It's no secret that when it comes to reality television, the more
sex, drama, and shock factor, the higher the ratings. Basically, the more unrealistic a reality
television show is, the more successful it is.
Research shows that heavy TV watchers are more likely to perceive the
television world as similar to reality.
And consistent exposure to reality television is linked to negative body
image and unrealistic expectations.
When the Kardashian Empire began, their target demographic was females between the ages of 18-40. However, when Kylie Jenner blew up and became
the “most influential sister” the actual
demographics of the Kardashian’s fan base changed to females ages 12-34.
Kylie’s fan base is majority females ages 12-17. As a 26 year old female I am able to watch Keeping Up and see through the
superficial messages and unrealistic beauty standards the sisters place on
themselves. I just roll my eyes and move
on... But what about the millions of young impressionale
girls who watch the show, follow Kylie Jenner on social media, and view her as
a role model?
When she was 17, Kylie received a lot of attention over the
drastic change in the fullness of her lips.
She addressed the rumors that she had had work done in Cosmopolitan magazine
by saying her “lips are a product of maturity and the art of makeup.” Other
members of the Kardashian clan backed Kylie, saying that she was simply “over
lining” her lips.
Several teens took to twitter to share a natural way to get Kylie’s
lips by putting their lips into a small glass container and sucking in as hard
as they could. Que #kyliejennerchallenge. This led to others trying the natural method
and posting their results on social media.
Unfortunately, this “natural” method actually injures your lips and can
cause severe pain and bruising as shown in the photos below.
FINALLY, when she was “tired” of all the buzz surrounding her lips…
she admitted to the public that she had indeed received lip injections in order
to achieve her sought after pout. But
don’t worry about Kylie, like many other celebrities she capitalized on the
hype. In 2016 she launched
KylieCosmetics.com where she creates and sells Kylie Lip Kits along with other
makeup products- it’s estimated she has made $8.7 million from sales alone in
the past year.
This isn’t a blog to bash the Kardashian/Jenner family or to say
that reality television is horrible and you should refrain from watching
it. The purpose is to identify the
platform that young reality stars are given at a time when it’s hard for them
to comprehend the influence they have over young people. If you think about it, they have so much pressure on them to look good at all times, and are being told by producers behind the scenes to be more aggressive in their confrontations: to up the drama. The reality they portray is skewed to produce higher ratings, but when adolescent girls are exposed to it constantly it can cause them to create unrealistic expectations for their own reality.
We can talk about the relational aggression portrayed on Dance Moms, the substance abuse linked to Teen Mom, and young daughters of housewives denying plastic surgery rumors all day… but we can’t really blame the girls. After all they are still trying to figure out their own identity and are impressionable themselves. What we CAN do is monitor the amount of time our adolescents are spending watching reality television and who they are following on social media. We can encourage them to think about and set standards for the people they view as role models. And, we can educate them about the unrealistic elements of reality television and how it can influence how we perceive our own reality.
We can talk about the relational aggression portrayed on Dance Moms, the substance abuse linked to Teen Mom, and young daughters of housewives denying plastic surgery rumors all day… but we can’t really blame the girls. After all they are still trying to figure out their own identity and are impressionable themselves. What we CAN do is monitor the amount of time our adolescents are spending watching reality television and who they are following on social media. We can encourage them to think about and set standards for the people they view as role models. And, we can educate them about the unrealistic elements of reality television and how it can influence how we perceive our own reality.
The sexualization of girlhood in the media is real and we can see that with Kylie and Kendal Jenner. Young girls are suddenly in a knock down drag
out race towards womanhood before they even reach puberty. This day in time people are going to alter
their bodies, especially those who have a camera in their face all day every
day. But, I can’t help but wonder what
would have happened if Kylie Jenner had been transparent about her insecurities
from the beginning and honest about her journey to overcome them. When celebrities deny obvious cosmetic changes to their body it is just as deceiving as digitally editing photos, and sets an impossible beauty standard for young girls to compare themselves against. So there you have it.. the unrealistic world of reality television.
A few questions to think about:
- How do you feel about young reality stars being forced into the public eye when they are still trying to figure out who they are?
- How do the television shows you watch and the celebrities you follow on social media influence you?
- What can we do about it?
