Comments on: KGOY “kids getting older younger” http://thefbomb.org/2009/07/kgoy-kids-getting-older-younger/ A blog/community created for teenage girls who care about their rights as women and want to be heard. Fri, 18 May 2012 18:14:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kimberly Sepulveda http://thefbomb.org/2009/07/kgoy-kids-getting-older-younger/comment-page-1/#comment-420 Kimberly Sepulveda Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:34:17 +0000 http://thefbomb.org/?p=809#comment-420 Hey, you are so cute. I totally agree it is so sad, and all of the pressure effects every girl. I am frustrated I have been self-conscious of my body since 3rd grade, and started 'doing something about it' in 6th grade. I am still trying to be a more confident person and I am 19 years old! It is hard to realize that you do not look the way you think you do. You look better for sure. Here is a video like that and I am pretty sure it is a parody, but it sadly very well could not be.. I hope you become happier with yourself, all girls need to be. It doesn't matter if a girl has more curves or is skinnier than me, or if she has lighter or darker hair than me. I always feel they look better. We need to stand up for our natural beauty and accept it, it is just easier done than said. -Kimberly Hey, you are so cute. I totally agree it is so sad, and all of the pressure effects every girl. I am frustrated I have been self-conscious of my body since 3rd grade, and started ‘doing something about it’ in 6th grade. I am still trying to be a more confident person and I am 19 years old! It is hard to realize that you do not look the way you think you do. You look better for sure.
Here is a video like that and I am pretty sure it is a parody, but it sadly very well could not be..
I hope you become happier with yourself, all girls need to be. It doesn’t matter if a girl has more curves or is skinnier than me, or if she has lighter or darker hair than me. I always feel they look better. We need to stand up for our natural beauty and accept it, it is just easier done than said.

-Kimberly

]]> By: Alex http://thefbomb.org/2009/07/kgoy-kids-getting-older-younger/comment-page-1/#comment-305 Alex Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:23:34 +0000 http://thefbomb.org/?p=809#comment-305 I don't know why I didn't have more body issues growing up (or why I don't have any now). I wish I did know, if only so I could talk about and explain it. I certainly wasn't beautiful. I went through my awkward stage. What was strange as a child and a teenager, when my body was changing constantly (up, out, in, down, out again, and wowza, those things came out of nowhere), was that I always knew somehow what I was going to look like. And more critically, I always knew who I was. Our physical appearances are in constant flux - we get to adulthood and things settle down, relatively, but after ten, fifteen, twenty years, our bodies change in different ways. The breasts that were so new begin to sag. The faces that finally lost their baby fat begin to wrinkle. It seems such a waste to try and change or preserve something that isn't static. Something that, by it's very nature, must change and grow and evolve. So too must we with it, as individuals. What I don't like is the double-standard. We are not perfect, yet we strive for perfection. When we admit that we are imperfect, we are accused of fishing for complements. When we obsess over our bodies, we are accused of being shallow and self-involved. But the world is watching us so closely, it's hard not to. My strategy? Give the world the finger and tell it to take a fucking picture if it cares so much. Pictures last longer, after all, since next week, next month, next year, I probably will look different. I can't wait to see what I become next. I don’t know why I didn’t have more body issues growing up (or why I don’t have any now). I wish I did know, if only so I could talk about and explain it. I certainly wasn’t beautiful. I went through my awkward stage.

What was strange as a child and a teenager, when my body was changing constantly (up, out, in, down, out again, and wowza, those things came out of nowhere), was that I always knew somehow what I was going to look like. And more critically, I always knew who I was.

Our physical appearances are in constant flux – we get to adulthood and things settle down, relatively, but after ten, fifteen, twenty years, our bodies change in different ways. The breasts that were so new begin to sag. The faces that finally lost their baby fat begin to wrinkle.

It seems such a waste to try and change or preserve something that isn’t static. Something that, by it’s very nature, must change and grow and evolve. So too must we with it, as individuals.

What I don’t like is the double-standard. We are not perfect, yet we strive for perfection. When we admit that we are imperfect, we are accused of fishing for complements. When we obsess over our bodies, we are accused of being shallow and self-involved. But the world is watching us so closely, it’s hard not to.

My strategy? Give the world the finger and tell it to take a fucking picture if it cares so much. Pictures last longer, after all, since next week, next month, next year, I probably will look different. I can’t wait to see what I become next.

