“Packaging Boyhood: What About BOYS Halloween Costumes?”

From Amy Jussel, Shaping Youth

October 19, 2009 Last week I promised an ongoing once a week focus on Packaging Boyhood through the remainder of the year regarding boys and how our sons are handling the media-marketing zeitgeist…

I realize I DO focus a considerable amount on girls, body image and so sexy so soon developmental angst, not just because I have a daughter, but because the sexualization is so prevalent, overt, and ‘in your face’ with damaging statistics showing up early on. So yes, I’ve already covered girls’ Halloween Horrors of ‘wicked innocence’ and vamp-n-tramp costumes ad infinitum (who hasn’t, eh?)…but boys? Not so much.

Instead of prostitots and sexed up storybook faire, we have pimp, gangstah, buffed boy body imagery in blow-up-your-muscles he-man style, with bling and bucks to ‘pretend to pay’ for your hookers and make change for your johns. (If you need full evidence of sexist/racist cues, there’s an entire site devoted to PimpCostumes.com–not gonna link, sorry)

Are we having fun yet? Not when parenting articles link the media corollaries for childrens’ distress, like this new one from Michele Borba citing eating disorders, stress and body dissatisfaction hammering boys now too. So today Packaging Boyhood authors and Shaping Youth Advisory Board members Dr. Sharon Lamb & Dr. Lyn Mikel Brown (who were part of the APA girls sexualization study, so have firsthand experience here!) offer part one of a two-part post on boys and Halloween. (more…)