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Way back in colonial times(well, maybe not THAT far back), Twiggy was the one to emulate. Big, black, overdone eyes, pouty pink shiny lips and stick-figure body. She even had a slight slouch. So, by 7th grade, we walked around with heavy black eyes, gobs of lipstick and earrings so big, they dragged down our lobes.We ate nothing but Lifesavers for lunch so we'd be stick-thin. Dresscodes were pretty strict, but we always tried to make the skirts a little shorter and the tops a little tighter. But, Mom and Dad were there to rein most of us in when the calls from the teachers or administrators came.
Kids still try to emulate the famous. But the famous ones push the envelopes ever further, forgetting or ignoring boundaries in taste and decorum. The major difference? Parents more often than not allow the kids to do whatever they want in their quests to be like their idols. No time for battles, maybe, don't care, perhaps....want to be a pal and not an authority figure to their children(god forbid they lay rules like THEIR parents did). Too often, the call from school comes and the parents berate the caller instead of correcting the situation.
The good side? Kids learn a lot earlier what their decisions reap. Maybe they don't WANT accountability and responsibility for their actions, but it comes.
I allow my daughter to wear eye makeup and I have colored her hair funky colors-it's her way of self-discovery and I would much rather guide her along than let her flounder alone. That will happen soon enough and I won't be able or allowed to guide. So, I kind of welcome the challenges these media whores send our way. It gives me and my children the opportunity to face it and make decisions based on their own lives and needs.
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