Sexualization in Kid's Programming

With two small kids in the house, the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon are on the tv fairly often (probably far too often but we're working on it). And I am forced to sit through some of the shows, the most annoying of which I exercise my parental authority and ban outright. But the thing that gets me is the marketing to kids.

There's a music CD that gets sold to kids called KidzBop which is children resinging popular songs. Which isn't so bad although some of the songs are rather adult in nature and its odd, to say the least, seeing a 12 year old girl singing about love and heartache.

But the creepy part is, in the commercial, when they show a 12ish year old vamping and shaking her non-existent boobs like a big girl. I get what they are trying to do and all but the advertisers are feeding inappropriate imagery to kids and giving pedophiles wank fodder.

But then, maybe I just read too much into everything. But I've got to do something with my mind while the (mostly) drivel is on.

Sex (Still) Sells

Even in defeat, Patrick main attraction at Indy because of a potential confrontation and the basic fact that she's gorgeous. She looks alot more like an umbrella girl than a driver, but she can drive like a demon.

Americans love nothing more than a beautiful face except when the pretty, pretty is also capable in her actually chosen field. In Patrick's case, she races Indy cars, a sport about as exciting as waiting for a pile up on the evening commute. Which is pretty much the only reason I'd ever watch it and I don't think I'm in the minority. Not that I want drivers to get hurt but it breaks up the monotony of the actual race.

Danica Patrick is one, Milka Duno (love that name!) and Sarah Fisher are two more.

I'm sure there are more good looking (and capable, let's not forget the capable part) that are being speeded through the lower ranks to bring some eyeballs back on the sport.

But yeah, Danica is a marketing dream, she's determined, she's tough and she's smoking hot. Not a bad combo plate at all.

And, oh yeah, no I didn't watch even a moment of the races this weekend. Just not into watching cars go in a big circle at high speed but I bet it gets more fun when you add in sun exposure and case after case of cheap beer.

And this has made me wonder what other sports I semi-follow even though I don't care for the sport, just the pretty faces who play it? I'd have to say a good portion of tennis falls under that designation. Its the reason we have female sideline reporters in football, a little pretty to break up a whole lot of ugly. Or did you really think Erin Andrews was a truly top-notch football analyst? Heck, here's an entire website dedicated to the pretties on the sidelines to add to/distract from the sporting event.

And there you go, some Monday morning hawt boy blogging to get your day started.