« Truer words were never spoken | Main | Call Me Crazy... »

April 03, 2006

Dream Life...create a dream you?

Create a dream school life, and dream clothes. Want to be a different color? This is the newest game to teach girls how to commodify themselves. The venue for this commercial? NICKELODEON! Why is this channel allowing this game to be advertised on there station, and furthermore, why during the Kids Choice Awards, which is viewed by millions of impressionable young girls? To say that I am disturbed is the least of it. It seems to me that along with teaching young girls that there is something wrong with them that can be fixed via artificial means, they are also implying that if young girls are not happy with the color of their skin (you know, just in case they haven't internalized a sufficient amount of self hate), they have the power to change that as well. Here's what I think the commercial really communicates:

Are you unhappy with your looks? Do you hate the color of your skin, the texture of your hair and your working class parents who can't give you what every American kid should have? Are you having a tough time dealing with growing up? Well look no further! Dream Life can make it all better! Yes, you too CAN belong to the dominate society and ERASE who you are, what you look like, and all things that make you unique! You even get to choose your wardrobe (in case what you own is not good enough)! If YOU want to learn how to be an acceptable member of (a hegemonic) American Society, this game can be the answer to your prayers!

Is it me, or is this the next ploy to promote hegemony and assimilation? How about substance abuse? Talk about visual rhetoric...because our young daughters don't have enough to contend with. I don't think I ever want to hear about the success rate of this game, either. Exactly what is it that we want to teach our daughters? And, what do we want to teach our young Latinas? That they are not good enough as is? That job was done a long time ago by our patriarchal culture and those that colonized us, and it was done without the help of cutting edge video games, either. Thank godness for songs like this...one of the few weapons we have against this type of nonsense.

Stupid Girls


Stupid girl, stupid girls, stupid girls
Maybe if I act like that, that guy will call me back
What a paparazzi girl, I don't wanna be a stupid girl

Go to Fred Segal, you'll find them there
Laughing loud so all the little people stare
Looking for a daddy to pay for the champagne
(Drop a name)
What happened to the dreams of a girl president
She's dancing in the video next to 50 Cent
They travel in packs of two or three
With their itsy bitsy doggies and their teeny-weeny tees
Where, oh where, have the smart people gone?
Oh where, oh where could they be?

Maybe if I act like that, that guy will call me back
What a paparazzi girl, I don't wanna be a stupid girl
Baby if I act like that, flipping my blonde hair back
Push up my bra like that; I don't wanna be a stupid girl

(Break it down now)
Disease's growing, it's epidemic
I'm scared that there ain't a cure
The world believes it and I'm going crazy
I cannot take any more
I'm so glad that I'll never fit in
That will never be me
Outcasts and girls with ambition
That's what I wanna see
Disasters all around
World despaired
Their only concern
Will they **** up my hair

[Interlude]
Oh my god you guys, I totally had more that 300 calories
That was so not sexy, no
Good one, can I borrow that?
[Vomits]
I WILL BE SKINNY

Pretty will you **** me girl, silly as a lucky girl
Pull my head and suck it girl, stupid girl!
Pretty would you **** me girl, silly as a lucky girl
Pull my head and suck it girl, stupid girl!

Baby if I act like that, flipping my blonde hair back
Push up my bra like that, stupid girl!

Maybe if I act like that, that guy will call me back
What a paparazzi girl, I don't wanna be a stupid girl
Baby if I act like that, flipping my blonde hair back
Push up my bra like that, I don't wanna be a stupid girl



Posted by dvaldesd at April 3, 2006 08:59 PM

Comments

I agree with you on so many levels but I see this toy as being an offshot of television's make over movement. Jenny Jones started it with all of her make overs back in the day, but eventually reality tv (reality, that's a loaded term) has taken it up. Just look at the shows:

-Your face is busted, let's make it over = Extreme make over.

-Your house is busted, let's make it over = Extreme home make over.

-You can sing, sort of, but let's make you over = American Idol.

-You're fat, let's make you over = Celebrity Fit Club and The Biggest Loser.

-You're not satisfied with your marriage/parenting experience, so let's make it over (temporarily) = Wife Swap.

-You're a bad parent, let's make you over= Super Nanny.


As much as we'd like to think that Nickelodeon is immune to the pressures of television, popular culture, and the self-hating generation, they aren't. This advertisement shows that.

Posted by: Tamika at April 4, 2006 09:49 AM

You know, T, you're right. You have given me even more reasons NOT to watch television.

Posted by: Denise at April 4, 2006 06:13 PM