I have little experience watching reality television, none watching The Kardashians. However, I do hear a lot of comments and responses to the show they 'act' on, including from my own roommates--who seemed surprised that I couldn't identify Kardashian from the next. While I may not know one member of the family by name from another and so can't speak to their personalities or behaviors directly, I do have a reluctance to encourage young girls or anyone, really, to strive for a modelling of themselves after any of the family. I attribute this to my bias against any unnecessary or beauty-focused measures, like the lip injections, that can extend harmful ideas to youth. With that in mind, like you, I don't blame the family members themselves, but rather the celebrity system and spotlight that has both played havoc with their perceptions of beauty and what is popular/what popular should be. I don't anticipate having children, but were I to, I doubt I would let them watch or model themselves after images like those the Kardashians are both affected by and extend through the behaviors, hyper-drama included, that they perform (all of which I've only ever heard by word-of-mouth, often with a mix of admiration and laughter).
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI haven't watched many shows such as Keeping Up with The Kardashians, but I do take an issue with the fact that it seems like many of the situations are staged. This can be difficult for young reality TV stars because everyone only sees what the show airs. So if the child is always complaining on the show, people will only associate the child as being whiny. This can be difficult when the child is trying to generate their own identity but their life is being shown to the world. I do not think many celebrities I follow on social media influence me to a large degree because I don't have the money to live the lifestyles they have. However, it is entertaining to me to see all the extravagant vacations and fast cars and and other experiences they have. I think our society is too wrapped up in social media and following celebrities to really make a large difference. We can make a difference in younger children and limit their social media use or TV time. I believe people get themselves in trouble when they try to live lifestyles like these celebrities without the true means to live like the celebrities.
ReplyDeleteI think forcing young reality stars into the public eye is unfair and detrimental to both the celebrity and young viewers. It takes away their youth and forces them to grow up way too fast. I remember when the transformation happened for Kylie and Kendal Jenner - it was almost like it happened over night. One day they were young girls, and the next they were beautiful, sexy women. As a young adult, I am now able to ignore false representations in the media. However, it hasn't always been like that. Following celebrities on social media or watching them on TV creates this "beauty standard" that I could never reach. It resulted in low self-esteem and BID, which I'm sure is very common in many girls that watch these shows or follow celebrities on social media. I think it is very important to teach girls at a young age that reality TV shows and the media in general is not real. Teaching girls that many of the photos they see are altered can help them when they find themselves comparing their own image to celebrities. Finally, I think parents play a huge role in monitoring what their children look at.
ReplyDeleteRegan, I loved your post! The whole time I was reading this I couldn't stop thinking of a really scary experience that I had when I was around 15. My favorite show to watch used to be America's Next Top Model. It would usually play on TV as marathons of older seasons. There was one day on a weekend that I binged watched it. I'll never forget that after watching it almost all day, how I felt when I looked at myself in the mirror when I went to the bathroom. I was completely and utterly disgusted with myself and I had never felt like that before. Of course, there had been things about my appearance that I didn't like but I had never felt that bad about myself. Thankfully, I immediately realized that it was because I had watched that show so much that day. I didn't realize how much of what I was watching was affecting me internally. It was such a scary feeling and I never watched the show that many times ever again in one sitting.
ReplyDeleteI think it is so important to not only monitor what teens and young girls watch, but how much they watch it. I also agree with you that we should focusing on frequently guiding young girls to point out the messages that media is sending them and to challenge them. Most girls at this age are not aware enough because of their current stage of brain development. Adolescents live in an age now when their is literally an abundance of sensory overload. Not only are they trying to find their identities, values, and personalities, but they are trying to navigate complicated relationships, emotions, hormones, and societal pressures. Especially now that we live in a digital age, adolescents are influenced all day every day by what they have access to now. The number 1 thing that we have control over is how WE (adults and professionals) influence them. How we talk to, encourage, and shape the younger generation is how we help them sift through all of the messages they are receiving.
