Buyer Beware

Check-Out

Who among us hasn’t glanced at the sleaze rags lining the check-out aisle at the register? Everyone is guilty of grabbing that last minute candy purchase, and even perusing the National Enquirer Headlines of Elvis resurfacing just in time for the holidays. But, we put it back, dismissing it as nonsense. Children do not yet have the ability to discern that marketing, shameless or otherwise, has one purpose… to move a product. So when a young child is helping a parent bag groceries, or is sitting in the wagon what will they see?

Cosmo

This week they will see on Cosmopolitan: “100% Hotter Sex”, “50 Ways to Have Fun With Your Guy” and a picture of a ‘sexy’ and busty Amanda Bynes, formerly of Nickelodeon. On Seventeen: “638 Fashion and Beauty Ideas”, “New Kissing Tricks [Guy Approved]” and a feather-haired, flirty Miley Cirus. These are the messages that are being sent to kids sans filter. To be more specific, these are the messages being sent to female children, as most of the magazine at the register are targeted toward a female readership. Be sexy, be slim, please your man, and if you happen to see a “Woman’s World” magazine, bake a cake.

A proposition, move all of this gender normative, stereotypical, self- image affecting material to the 18+ section, with the Playboy and Hustler Magazines. This is hardly an absurd request. It’s the same as removing the Joe Camel Cartoon off of cigarettes because it enticed a younger demographic to start smoking. The only difference is that the affects of a negative body image are detrimental to both the physical and mental health of a person.

Take a step back, in the big picture we see a grocery store with magazines targeted predominately towards women implying that women are [still] doing most of the shopping and the home-making; the lack of magazines targeting men in the check out aisle implies that men simply are not. For young females it says, this is where you ought to be and for young males it says this is where she ought to be, and what she should look like. Hardly are the headlines of the aforementioned women’s magazines, ” Getting Your Next Degree, While Advancing Your Career”, “You: Naturally Wonderful”, or “Filling- Out Nicely: Tips To Gain Weight The Healthy Way.” Progressive, esteem and intellect-building magazines are out there, but they are in the catacombs of a more robust magazine section, where your kids can’t see.

*Results may vary at local super markets.

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