Getting Real: Challenging the Sexualisation of Girls

From advertising and merchandising to Bratz and Voodoo Dolls to the Henson affair, Getting Real puts the spotlight on the sexualisation and objectification of girls and women in the media, popular culture and society.

Girls are portrayed as sexual at younger ages, pressured to conform to a ‘thin, hot, sexy’ norm. Clothing, music, magazines, toys and games send girls the message that they are merely the sum of their body parts. The effects of prematurely sexualising girls are borne out in their bodies and minds, with a rise in self-destructive behaviours such as eating disorders and self-harm, along with anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.

Getting Real brings together writers, advocates and academics including some of the most vocal critics of the widespread pornification of culture. They call corporations, the media and the sex industry to account for creating this toxic environment.

Lively and engaging, this collection is of interest to anyone troubled by what’s happening today and those seeking ideas to address and mobilise against the sexualisation of girls. Edited by author, advocate and commentator Melinda Tankard Reist, this is a book for anyone wanting to see a better world for the next generation.