The Lolita Effect: The Media Sexualization of Young Girls and Five Keys to Fixing It (original 2008; edition 2009)

by Ph.D Durham, M. Gigi

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From the Publisher: Pop culture-and the advertising that surrounds it-teaches young girls and boys five myths about sex and sexuality: Girls don't choose boys, boys choose girls-but only sexy girls, There's only one kind of sexy-slender, curvy, white beauty, Girls should work to be that type of sexy, The younger a girl is, the sexier she is, Sexual violence can be hot. Together, these five myths make up the Lolita Effect, the mass media trends that work to undermine girls' self-confidence, that condone female objectification, and that tacitly foster sex crimes. But identifying these myths and breaking them down can help girls learn to recognize progressive and healthy sexuality and protect themselves from degrading media ideas and sexual vulnerability. In The Lolita Effect, Dr. M. Gigi Durham offers breakthrough strategies for empowering girls to make healthy decisions about their own sexuality.… (more)

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Member:	stealth.librarian
Title:	The Lolita Effect: The Media Sexualization of Young Girls and Five Keys to Fixing It
Authors:	Ph.D Durham, M. Gigi
Info:	Overlook TP (2009), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 288 pages
Collections:	Women's studies, Non fiction, Your library
Rating:
Tags:	parenting, women's studies, family relations, psychology, modern culture

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The Lolita Effect: The Media Sexualization of Young Girls and What We Can Do About It by M. Gigi Durham (2008)

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Showing 1-5 of 7 (next | show all)

A useful and interesting book (though in need of better editing to remove a surprising amount of repetition and loss of focus in a given argument), but nothing new in it for any one aware of any of the literature coming out of the women's movement, the work on the left about ideology and culture, etc. The most interesting thing about this book is really how it reflects a gradual absorption of left analysis by the mainstream. (

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lschiff | Sep 24, 2023 |

This is a must-read for parents and teachers of girls, and a should-read for everyone else. I've read my fair share of media criticism, especially about gender inequality and representation. What sets this one apart is that the end of each chapter has an action plan. The title of the book is true to form: each chapter dissects the media sexualization of girls, and ends with what we can do about it.

Also useful (especially to me, since I teach similar content in my Popular Culture Studies class) are the pages of resources and notes Durham includes. It is a goldmine of information.

I checked this out from the library, but I will be buying a copy of my own to mark up, develop lesson plans from, and lend out to interested readers. I haven't been this affected by a book about the pressures girls face since I read Reviving Ophelia nearly 20 years ago. (

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ms_rowse | Jan 1, 2022 |

This book is interesting at times, but it seems to be geared more toward parents , educators, and social work practitioners than general readers. There are a great deal of hints and suggestions for advice, learning activities, and therapy which are of no use and very little interest to individuals who do not belong to one of the foregoing groups. (

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Big_Bang_Gorilla | Jul 12, 2013 |

Though I was aware of a lot of what Durham writes about in the book, it was a great reminder of the importance of talking with young people very early on about the media and how it portrays women and girls. Media literacy is so important--now more than ever. As a reader who does not yet have children, it motivated me to not only go back to this when I do have children, but also to make sure to have these conversations with the young people I already have in my life.

Though most of what Durham discusses focuses on young women, I appreciated that she mentions several times that it is just as important to talk about these things with young men and boys as well. Great book for parents, educators and anyone who works with young people. (

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Firecrackerscribe | Apr 2, 2013 |

This book covers a wide trange of topics, including the gils gone wild culture, the sexualisation of very young girls and the social problems it all leads to. The author is supportive of girls having the space and freedom to develop their own sexuality, rather than having an idealised sexuality imposed on them by the media. The book demonstrates its case well, and provides a number of ways for trusted adults to open up these conversations with girls, but in the end the book just didn't set me on fire--it's good, but it's not great. (

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Placebogirl | Mar 29, 2010 |

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2008

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Media and teen relationships

Meenakshi Gigi Durham

Sexualization

▾Book descriptions

From the Publisher: Pop culture-and the advertising that surrounds it-teaches young girls and boys five myths about sex and sexuality: Girls don't choose boys, boys choose girls-but only sexy girls, There's only one kind of sexy-slender, curvy, white beauty, Girls should work to be that type of sexy, The younger a girl is, the sexier she is, Sexual violence can be hot. Together, these five myths make up the Lolita Effect, the mass media trends that work to undermine girls' self-confidence, that condone female objectification, and that tacitly foster sex crimes. But identifying these myths and breaking them down can help girls learn to recognize progressive and healthy sexuality and protect themselves from degrading media ideas and sexual vulnerability. In The Lolita Effect, Dr. M. Gigi Durham offers breakthrough strategies for empowering girls to make healthy decisions about their own sexuality.

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