]]> By: Kat http://thefbomb.org/2009/07/kgoy-kids-getting-older-younger/comment-page-1/#comment-278 Kat Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:06:13 +0000 http://thefbomb.org/?p=809#comment-278 This is a great post. I wish that, as a woman in my early 20's, that I could say my friends and I were past a lot of these issues. Sadly, this post still really speaks to a lot of my day to day experiences. This is a great post. I wish that, as a woman in my early 20′s, that I could say my friends and I were past a lot of these issues. Sadly, this post still really speaks to a lot of my day to day experiences.

]]> By: Julie Z http://thefbomb.org/2009/07/kgoy-kids-getting-older-younger/comment-page-1/#comment-229 Julie Z Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:38:33 +0000 http://thefbomb.org/?p=809#comment-229 @ Elyssa thank you - its been fixed. for clarification, I do know the difference btw the WSJ and WP, just a brain fart haha @ Elyssa
thank you – its been fixed. for clarification, I do know the difference btw the WSJ and WP, just a brain fart haha

]]> By: Elyssa http://thefbomb.org/2009/07/kgoy-kids-getting-older-younger/comment-page-1/#comment-227 Elyssa Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:25:07 +0000 http://thefbomb.org/?p=809#comment-227 Totally agree. Going to the mall now is slightly scary because of the number of preteens and early teenagers who are dressed "older" than I am -- and I'm not even a teenager any more. And just a heads up on the article you posted - its from the Washington Post! Not the Wall Street Journal. Totally different paper. (I'm a loyal Post reader - I had to point it out!) Totally agree. Going to the mall now is slightly scary because of the number of preteens and early teenagers who are dressed “older” than I am — and I’m not even a teenager any more.

And just a heads up on the article you posted – its from the Washington Post! Not the Wall Street Journal. Totally different paper. (I’m a loyal Post reader – I had to point it out!)

]]> By: Carolyn http://thefbomb.org/2009/07/kgoy-kids-getting-older-younger/comment-page-1/#comment-224 Carolyn Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:58:30 +0000 http://thefbomb.org/?p=809#comment-224 I had to babysit my 9 year old cousin for a week in the beginning of the summer, and she showed me her closet and started dressing up for me. And it was so different for me to see a 9 year old talk about fashion and what works together and what looks good. When I was 9 I was just reading or running around the neighborhood with my friends. And now it does seems that most girls are indeed getting older younger. I remember the exact moment I became concerned with my appearance. I was looking at a girl on the cover of Girls Life magazine, and her hair was perfect, her face beautiful, her body skinny. And that set the tone for middle school. I fought with my unruly curly hair all through 7th and 8th grade. But then I just accepted myself. Not sure why, but now I genuinely love the way I look. I had to babysit my 9 year old cousin for a week in the beginning of the summer, and she showed me her closet and started dressing up for me. And it was so different for me to see a 9 year old talk about fashion and what works together and what looks good. When I was 9 I was just reading or running around the neighborhood with my friends. And now it does seems that most girls are indeed getting older younger.

I remember the exact moment I became concerned with my appearance. I was looking at a girl on the cover of Girls Life magazine, and her hair was perfect, her face beautiful, her body skinny. And that set the tone for middle school. I fought with my unruly curly hair all through 7th and 8th grade. But then I just accepted myself. Not sure why, but now I genuinely love the way I look.

]]> By: Cri http://thefbomb.org/2009/07/kgoy-kids-getting-older-younger/comment-page-1/#comment-221 Cri Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:29:36 +0000 http://thefbomb.org/?p=809#comment-221 Oh, and I don't know where else to say this, but this site is awesome and I'll never be mean to you! Oh, and I don’t know where else to say this, but this site is awesome and I’ll never be mean to you!

