Are girl bands really to blame for promoting negative body image to teens? Catwalk Queen editor Kimberley Foster reports...
The Pussycat Dolls, Girls Aloud and the Sugababes... Apparently watching them could be bad for your health. That is, according to new research from Sussex University who found that music videos produced by girl bands are adversely affecting teenagers more so than size zero models. "The imagery is far more potent and the risk factors are so much more powerful," Dr Johnson, chief executive of the Eating Disorders Foundation, told Sydney's The Sunday Telegraph.
In a recent study of 90 participants from an all-girls college, aged 16 to 18, the results showed that watching music videos by girl groups had greater potential to produce negative body image than watching video of thin models. The fact that teenagers have more access to music videos than catwalk shows is also being used as a reason.
"Additionally, the findings showed that girls with both high and low self-esteem were equally vulnerable to the negative impact of music videos on their body image," said researcher Dr Helga Dittmar.
If this statement is true, then perhaps a discussion is necessary in determining the real impact of music videos on young women's attitude towards healthy body image. From my own experience, I've seen my female friends react more towards women appearing in music videos, such as the Pussycat Dolls and their athletic bodies than a model in a magazine. But is this simply admiration of their physical appearance/fitness or something more?
Outspoken singer for The Gossip, Beth Ditto has been used as an alternative to the ultra-thin look. Her continuous criticism of super skinny models and celebrities including Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham plus her recent cover for NME magazine where she appears nude has helped earn her her own pin-up status.
Then again, the question as to whether Ditto herself is a good role model for young women has also been asked more than once. [source]
What do you think? Do you believe that music videos such the one below from the Pussycat Dolls are responsible for promoting negative body image in teenagers?
[via Catwalk Queen]
