Last week, we quoted in the Culture Briefs, an article by Reason magazine writer Kerry Howley, in which she argued that the American Psychological Association's concerns about the "sexualization" of young girls are overblown:
Without any mechanism to explain the process by which precocious fashion taste turns to self-loathing, it's probably safest to assume that the kid's department at Penny's and the darkest recesses of American culture exist a world apart. Girls, as they always have, will alternately embrace the trappings of girlhood and struggle against the mythologies of gender. Parents and soi-disant experts will continue to cluck their tongues, and possibly publish papers. Objecting to the fashion choices of the young is perfectly natural. While girls may be baring more skin than ever, the need to dress disapproval as social science says less about their pathologies than it does about ours.
Meanwhile, many religious Americans are seriously concerned about contemporary cultural trends, as Cheryl Wetzstein reported last week:
Most Americans think culture is becoming more immoral, and they view the media -- both entertainment and news -- as prime culprits, according to a new survey. If the media continue to "singularly promote" secular values while undermining orthodox faith and values, it will be very difficult to reverse America's moral decline, said the National Cultural Values Survey, released ... by the Culture and Media Institute (CMI) of the Media Research Center. ...The survey of 2,000 American adults shows that the nation's culture war is grounded in disagreements over religious issues, such as God's role in life and whether religious belief is essential for a good and moral life, CMI Director Robert H. Knight said.
Are concerns about moral decline realistic? Or, as Miss Howley might suggest, are conservatives needlessly worried about "sexualization"? At least one group thinks that fashion and faith can be compatible:
Since its 1984 founding in New York, Models for Christ has sought to bring faith to fashion -- spirituality and sanctity to an industry driven by sex and selfishness. The nondenominational organization has since expanded to 19 other major fashion centers, including Los Angeles, London, Paris, Tokyo and Milan, Italy. ...Jeff and Laura Calenberg were both models when they founded Models for Christ ... with a small group of participants. Mr. Calenberg said he wanted to provide a gathering place for Christians in the industry and set an example for those not necessarily living a spiritual life.
As the old saying goes, pretty is as pretty does.
-- Robert Stacy McCain, assistant national editor
