits;
– understanding the importance of thank-you notes (courtesy Hallmark); and
– standing up in front of the class and describing fashion choices.
The youngest camp attendees (ages 6 to 8) can join in on the fun with these sessions:
– Let’s Play Fashion Seek and Find! (courtesy J. Crew);
– Let’s Accessorize a Dress! and
– What Do I Need To Do to Keep My Skin Pretty?
I suppose an argument could be made for the merits of teaching girls to present themselves in an appropriate manner. That argument would work well in, say, the 1800s. But not today, when we know that the marketing-body-image-consumerism cycle is actually detrimental to girls:
. . . The “quick-fix” of a purchase actually robs [girls] of self-determination, self-awareness, and self-esteem. Encouraged to look outside of themselves for comfort, values and direction, girls become easy prey to addictive behaviors and unrealistic images . . . . In fact, the diet, tobacco and alcohol industries target girls, capitalizing on the body image, weight concerns, and beauty ideals that make them most vulnerable.
And let’s face it: this camp exists only to encourage girls to become shoppers at this neighborhood mall.
“As far as we know, this is the only program of its kind in the country,” says the camp coordinator.
Amen.
Read more: I Want, Therefore I Am: Global Girls in Consumer Culture
June 23rd, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Ainsley is the only girl in the Science class at the kids camp sponsored by the community college. All the other girls are in cheerleading and tennis and dance and hip hop and cooking classes. 7 boys and Ainsley. They taunted her the first day. “Girls are last” because she was the last in line. Why didn’t any other parents put their daughters in the science class?
June 24th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
These types of activities that teach our youngsters how to be good little consumers really annoy me. It reminds me of the field trips my daughter had with the Girl Scouts,when she got merit badges for going to the mall.
I really need to vomit.
June 24th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
this is quite a tragedy. like young girls dont have more important and meaningful things to consider and focus upon in life!
media begins teaching them insecurities and superficial junk lke this early in life and its pathetic.
June 25th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Hi there, and thanks for the mention!
It disturbs me that these camps are probably packed, yet my 9 year-old daughter’s invention/science camp here in FL was canceled for lack of participants.
(shakes head)
Why not just hand your kid 40 bucks and say, “Here, go buy some overpriced clothing that is probably too old for you, anyway.”