Sex and the Single (Preteen) Girl: Gossip Girl

Breakpoint with Charles Colson ^ | April 3, 2006 | Charles Colson

[Mr. Silverback]

When writer Marcia Segelstein headed to the bookstore to scout out books for her 12-year-old, she wasn’t sure what to expect. But she certainly didn’t expect rampant drinking, drug use, profanity, and explicit descriptions of sex and nudity.

Nevertheless, that’s exactly what she found.

Segelstein’s daughter had been clamoring to read the Gossip Girl series, which “‘all’ of her friends were reading,” she said. After seeing what was in the books, Segelstein was floored. But a school librarian confirmed, “They’re very popular among sixth and seventh graders.” Even worse, the librarian added, “Some parents are so happy that their kids are reading anything, they don’t care what it is.”

The series, described by Teen People magazine as “Sex and the City for the younger set,” is set among a group of wealthy, spoiled students at an elite New York high school. And the drugs, drinking, and various kinds of sexual encounters aren’t their only problem behavior. Both teen and adult characters engage in binging and purging. Also of concern is the unfettered materialism. With the constant name-dropping of expensive stores, clothing designers, cosmetics, and other pricey name brands, some of the pages in these books read like advertisements.

Perhaps the worst part is that no moral judgments are made at all. As Segelstein put it in an article on our BreakPoint website, “The fact that the Gossip Girl books are nowhere close to being well written pales in comparison to the fact that they are utterly amoral. . . . They smoke, they drink, they have sex, they do drugs—yet they never have problems like getting AIDS or becoming pregnant or getting arrested or flunking out of school. Consequences don’t exist in the lives of these ‘chosen ones,’ as they’re called. The fictional world of the Gossip Girl books is a dangerous one, yet it is never portrayed as such.”

Gossip Girl author Cecily von Ziegesar admits that she wrote the books that way for a reason. She told Colby magazine, “It’s completely unrealistic to have a group of kids who are constantly reforming or who are being punished because they’re ‘naughty.’ And I always resented that quality in books I’d read.” She goes on, “I don’t know what it is that redeems the characters, exactly, but deep down, they’re still good kids.”

I can answer the author’s question—there’s very little redemptive about her characters. And that’s why parents of preteen girls need to do their job and keep these corrosive books out of their homes and out of their daughters’ lives. Von Ziegesar herself tipped her hand when she wrote in one of the books, “Luckily Blair and her friends came from the kind of families for whom drinking was as commonplace as blowing your nose. Their parents believed . . . that the more access kids have to alcohol, the less likely they are to abuse it. . . . The same thing went for everything else, like sex or drugs—as long as you kept up appearances, you were all right.”

There’s no justification for that kind of parenting, in fiction or in life. And there’s no excuse for putting this kind of literature into the hands of young girls who need to learn better.

[GrandEagle]

Again, Thanks for the "heads-up".
I've not heard of these yet; but I'll be on the look-out!

Cordially,
GE

[Beagle8U]

"Bratz Babyz were in the media spotlight during Christmas 2005."

The Bratz dolls are for the children of parents that think Barbie isn't quite slutty enough.

[imskylark]

"I have found my younger son (9yo) loves the Louie Lamor books."

My oldest (16 yos) likes those.

[Carry_Okie]

OK, OK, --- are you home schoolers?

Yup.

[CharlieOK1]

I had a big argument with a guy on another board over these. Basically I got him to admit that if his daughter wanted to dress like the dolls, thongs and fishnets or whatever, that he wouldnt say anything because that would be judgmental.

These are the same people that drive their teenagers to the abortion clinic and wonder why they are grandparents at the age of 34.

[Carry_Okie]

Sure.

[Antoninus]

“Some parents are so happy that their kids are reading anything, they don’t care what it is.”

Reading nothing is far preferable to reading filth.

[Antoninus]

http://www.bethlehembooks.com/

[Antoninus]

you are not suggesting we ban these books are you??? parents need to be the parent and keep their kids away from this stuff, government should not get involved.

So, you're saying that there should be no laws about selling sexual material to minors? Is that what you're saying?

[agrarianlady]

WHERE ARE THE PARENTS????

When I was 10 years old and in the fourth grade, (and this was in the late 70s), my public school English teacher told us all we just had to read these new fabulous books - the first one was called "Flowers in the Attic". (If you aren't familiar with it, let's just say it's completely gross). All the kids in class wanted to feel cool, so we all read it then and there. I wish with all my heart I could get the story out of my head to this day.

Now I will eat beans every day if it means keeping my children in private parochial school . . .

[GrandEagle]

Now I will eat beans every day if it means keeping my children in private parochial school
I know what you mean. We are fortunate in that We are able to send all four of ours to private school. But, as you pointed out, it isn't cheap. That is why we live in a "pick it out of the catalog" cookie cutter house and I drive what is left of the Taurus that survived my family for 5 years.
If I had to walk, I'd rather invest my money in my children. My wife and I discussed it before our children were born and decided that if we gave them lots of stuff, went on lots of vacations, and had new cars and a fancy house; but our children's faith in God and the truth of his word was crushed by the time they were ready for college - we would have failed miserably as parents.


Cordially,
GE

[little jeremiah]

Ah, you must be a follower of Rousseau. If there was no nasty government or rules, we could all be noble savages and a perfect Utopia would reign.

Kind of like: If you don't like abortion, don't have one. If you don't like pedophilia, don't be one. If you don't like vicious torture porn, don't look at it. Etc.

What do liberaltarians like you think about a neighbor pouring toxic waste onto their property? Or in the stream that then goes to your property? Should people be allowed to dump used motor oil in the ground to pollute ground water? Should people be allowed to burn tires and other stuff, the smoke of which then blows onto their neighbors? How about meth labs - are they okay? How about spraying high concentrations of pesticides so that the spray blows directly into your windows from their yards?

Mental pollution is actually more dangerous than physical pollution.

[Joe 6-pack]

"At least that smut is nominally aimed at adults."

I tend to think of it as being aimed at nominal adults.

[tutstar]

read later

[Beagle8U]

" Basically I got him to admit that if his daughter wanted to dress like the dolls, thongs and fishnets or whatever, that he wouldnt say anything because that would be judgmental. "

You can't be judgmental when the children run the household.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

no children were abused in creating and distributing these books...

No, only in reading them.

[Element187]

No, only in reading them.

but if you did YOUR job as a parent, your child would not have read them.

[Element187]

What do liberaltarians like you think about a neighbor pouring toxic waste onto their property? Or in the stream that then goes to your property? Should people be allowed to dump used motor oil in the ground to pollute ground water? Should people be allowed to burn tires and other stuff, the smoke of which then blows onto their neighbors? How about meth labs - are they okay? How about spraying high concentrations of pesticides so that the spray blows directly into your windows from their yards?

If there were no regulations on meth, there wouldnt be a meth lab in a hotel room. There shouldnt be any jail time associated with enviromental polution, citations and fines will work.

Why do hardcore righties believe the government should be our nanny? sure their should be laws to prevent crimes against another human being, but if i buy property in the middle of nowhere and decide to set up a meth lab... as an adult i should i have the right to do whatever i want as long as i dont harm another human being... writing books will not harm a child unless you as a parent are a failure and let them read this garbage.

[Politicalmom]

These wouldn't be acceptable at our public school. I just checked the Accelerated Reader lists, and this garbage isn't on it. Almost all reading at the school is off that list.

[Politicalmom]

My daughter tried to read Fellowship of the Ring last year in third grade. Couldn't quite wade through it. Of course, I don't care for Tolkien, much.