Merchants of cool

The Merchants of Cool is about marketers listening to what teens want, admire, and most importantly, what is “cool.” Teens are being observed and questioned about what they think is in and what is out. This helps advertisers make more money on either the product they are trying to sell, or the image they are trying to sell. For example, the stereotype “the midriff” saying that you are a sexual object but proud of it. This has been influenced by Britney Spears and other celebrities that young girls look up to. It is messaging to young girls that it’s okay to flaunt your sexuality.
I remember watching the MTV music awards with my mother and brother. I loved Britney Spear and her music, so I was really looking forward to her performance on the show. When she took off her top and started dancing around in a very sexual costume I was shocked. Someone that I thought was classy, that I could look up to, changed her image over night for what the media wants. Merchants of Cool talked about how this drags the public in, but for me this pushed me away. Advertisers and the media obviously can’t cater to every trend, and everyone’s thought of what they consider cool. Sometimes they just concentrate on one image to give the audience, and hope or be dragged in to buy their product. 7th heaven, a family friendly TV show on the WB, had to compete with shows such as Dawson’s Creek that had more teen sexual content. I am amazed to admit how greatly sexual images have infiltrated the mainstream media. Thinking back to when I was in grammar school, there were certain images displayed on TV or in magazines that were family oriented or innocently revolving around clean cut girls or boys. Of course, there were always a few inappropriate shows and commercials, but in today’s commercial environment, sex seems to have taken over every aspect of television and media. Unfortunately for young children watching TV today, nothing is left to the imagination. Sex seems to sell everything from shampoo to jeans. These messages are so blatant and “in your face” that I feel we all need to step back and come to a happy medium as a society.
I am so happy to see that Dove and their line of products embrace girls and women of all sizes and encourage them to be happy with themselves. I hope this trend setting company will provoke the current media to make some changes.
I am a realist and am well aware that we cannot turn back the hands of time, but as a society I feel we can make a statement in what we watch and what we buy. We can let our voices be heard by our actions and hopefully, things will begin to change so that my children will be brought up in a less sexual prevalent media environment.