Although I am familiar with all the buzz behind reality television, I have took it upon myself to refrain from being a viewer. I don't believe the nonsense and feel as though it is a waste of time at this point in my life to keep up with it. I understand it is solely for entertainment. However, for them to have their life on the forefront constantly, I can imagine the lengths they go to in order to keep up the buzz or not seem boring. I haven't really thought about how young they were exposed to the lime light. Also, at a young age and with the numerous influences (good/bad) surrounding them, it's hard to hold them fully accountable. At some age, they should know right from wrong and be held responsible. Yet, I believe everything that the Kardashians, specifically, go through is what they wanted. Their value lies in popularity, being seen, having the most expensive/finest things, being the trendiest/"baddest" females, having the lime light is what makes their world go around. It may not always be the things they want out in the media, but as a celebrity you can't always pick and choose what is said about you. As far as young reality stars, I feel that they are more worried about doing things that will get them to be accepted or high ratings instead of finding/being who they truly are. This can be detrimental to their youth development. It's hard to say what can be done about it because Hollywood and the media are savages. Age doesn't matter to them. It's about the headlines, hot topics, and money. The whole world witnessed Kylie and Tyga have a relationship while she was as young teen and no one batted an eye. Yet, there's people going to jail for doing that. However, simply because they're famous and rich, they get a pass. Even with the reality shows I have seen, they are a disgrace to my community and culture because of all the stereotypes and negative impacts the story lines may have on viewers and youth. I hate those shows with a passion, yet that's what makes them money many people are constantly entertained by it. As long as their are people willing to sell out themselves, communities, and cultures for some money, there is nothing that can be done. Unless the viewers demand otherwise. Some people get a thrill out of watching those shows because it's as though they are living through them because their life may be "boring". If people actually stopped watching those shows and spent more time educating their children, they wouldn't have to worry about where their children are picking up those negative ways because they wouldn't be exposed to it in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI'm not afraid to say that I hate media. I think media changes perceptions, tells the wrong story, and finds anyway to get ratings. In my setting, Athletic Training, holding an athlete from one practice can get huge attention from the media and cause so much unneeded stress for the athlete. College football players aren't reality stars but they are forced into the public eye and it weighs heavily on them. I can only image trying to live a normal life while cameras catch your every move. I think this is awful and can cause them to grow up to soon. While the media displays all the bad the average viewer thinks poorly of the person because they forget they are just a kid. An example of this could be Justin Bieber. I mean your giving a kid all this money and letting him run free the only difference between some of the acts Bieber did and the average kid was that there was someone their to film him. I personally have fallen in love with Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins on social media. They seem to display the perfect life. I find myself striving for that life. However I forget that they are real people and probably face the same challenges in their relationship that I do. I think remembering that these people live a glorified life displayed by social media and that not everything we see is 100% real is one way to combat this unrealistic thinking.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you wrote about this, Regan. You're not alone... I, too, keep up with the Kardashians. ;)
ReplyDeleteI really liked this part of what you wrote: "The purpose is to identify the platform that young reality stars are given at a time when it’s hard for them to comprehend the influence they have over young people. If you think about it, they have so much pressure on them to look good at all times, and are being told by producers behind the scenes to be more aggressive in their confrontations: to up the drama. The reality they portray is skewed to produce higher ratings, but when adolescent girls are exposed to it constantly it can cause them to create unrealistic expectations for their own reality." While I also agree that we must be attentive to the amount of exposure adolescent (girls, especially) have to these reality stars, I am so glad that you pointed out the pressures imposed upon the stars themselves. This is so important to remember - even the "perpetrators" (so to speak) warrant our empathy and compassion. As you pointed out, they are faced with unrealistic standards of beauty and so forth as well; and simply shielding young girls and adolescents from these stars does not solve this problem. Again, as you mentioned, we can and should educate girls and adolescents "about the unrealistic elements of reality television and how it can influence how we perceive our own reality." We can and should also check our own expectations of reality stars themselves! Are we contributing to their own pressures by body shaming these stars, critiquing their appearances or attire harshly, etc? If so, let us also refrain from participating in the vicious cycle of the unrealistic world of reality television by exercising acceptance and grace.
