So Cute

A few days ago a young girl dressed in her cheerleader outfit knocked on my front door. When I opened it she asked if I would support the High School by paying her $10.00 to get my car washed. As I simply said, "No thanks," she turned on her heels in disgust. While closing the door I wondered if she was annoyed about me not succumbing to her cute little charms or whether it was because I didn't let her clean my obviously dirty car.
My husband asked me who was at the door and I told him some girl selling car washes, but also added what was going on in my mind. I declared that I don't mind the schools having sport activities and cheerleaders, but feel disturbed by the emphasis that continues to persist for young girls to be petite and cute. It just seems too much.
I am sure that some of my thoughts were connected to the movie my husband and I had watched the evening before the cheerleader showed up at our front door. We had watched the 2004 version of "The Stepford Wives" and I couldn't get over how the attitude, appearance, and demeanor of that young girl reminded me of the brain-altered women in the film.
Then a few days later I opened a copy of the Costco Connection magazine that came in the mail and my mind really got to whirling. One of the articles advised all of us older women to get with it and start wearing hip hugger jeans. Otherwise we are just, well, looking too old. I do wear those jeans, even though I don't have nor intend to get a belly button ring, and it took a few moments for me, one of those older women, to realize that the magazine article is there to sell those jeans that may not be flying off the Costco shelves. Thankfully I am wise enough to know the difference between wearing clothes that are the latest craze—based on my body type—and falling into some marketing trap. But, I'm still concerned about the hype that marketers use to create a contrived mind-set for the young—and perhaps not so wise—that being sexy makes you happier.
Well, should capitalism ever be held responsible for the life-styles it creates even when people are so often emotionally set-up to hate themselves when their bodies aren't the ideal depicted in the media?