Hot on HuffPost Parents:
Cassandra Scrimgeour: When Is the "Right Time" for a Baby?
Significant Wage Gap Between Working Moms And Working Women
Who are the famous role models for this generation of girls?
Filed under: Teens, Celeb Parents
In grade 4 I wanted to be Madonna. My little friends and I would make up impromptu dances in the car port, bleating off-key lyrics to "Like a Virgin". I had no idea what a virgin was, but I wanted Madonna's lace and big hair and huge crazy jewelry and to sing songs just like her. Though Like a Virgin was scandalous at the time (I believe my Mom banned me from listening to it at one point, to no avail), and Madonna a suspect role model, she and her songs have nothing on the scandal-meter of the role models for today's girls.I was listening to the radio on the way to my parent's tonight, two announcers discussing the countdown to Paris Hilton's incarceration. And a slew of images floated into my head from a week ago, Lindsay Lohan out of a recent car crash, cocaine found, bad things everywhere. And there's more -- naked Britney, skin-and-bones Nicole Richie, the blurry excess of twenty-something Hollywood. I don't know if Madonna was much better, but I don't remember any scandalous body-part shots or headlines about her random drug use.
I know it's the trainwrecks that get the majority of the press -- but when I search my head for an example of a sane twenty-something in Hollywood, I'm hard pressed to think of anyone. Are they out there? Who do your young girls look up to?
Your<span>Voice</span>
Ask Us Anything About Parenting
Recently Asked
- When A father does not visit his children because the new girlfriend has said "it's me or the kids"...how can the children be protected
- I had a daughter when I was 15. I stupidly signed over rights to someone five years later. I know I have no rights now, but when she turns 18, how can...
- Grandparent dilemma
TheTalkies:RelatedVideos
-
Hot Fashion Trends for High School Girls
Going back to school can be intimidating for the kids. And buying a new wardrobe can be even scarier for the parents.
This school year, Videojug and JCPenney teamed up to make the lives of some deserving families a little bit easier. And with the help of JCPenney's clothing experts, we'll show you how to put the COOL in school with the hottest trends for high school girls.
-
How to Parent an Alpha Girl
Dr. Sylvia Gearing will teach you how to effectively parent your alpha daughter to a successful life.
-
Same Sex Parents: Two Moms
Parents TV talks to a same sex couple, two women who adopted two girls and how they share their role as mothers.
-
Ereka's Girl Talk: Sex
Ereka and 4 other women talk about their sexual experiences and what women find important in sex.
SitesWeLove
- Site Map
- |
- Staff
- |
- Terms of Service
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Trademarks
- |
- Advertise With Us
- |
- About Our Ads
- |
- AOL Downloads
- |
- Contact Us
- |
© Copyright 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Aol Family
ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
6-05-2007 @ 3:34PM
anderson_michelle_lee said...I do not have girls, but I can tell you that I am happy for that. I completely agree with everything you said. Who can young girls look up to? I think that parents have a tougher job because of this. I have five nieces and two of them are already dressing like those twenty something on TV (at the fault of their mother) but the others are always talking about make-up and things that go along with it. oh and I failed to mention that they are all under the age of 9. For their birthdays they want cell phones and I-pods, the oldest one does not play with any toys and assumes that she is much to old to do kid things. I was still skipping to school and playing at 12 at least. parents are giving in, and we are creating monsters.
I have tried to talk sense into my sister-in-law numerous times, but she is the kids of parent that buys to replace the time she will not spend with the kids (which is her choice not to). As a parent of two boys, I can only say that the pressure is on the boys too. at 8, my son wants to sag his pants. I do not tolerate that though. if he wants his butt to hang out, then he can go to school in his underwear. Anyways, we as parents need to set more limtis and let the kids know that just because someone is famous, that does not make them a good person, or someone to look up to.
Reply
6-05-2007 @ 3:51PM
Ethel said...Chelsea Clinton for one. Venus and Serena Williams. Do they have to be 20 and "glamorous"? How 'bout Jane Goodall? There are just so many women out there that I don't think one should restrict it to 20 year old Hollywood, I suggest you use the Hopi refrain "That's not the Hopi way", except make it your own like "That's not what we do." It'll seep in over time.
Reply
6-05-2007 @ 4:05PM
Uncle Roger said...How about Helen Greiner (iRobot) and Donna Dubinsky (Palm/Handspring)?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Greiner
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Dubinsky
If you have to have someone in the entertainment world, how about Bonnie Raitt?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnie_Raitt
Dare I say Nancy Pelosi?
Reply
6-05-2007 @ 4:07PM
Uncle Roger said...Hmmmm... How about Angelina Jolie? Not exactly straight and narrow, but still a pretty positive force in the world.
Reply
6-05-2007 @ 5:46PM
S. Kelly said...I completely agree with you, but I must say:
You obviously never saw Madonna's, "Truth or Dare."
Reply
6-06-2007 @ 1:34PM
Tamara said...My friends 12 year old daughter loves the kids from "High School Musical" the cast of "Wildfire" and girls like Amanda Bynes and Hillary Duff. She hates Lindsay Lohan and thinks Paris Hilton is ridiculous. I don't know if her taste is the norm, but she certainly isn't a social outcast.
Reply
6-07-2007 @ 12:41PM
Joel Niemeyer said...Indeed, HSM is big with my daughter and friends, too. And while some of the concepts are a little advanced, and the girls are a little more mature than I would like, I would classify them as far distant from the skanks in the news. Thank God my kids can't stand the ones getting the coverage, and we make no secret of the fact that "They are probably fine people, but really need help.". :-)
By and large, though, mine don't look up to the famous so much as they do other women in their life. My older in particular looks up to her girl scout leader who just happens to be one of the first women to summit Mt. Everest. That and other accomplishments leave my daughter in awe, and this person is her primary role model.
Reply