Sex, drugs, Rock ‘n’ Roll…all passed unnoticed by me as a child growing up in the 80s.
My bedroom walls were covered from floor to ceiling in posters and magazine pullouts Aha, New Kids, Madonna, Kylie – I loved all of them! Mum used to shake her head trying to figure us out but she knew they were pretty harmless, she did buy them for us after all, we were just kids.
Looking back and reflecting at the visual influences we had as kids and teens I think we were really lucky that we grew up in a time that had less sexual images and pressure. I grew up watching a chubby Tiffany prancing around in a baggy jumper and jeans, hardly any makeup. Salt ‘n’ Pepa were jumping around in bomber jackets with questionable facial hair and Madonna had close to one eyebrow.
The competition in the music world now seems to be how skimpy can we go with our nude body suits (Shakira) and how young can we go with sexuality (Miley). I think normalising overly sexual images creates a negative influence on kids, teens and even older women with regard to their body image.
In their quest to be more shocking and even more flesh baring, where will it end? If I was a child now, would my mum have agreed to buy posters for me, and if I had children would I?
Bubbly