I personally don't keep up with the Kardashians, primarily because I don't find reality shows entertaining but I can see and appreciate the platform that they do have and how they influence millions of girls and women worldwide. This does not come out of a place of judgement because I too find myself idolizing Instagram stars like Drake & Rihanna, etc. Perhaps if they made a "reality" show, I would watch it.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, I do feel like young actors and actresses are pressured to grow up faster than they ought to. For Kylie Jenner I feel it was an unfortunate time for her to grow up in the limelight, surrounded by her older sisters who are obviously addicted to plastic surgery to enhance their beauty. If that is all she saw, insecurities and "fat talk" and the million and one ways to circumvent the discomfort of being a gangly teenager, she learned by observing. Naturally, she had two choices, either to embrace it or to reject it but as many of my classmates and Reagan mentioned, the pressure from producers and ratings personnel probably insisted that Kylie gave in even if it did not ring true with her own values and beliefs. I don't feel sorry for her though, she seems to embrace her curves and is making millions selling her make up line. I do pity however the thousands of young girls who internalize these messages that in order to be accepted they have to go through such extremes and who do not have the knowledge and/or maturity to reject them outright. What is even more sad is that these girls try to "keep up" with the Kardashians, on a McDonald's budget. They also don't realize that none of the Ks wake up "like this" with a flawless glow. No, they have make up artists and stylists who have job security just to recreate their iconic looks.
I wish young girls and women in the entertainment industry were honest with themselves and their viewers or followers, at the very least to show both sides. I think the cast of Pretty Little Liars does, they show themselves without make up, with their hair a mess while on their lavish vacations. They couldn't be perfect but at least they fess up to eating pizza regularly and having other guilty pleasures that other teenage girls can relate to.
I feel like in that way we can help young girls and women decipher what is truly reality and what is sold as such. Much like we do with other forms of media, we have to educate them to the facade that is the world of entertainment and glamour. To point out how their expectations to look like Kim Kardashian are not realistic without a team of professionals etc.
As therapist we have to help them combat these unrealistic expectations and as parents we can reduce the correlation of amount of television views to negative self image and esteem ratings by encouraging young and adult clients alike to minimize their time in front of screens and more time outside for instance.
Great post! I would not say I keep up with the television show but I have definitely tuned into a couple of episodes so I am quite familiar with the Kardashians. I think it can be soooo harmful for young maturing celebrities to be forced to live out their lives in the public eye. Generally speaking, it is harmful for anyone, let alone a hormonal and growing young teen to live their daily struggles in front of millions. Everyday teens are faced with pressures to look and act a certain way and the pressures are amplified when millions of people are there to watch and criticize them at their disposal. I try not to be influenced by the high profile social media women or the women I see on reality television but it is almost inevitable. Even though I make an attempt to not be subjected to this media frenzy world we live in, I still find myself tuned into their lives and waiting for the next episode of Housewives to appear so that I am able to watch the next fight or drink being thrown into someone’s face. I often times ask myself why do I even feed into this foolishness? Is it merely the entertainment factor or is it something more? I have yet to arrive at an answer but I do believe it is worth discovering.
ReplyDeleteLove this blog Regan! And I really love that you admit to watching the Kardashians. I don't keep up with the Kardashians, but I will admit to watching some reality shows like the Real Housewives and anything Bravo. I think a lot of people like to bash reality TV because they want to think they are better than other people. They sit on their couches and say to themselves, "Well at least I'm not that bad," but what they may not realize is that a lot of the drama is manufactured and just plain fake. I can see the harm that reality TV could cause, but it's definitely a guilty pleasure of mine.
ReplyDeleteI think for kids who already have some issues, being forced into the public eye via reality TV or even acting could wreak havoc on their lives. Many kids go through wild phases, but to have to live that out with millions of people judging you and commenting vile things on the internet must be awful. It just perpetuates the acting out and causes them to spiral downwards. Lindsay Lohan was not a reality star, but she was someone who lived out wild teen and young adult years in the public eye. So many people hated on her and said awful things about her and judged her from behind a keyboard. It seems like when someone is on TV, we forget that they are a human being, not a circus exhibit. It's heartbreaking. I think reality TV stars are especially vulnerable because their real lives are being put out there.
Sometimes reality TV can be a great mindless break from thinking. It's comforting in a way. Sometimes if the fights get too dark or real, I have to turn it off because I start feeling upset and that is not why I watch. As far as how they influence me, I don't feel myself being influenced by them necessarily, but I do find that the more TV I watch, the less creative I feel. There was a period of time that I was travelling and I didn't turn on a TV for almost a year. It was the most creative I've ever been, but man did it feel good to finally turn a TV on when I got home and turn my brain off for a little while. I think your suggesting of limiting time with media is great! With kids, talking with them about what they see on TV and what is real and what isn't is also imperative. My goal would be to find another way to decompress and turn off my brain, but there is nothing that relieves my anxiety quite like mindless television. I do try to limit my own time watching television to maintain my creativity.
