According to Joan Morgan, the presence of video girls as representations of attractiveness in society leads to negative consequences like low self-esteem and eating disorders in young women. When girls do not resemble the physical appearance of these video girls, their self-esteem suffers. One viewer pointed out that the video girls are typically slender and of various ethnicities, except for black girls who are usually portrayed as extremely light-skinned (Morgan, 120).
According to Morgan (122), many young women feel undesirable if they do not fit into society’s ideal image. This pressure leads some to develop eating disorders as they strive to achieve the “ideal” body portrayed by thin video vixens. In fact, the author states that 90% of those affected by eating disorders are adolescent and young adult females.
Women stay bulimic because they believe it will help them attract male interest. This belief leads to young women exposing themselves for attention, without realizing that the women they see on screen are merely uncensored background.
Young girls imitate the lifestyle and attitude of others. Irene Prince, a friend of the author, explains the issue with rap music’s portrayal of women: “The problem with rap is that the images of cool women they present are always degrading to girls.” This opinion was influenced by Irene’s mother, who believed that her daughter found the women in rap music videos to be cool. In opposition to her daughter’s behavior, Irene’s mother commented, “Toys for boys” (Morgan, 122).
Morgan’s article supports the idea of featuring women in videos targeting young girls, which is a stance I share. The author explores how some women choose to show more skin in order to be included in these videos. When young girls see this kind of content, they start believing that revealing more skin will attract boys’ attention. Consequently, some girls have been sent home from school for wearing inappropriate clothes. Public schools are focused on ensuring their students’ safety, particularly during their journey back home.
