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RSS FeedThe Dirt on Girls’ Empowerment
In CAMD I talk about how today’s “girl power” substitutes self-obsession for self-confidence, tells girls that female independence, empowerment—identity—are expressed through materialism and narcissim. Here’s another example, sent to me by a friend in LA (yeah, but it’s not JUST LA), of how those ideas keep skewing ever younger. Art and yoga? FABULOUS!!! But not when the sole focus of that “mindfulness,” “creativity,” and “empowerment” is fashion, hair and makeup. Consider this one in context of the growing number of spa science kits and the girlie “creative” craft kits….(colors of the type are from the ad)
GIRL POWER
Art & Yoga Camp
for girls aged 5 to 12
Give the special girl in your life a week of creativity, mindfulness, friendship & joy featuring Laura Fuller of Yoga in Mar Vista! Camp will be held at Pamper & Play on Westwood Boulevard, just a few blocks up from Westside Pavilion, June 25-29, noon to 3 p.m. Attendees will be divided into two groups by age. The schedule will include a healthy lunch (provided), yoga, art/activity, play and hang time. Activities will include: flip flop decorating (customize your kicks for summer); create a vision board; hand crafted eye pillows; restyling and tie dying a tee shirt and a hair feather/mani-pedi party! Lunches will be provided by Pamper & Play and prepared by participants. Lunches will include chillicious smoothies, healthy wraps, tea sandwiches, crudités and healthy chocolate treats.
We have 12 spots left, so register NOW.
Cost is $250 if you sign up by June 5 and includes 5 three-hour sessions, healthy lunch and materials. Late registration price is $280.
For more info or to register, email carole@pamperplay.com [carole (at) pamperplay (dot) com]
Visit our website or get up-to-the-minute info on facebook
Here’s a thought. You want “girl power?” How about: “GET SUPER DIRTY & Play?” (also: I’m thinking “healthy” is the p.c. concept for “fear of fat.”)
Aaauurrggghhh… that is so wrong!
So glad I’m sending my kid to girl scouts camp, where they make them clean the latrines…
There are Day Spa and Dance Fever offerings at our local Girl Scout Day Camp. I kind of assumed my daughter would be doing stuff like learning how to find her way out of the woods and bait a hook. Why bother learning skills and competencies when you can practice looking good? When the Girl Scouts are drinking the Kool Aid we really have a problem.
It was hard enough to grow up in the 80′s – I can’t begin to imagine being a young girl today, attempting to navigate this heinous sparkly pink path to “womanhood”…
Makes me even more grateful we grew up in the “country” and were encouraged (by my amazing mama) to climb trees, dig in the dirt, and camp outside with only a sleeping bag.
And while I can appreciate a fantastic pair of shoes I also love getting dirty in the garden and teaching my son about the foods we’re growing. It’s all about balance
Unbelievable! Thanks for writing about this Peggy — I still love your term “empower-tainment” — so perfectly apt for such a perfect travesty of the original intention of empowering girls.
Mani/pedi? Flip-flop decorating? Chillicious smoothies? $250 freaking dollars??
Sad and unfortunate when even the concept of girl’s empowerment is commodified.
I’m sorry if this has been asked and answered . . WHY is this site done in pink?
Dunno if I’ve answered it here, though maybe. A couple of reasons, mostly thought about before the book came out, so in a somewhat different frame of mind. It was a way to signal inclusiveness to those who didn’t naturally agree with my arguments. Also, it was supposed to be IRONIC (like the glitter on the book’s cover) because I was also trying to signal the book’s humor. It was very important to me that the ways the book’s presentation and my writing cut against the grain were apparent. Now that the book’s been out for 18 months (and the pink tide has continued to rise) I might do it differently. Or not. At any rate, I’ll probably overhaul it at some point, though maybe not until my next book which will require a different set up.
Longtime lurker, first time commenter.
The “science” kits are maddening. I ran into them shortly after my daughter was born, while looking for science fun for my older boys: http://www.blogschmog.net/2010/01/21/boys-girls-science-and-marketing/
I’m grateful my daughter is growing up seeing things you normally find in the boys’ science sets: electronics, fire, explosions, etc. There is also a lot of cooking experimentation that goes on with my older son (most recently, how could we make red-headed “blondies brownies”.) She sees her brothers play and assumes that’s how it’s done, so I’m hopeful she will explore a broad swath of learning.
Thanks for both the book and the blog. I enjoy both, and they get read out loud in our living room frequently!
Thank you, Amy! I’m thrilled both that you’ve joined the conversation AND to discover I have “lurkers!”
And what in the world is a red-headed blondie?????
And finally: the presence of that older brother, as I’ve said in the book, makes such a difference in what girls are exposed to and even in their aptitudes. Apparently rewires their brain, according to Lise Eliot. I wonder, too, if it doesn’t change some parents’ perspective, if subtly. Parents who would or want to expose their daughter to a wide range of activities may be more likely or motivated to do so–may just be EASIER–if they’re already looking for something for their son. I know as the mother to a girl who does NOT have boys (and a more artsy/music-y/writer-y person myself) it’s much easier and more natural for me to think of activities that have a more typical, even stereotypical bent. I have to consciously remember to do more science/electronics stuff, though my daughter enjoys it all….
The most salient part of the camp description for me is the elitism–clearly designed for very wealthy families (only)