I feel that young reality stars are in the amount of spot light that they want to be, or that their parents allow. I think it’s a load of trash saying that they are forced to be always in the news front or that they have no option when it comes to the matter. Now don’t get me wrong, I understand having the camera in your face walking to get some coffee or just to the grocery store you don’t have an option. But when it comes to the material that is displayed on your television show, or what you wear, place, or do something to your body and you go out into public you are asking for the spotlight to be on you. I remember growing up and my sister and mom watching the Kardashians and Dance Moms (this show they still watch). Neither of them felt influenced to look or do anything that the Kardashians did. The only influence my mom or sister ever felt about their hair, make up or clothes came from each other or my grandmother and how they were raised from her. They only viewed the television shows just as Regan did, which was some mindless television to wind down your day and relax. From social media I can see that others are not the same way, such as being influenced to look, dress, and act like celebrities – i.e. the #KylieJennerChallenge. Even as a male, I never see myself looking to buy the same clothes Justin Bieber wears, or live the type of lifestyle any singers or actors live. I think this lesson is something taught at home or growing up that you learn from your family and friends. The lesson that you should not let celebrity’s influence your life, because it is not feasible. They have millions of dollars and their lives are just different. Just teaching individuals to be themselves and proud of who they are and where they came from is enough. We need to keep these television shows as mindless shows to watch on the weekends and leave it at that.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe anyone should be forced into the public eye without their own permission. Many celebrity parents choose to shelter their children from the harmful effects of media and the press. Young reality stars, on the other hand, seem to seek out the media and press in order to get a piece of the billion dollar industry. Fast fame, fast money, and need to maintain both becomes a self-consuming cycle in order to stay "current and relevant.” Reality TV stars have not, for the most part, based their careers on actual talent, so many are going for their 15 minutes of fame. They must continually do more shocking or provocative things in order to stay current. I believe this is a sad commentary about our society because we are the ones who watch the shows and perpetuate this harmful cycle which is more accessible and in your face than it has ever been in history.
ReplyDeleteIn order to truly make a change in this cycle, we must commit to STOP watching the shows in order to interrupt the cycle and the billion dollar industry. Without viewers, reality TV and the harmful messages sent to our children, will not be relevant and will cease to exist.
I think the issue of television producers exploiting young girls in order to create "compelling" content is quite troublesome. I think it is even more troublesome that the parents of these children do not realize they are being exploited and believe that the fame of their daughters is good for their development or good for the family. I think this issue is something that needs major change. The attention that underage girls receive from being on reality television is no doubt damaging to their development as a women. Further, it is often the parents that are receiving the payment for the appearances, so further moral questions arise. Children being on television or on movies are not necessarily bad, but when producers and directors are encouraging drama, encouraging body image issues and pushing for the children to be doing potentially harmful things, then i believe something should be done to prevent those situations.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think it would be unfair to force young people into the public eye at a young age. It seems to me that it would be uncomfortable going through puberty and just growing up with everyone watching and pressuring you in different directions. The celebrity lifestyle as fabulous as it may appear certainly has its drawbacks, particularly with reality tv. It just seems like reality tv is all about creating drama. I feel like being surrounded by all of that drama even if some of it is an act, would have negative effects on how a person feels. I have always felt annoyed by reality tv, but that didn't stop me from watching some of it. I never watched the kardashians, but I have watched the bachelor and bachelorette. I would watch it with my cousin and we would just laugh at how stupid the show could be, but sometimes I could feel pretty annoyed by it. If I didn't know that so much of it was fake, I think it could really skew my perception of reality. Knowing that, I think it is good to avoid watching too much reality tv. I thought Lauren's comment was really good about america's next top model. I also watched that in high school and I can see how it does affect how you feel about yourself if you watch too much of it. I think if we watch reality tv shows, we should keep in mind that it is another reality, and discuss it with those watching it with us, especially young people.
