The Girl was reading a BOP at the kitchen table the other day and while I love me a good celeb-rag, I was struck by a few differences from when I was a tween (beyond the fact that there was no such thing as a tween back then). See what I’m thinking and then share in our comments section your thoughts on kids and gossip magazines.
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9 seems a bit young to be exposed to the mean-catty side of mags and celebrity. No kids now, but two on the way…I’m thinking I would not condone that type of “tear-em-down” until later.
I remember reading Tiger Beat and Teen something or another before I hit a teen year – and like you, I remember them being pretty positive. Look at that cute guy, and when he was no longer “it” he moved to lower corner cover and in the back 1/4 page spread, when he was definitely “out” he moved out of the mag with no mention. That was part of the fun, talking and imagining what happened and why Scott Baio or whoever was no longer “it”. Even, like you mentioned, Seventeen was not mean or catty – I didn’t “read” that until I was 13 or 14 though.
What was the mag like as far as female body image?
Exactly Noel! It was implied that people were cool or not but never overtly pointed out. The girls were all teeny-tiny of course and they “tear down” piece had to do with how they looked which I thought they looked fine so of course is my kid is judging herself against that we’re screwed.