Selena Gomez, Christina Aguilera, Over-Sexualizing Girls Through AMAs Fashion?
The American Music Awards is just as much about fashion and celebrity politics than it is about the music. Celebrities and the media gather on the red carpet for hours just to look at what the stars have decided to flaunt for the night.
Among that cluster of observers are the fans. Many had mixed views on what singer Christina Aguilera wore during her performance with Maroon 5 at the AMAs.
“The problem with Christina Aguilera isn't her weight; the issue is the way she dresses,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
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“Christina Aguilera looks shockingly bad with her white mini dress. She looks so neglected!” another fan wrote.
The singer wore a short; skin tight, mini-dress, with a wide neckline revealing lots of cleavage.
Selena Gomez also came out on Sunday night to walk the red carpet. She and her beau, Justin Bieber, sported a dapper 1920’s theme. He worked a black tuxedo while she wore a glamorous silver gown with a high split, plunging neckline, and open back.
Sure, many thought Aguilera looked inappropriate while many adored Gomez’s Armani gown, but what do these skin-bearing dressing say to young people who watch the AMAs?
Demi Lovato has recently surfaced as a role model and spokesperson for issues concerning body image and self-love. The star wore a very revealing magenta dress to the Latin Grammy’s recently. Many said she looked “stunning” and “sexy.”
No judgments can be passed on these celebrities, for they are all adults with the ability to dress themselves. However, many wonder why less is best when dressing to Hollywood’s standard of “sexy.”
A recent study at Kenyon College in Ohio shows that 1/3 of girl’s clothing at major retail stores can be considered “sexy.” They bare emphasis on the bottom or chest of the females. Many children’s stores are filled with low cut dresses, halter-tops, and short skirts.
“In her book, ‘Cinderella Ate my Daughter,’ Peggy Orenstien writes about the new tween role models, such as Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez, are overtly sexual and assisting in guiding our daughters to their early sexualization,” Rhiana Maidenberg writes in a Huffington Post article.
The images young girls see give them a model to emulate. Perhaps seeing open cleavage and short dresses leads them to the understanding that exposing the body is what makes you attractive.
Speaking of Miley Cyrus, there is no secret to how many feel about her sometimes-racy outfits."People have very mixed opinions on me," Cyrus says in Asia’s Prestige Magazine. "I'm a great model, or I'm completely inappropriate for anyone under 13 and I'm very controversial. I don't know how I became this.”
"I'm not some crazy lady who's gone off the deep end, because I definitely haven't," Cyrus explains. "Every 18-year-old explores sexuality and experiments and tries things. For me there's no reason to change that.”
Taylor Swift recently said in an interview with 60 Minutes that he definitely thinks of her fans as she dresses in the morning. Swift was definitely one of the more covered up stars at the AMAs. Many appreciate the impression she may leave to young girls watching her on television.
“I definitely think about a million people when I’m getting dressed in the morning and that’s just part of my life now,” Swift said. “I think it’s my responsibility to know it and to be conscious of it. It would be really easy to say I’m 21 now, I do what I want. You raise your kids! But it’s not the truth of it. The truth of it is- every singer out there with songs on the radio is raising the next generation.”
Maybe “sexy” is the trend these days, but there are some girls out there who don’t agree with exposing too much to look beautiful. Hopefully the stars we watch on television can show our young girls a less exposed ideal of fashion and show themselves to be just as beautiful.
“It never ceases to amaze me as to why celebrities feel the need to expose their body...” a fan lamented via Twitter.
“If being sexy means I gotta be half naked…hmm no thanks I'll pass :)” another fan said.
