The phrase “Stupid Girls” describes the current generation of celebrity and media obsessed (and influenced) girls, teenagers and even women who objectify and alter themselves in order to obtain respect from people around them.

Mishku mentioned on her blog how she had stupid girls in her class the other day. I guess the real question is whether they were playing dumb or are they indeed intellectually challenged? This particular post relates to the act of playing dumb.

Marginilisation of women was the topic on Oprah today. The episode was titled Smart Women on “Stupid Girls” (view a clip of the show here). I happened to catch it whilst visiting my favourite hospital area (ambulatory care) this afternoon and I found the discussion engaging. A particularly interesting comment was made by resident Oprah psychologist Dr Robin when she stated that sex (pornographic) stars are imitating an image, and that by imitating and imitation (ie. wannabe sex stars like Paris Hilton) young (”lost” as opposed to “stupid”) girls are as far removed as they can be from being unique and individual.

Dr Robin also went on to theorise how all of this has an uncanny similarity to the concept of master and slave, where after some time - the slave influences future generations of slaves such that the masters no longer need to be in the picture. Who are the “masters” in this case? Who is Dr Robin pointing to? The answer is “men” of course. After all, it is a “man’s world” (as we are led to believe time and time again).

I’m not debating the notion that historically men dominated society (at least when it came to social and political views) however I think that women are every bit as capable (and have an equal right) of reshaping tradition. However it is fascinating that the current generation of women (generalising here of course) feel a need to “dumb down” in order to earn respect, and thus marginilise themselves even further. Women are defeating women; there is no need for men to do it.

Here’s food for thought - thanks again to Dr Robin - today’s girls ie. the ones blindly following what is cool, hip, “in”, etc. don’t really have a choice as the choice is made for them before they even pick up that magazine or listen to the latest crazy pop song they just downloaded from the internet. Those who choose to be different, not give in to the pressures of society, will be the ones better off.

Musician Pink, a guest on Oprah’s show today, released a song aptly titled “Stupid Girls”. In the song she asks…

What happened to the dreams of a girl president
She’s dancing in the video next to 50 Cent
They travel in packs of two or three
With their itsy bitsy doggies and their teeny-weeny tees
Where, oh where, have the smart people gone?
Oh where, oh where could they be?

In the film clip Pink parodies the celebrities, and sadly the modern day role models of today’s young female generation, such as Paris and Nicki Hilton, Jessica Simpson, and others in an attempt to encourage people to think about what she describes as an “epidemic”.

Check out the video clip here:

I applaud Pink for asking the questions that other people wanted to but couldn’t. As Pink said on the show:

My definition of ’stupid’ is wasting your opportunity to be yourself because I think everybody has a uniqueness and everybody’s good at something.’”

By striving to be somebody you’re not, or to buy into what the magazines, movies and TV images sell, the only person losing out is yourself.

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