"Sexy Inc. - Our Children Under the Influence"

Sexy Inc. - Our Children Under the Influence is an interesting documentary exploring the over-sexualisation of the media and advertisements, and its influence on children and their identities. A short, 30 minute piece that explores a few issues ranging from the influence of hyper-sexualisation on children as well as the reinforcing of gender stereotypes.

It is not a coincidence that marketing companies focus on selling to children, children's minds are like sponges and they will take in everything that is shown to them and they will start to become consumers at a very young age. (Remember the Baby-G phase?)

I don't know if your familiar with the very successful 'Bratz' brand, which is an alternative doll to Barbie; well, not only are they marketing 'sexy' dolls to Tweens (Preadolescence), they have started making little baby Bratz wearing make up and wearing belly showing tank tops. I'm pretty sure it's not just me thinking that things have gone too far.  I am not joking - check this out.

Of course adolescence is an even harder period where all you want to be is 'normal' or 'fit-in'. So, who do you look up to? Of course, celebrities and musicians, who bombard our TV on a daily basis. And yes, they do have a responsibility to realise that they are the role models for future children.

I remember as I was growing up these music videos had already started being the norm on MTV or any other music channel. Women dancing around in thongs, men showing off their little groupie gang of women. This is not unfortunately the norm. Turned on any music channel recently? If not I suggest you grab the remote and get a quick dose of reality. And actually it's not just music channels, it's reality programs, it's films, it's songs. It's everywhere.

I guess I was lucky to have found the 'grungy' group in my school, where we listened to rock'n'roll and were mostly listening to our parents CDs or whatever was 'alternative'. The message was : either you are sexy and beautiful or alternative and ugly. Girls getting a lot of hassle for not dressing 'girly' enough. I'm sorry - but WHO exactly decided that girls like pink and boys like blue? Oh what's that? A girl thinking for herself and standing up for an alternative? She must be ugly.  And again WHO decided girls like dolls and boys like superheroes? This little girl hits the nail on the head.

Anyway, this could be a topic we could discuss for hours and frankly write about for hours, but my point is, that having worked in a primary school this year (kids maximum 12 years old), I was actually shocked by several different things. One being a lack of being able to find a modern song without a sexual reference in it - this was for a video project we were working on.

With all this  bombardment of sexual imagery on a day to day basis of course children are going to aspire to be more sexual. Girls will think if they are not a size zero, not wearing make-up and tight-fitted clothing they are not beautiful and boys will try to be 'players' as its the cool thing to do. The responsibility obviously lies in the marketing companies - but more importantly, at home and at schools where it should be stressed to children that the media is manipulative and doesn't necessarily teach us the right values. We do have a responsibility.

Now without writing anymore, I'll just let you watch the documentary and let it speak for itself.