ReplyDeleteI have are hard time with this because I love KUWTK and stalking famous people on social media. I mean, who doesn't? Its fun to see these peoples lives and how they will play out with the next big scandal. However, I do realize that my guilty little pleasure does have real consequences and that these are real people we are talking about. There are some nasty things out there being said about them and there is really nothing they can do to stop it. I know that if it were my life, I would not want my kids to be subjected to such mean torment; its not nice. I would never want to hurt a person's feeling especially one that I do not know and maybe who does not want their lives plastered all over the news; just because they love to act or sign does not mean they want to be famous. Now I know that reality stars are different especially since they are basically asking to be on TV. But again, they are only human and words still do hurt.
ReplyDeleteHi Regan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post! and I think that young reality stars have to go through a lot since they are somehow forced into the public. They are expected to do the right things, the right way. Worse than that, once they become public, they gained admirers and fans, which most of them end up being other young girls that will identify with them and follow their example. I think that is is very inappropriate and wrong to have young girls who are still trying to figure out what they want to do and who they are, because then not only them feel pressured to behave in a certain way, but they will also become role models for other girls who might be even younger than them.
Television shows have a lot to do with how you would view life or what you want to expect from it. Watching some shows have gave me an idea of how I want love to be. These fake and unrealistic ideals of love become part of you and the way you think about yourself and others. I think that there is not only one way to help ease this trend. I think TV shows will always be there and there will always going to be people that will watch them. What we can do is educate people and to request honesty from these shows. Girls need to understand that just because they saw them on TV, it means it's true or realistic.
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ReplyDelete*analyze not an alyse. Apologies, I had a computer glitch and could not return to edit the post.
DeleteGreat blog! I have to admit, I try not to watch or buy anything from the Kardashians but....ugh..it's hard because my daughter and I buy into Kylie's makeup (to much money!). I love looking at Kendall fashion sense and what she wears. However, despite this I do agree that the girls have grown up in the spotlight and their lives have been an open book for all. I believe that reality TV is infectious and will be around for quite some time but educating our youth as to what is "real" and that celebrity "worlds" are not the norm, is important especially for our girls.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Regan! As many have said before me, I think it is sad to see these young girls have to or choose to “grow up” so fast to sell themselves and their brand. As we have learned in this class and from our own experiences, we know just how difficult the teenage years can be with relational aggression, puberty, mental health issues, dating, and so much more. I feel like when you add fame to that everything is heightened and exaggerated. I agree that parents should be cautious of what they let their young girls watch. I think it is a healthy boundary to limit exposure to poor role models; to have discussion about their behaviors and how your child is internalizing those messages and images. Working in a middle school and high school for my internship, I definitely saw the impact media has on those girls….they want to be like them and if they are not, many don’t feel good enough. We have to be constantly reminding these young girls of their worth as an individual and the unhealthy habit of wanting to live someone else's life.
ReplyDeleteTo me, reality TV stars gave me a standard from which to compare myself. As a young teenager, I was unable to brush off the incredulity of reality TV because the “fake-ness” was not as obvious. It’s not like publications where models are airbrushed to the point of being unrecognizable from their normal selves. Reality TV is a misleading name in and of itself. Teenage girls do not understand that behind all of these fabulous people are full-time makeup artists, hairdressers, and production members running around making sure the lighting is flattering. The same can be said for Instagram celebrities and models. They recommend products that they have most likely never used and have an endless array of flawless photographs. When seeing the finished product, it is not always apparent that it started from 50 different photos that were narrowed down and tweaked with multiple filters.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most harmful components of reality TV stars is the effect such pressure and fame places upon its adolescent stars. The rampant consumerism and preoccupation with physical beauty is heavily reinforced with financial incentives and the affirmation of being liked by others. I assume that it must be intoxicating in a way but the stars themselves are likely not even aware how damaging these lessons can be. I personally think it is unfair of people to expect perfection from these girls and to villainize them for making mistakes. The Zoey 101 incident comes to mind where Jamie Lynn Spears was attacked by the media and parents across the nation for setting a bad example when she got pregnant at 16 years old. They expected a 16-year-old girl to place the needs of unknown masses in front of her own in the hopes that her good behavior would somehow rub off on millions of girls.
The only thing to be done about the influence reality TV has on its adolescent stars and audience is for a societal shift to take place. It is up to the parents and other adults around these girls to protect them. It is important to teach the girls about what really goes into the making of these shows and its stars, much like what is recommended for advertisements.