]]> By: Cri http://thefbomb.org/2009/07/kgoy-kids-getting-older-younger/comment-page-1/#comment-209 Cri Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:03:06 +0000 http://thefbomb.org/?p=809#comment-209 I wanted to add to the discussion that it seems like the entire consumer culture for little girls these days is centered on fashion. It seems like 80% of toys aimed at little girls are fashion and style themed. "Polly Pocket goes to the Mall," Bratz (ugh don't get me started), or video games on the DS where you can have, erm, baby fashion shows or have your own fashion boutique. And I'm not even including craft sets for jewelry making, because that's a great creative activity. I was looking at a pamphlet that came in a pack of Play-Do (I'm a mom) which had all these little Play-Do sculptures along the bottom and one sculpture was a little hand bag with a flower. Who decided that 3 yr olds care about HAND BAGS? Yes bags are awesome for carrying things, BUT it just reminds me of the crazy obsessions with Birkin or LV bags that we grown-up women supposedly go ape shit for. Let's indoctrinate them early! Yes, of course there were "fashion" toys and Barbies when I was a kid (in the 80's!!) but back then I was obsessed with Harriet the Spy and having adventures and starting campfires in my backyard (perhaps not a great idea but a useful survival skill) and traveling the world. Even Barbie was flying the Space Shuttle and camping. These days all Barbie does is wander her Dream House wondering if she can convert the Nursery into another walk-in closet. I wanted to add to the discussion that it seems like the entire consumer culture for little girls these days is centered on fashion. It seems like 80% of toys aimed at little girls are fashion and style themed. “Polly Pocket goes to the Mall,” Bratz (ugh don’t get me started), or video games on the DS where you can have, erm, baby fashion shows or have your own fashion boutique. And I’m not even including craft sets for jewelry making, because that’s a great creative activity. I was looking at a pamphlet that came in a pack of Play-Do (I’m a mom) which had all these little Play-Do sculptures along the bottom and one sculpture was a little hand bag with a flower. Who decided that 3 yr olds care about HAND BAGS? Yes bags are awesome for carrying things, BUT it just reminds me of the crazy obsessions with Birkin or LV bags that we grown-up women supposedly go ape shit for. Let’s indoctrinate them early!

Yes, of course there were “fashion” toys and Barbies when I was a kid (in the 80′s!!) but back then I was obsessed with Harriet the Spy and having adventures and starting campfires in my backyard (perhaps not a great idea but a useful survival skill) and traveling the world. Even Barbie was flying the Space Shuttle and camping. These days all Barbie does is wander her Dream House wondering if she can convert the Nursery into another walk-in closet.

]]> By: Christina http://thefbomb.org/2009/07/kgoy-kids-getting-older-younger/comment-page-1/#comment-195 Christina Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:45:49 +0000 http://thefbomb.org/?p=809#comment-195 I forgot about the whole "awkward teenage years". I thankfully retired from that a while ago, and looking back on it, I can say it was more as "Be hot and sexy and available and you're worth something/ if you don't have a boy friend by the time your in eighth grade, you're a gay." I remember girls wearing THONGS in 7th grade and feeling "wow, I didn't know pedophilia was "in"." I heard my little cousin, 12 years old, say "They are so SKINNY" in an envious voice looking at the tv. I asked her "Why do you even care? You're 12. Worry about if theres gonna be re-run's for Saturday morning cartoons, not skinny brats." I forgot about the whole “awkward teenage years”. I thankfully retired from that a while ago, and looking back on it, I can say it was more as “Be hot and sexy and available and you’re worth something/ if you don’t have a boy friend by the time your in eighth grade, you’re a gay.” I remember girls wearing THONGS in 7th grade and feeling “wow, I didn’t know pedophilia was “in”.” I heard my little cousin, 12 years old, say “They are so SKINNY” in an envious voice looking at the tv. I asked her “Why do you even care? You’re 12. Worry about if theres gonna be re-run’s for Saturday morning cartoons, not skinny brats.”

]]> By: Melissa http://thefbomb.org/2009/07/kgoy-kids-getting-older-younger/comment-page-1/#comment-191 Melissa Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:34:46 +0000 http://thefbomb.org/?p=809#comment-191 You're right; that link is depressing. But I think it makes me more disgusted than anything. I don't know whether to be sickened by young girls who dress provocatively- or to pity them for their "low self esteems" and their irresponsible parents who allow them to go out in public dressed skimpily. Kids will continue to be older at a younger and younger age, and then they'll have an even worse childhood than ever. Those horrible teenage years will start at 7 or 8. Can't imagine that torture. It makes me wonder if I'm a hypocrite for wanting to be emaciated, hairless, and fashionable while believing in feminist values. Probably. I get angry because I don't think I'll ever be able to accept myself. I want to, but everywhere I look society's just telling me I look the wrong way. *sigh. You’re right; that link is depressing. But I think it makes me more disgusted than anything. I don’t know whether to be sickened by young girls who dress provocatively- or to pity them for their “low self esteems” and their irresponsible parents who allow them to go out in public dressed skimpily. Kids will continue to be older at a younger and younger age, and then they’ll have an even worse childhood than ever. Those horrible teenage years will start at 7 or 8. Can’t imagine that torture.

It makes me wonder if I’m a hypocrite for wanting to be emaciated, hairless, and fashionable while believing in feminist values. Probably. I get angry because I don’t think I’ll ever be able to accept myself. I want to, but everywhere I look society’s just telling me I look the wrong way.

*sigh.

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