Are Teen Pop Stars Sex Objects?

Over the last couple of years, there has been a remarkable change in teenage pop stars behaviour. Going from the innocent Jessica Simpson to a more scandalous Miley Cyrus and Jamie-Lynn Spears, there is a major difference in the clothing they wear, their attitude and beliefs, and especially in their behaviour. An online dictionary defines a sex object as “a person regarded primarily as the focus of sexual attraction” (Sex Object, n.d.). Today, many young celebrities are putting themselves out there as sex objects to their fans.

In the media, young pop stars are over exposed, whether it is through magazine spreads, in music videos, or online, young stars are getting hit the worst with controversy. Professor Andrew Hill, professor of medical psychology at the University of Leeds states “If you look at teenage magazines, it’s all about sex” (Sexualisation, 2007). He continues to say, “We are a visually absorbed society – our views of people are dominated by how they look” (Sexualisation, 2007). Young celebrities, such as Rihanna, are known for wearing non-tasteful outfits that do not seem age appropriate. These celebrities are sending the message that it is okay to look like a slut, even though in our society it is completely unacceptable, especially for a young teenager.

Within the media, there are many scandals. For example Vanessa Hudgens and Miley Cyrus had half naked photos of them posted on the internet and Jaime- Lynn Spears became pregnant at 16. For young stars working for the Disney network this is improper behaviour. Parents allow their children to watch the Disney channel because they believe that it is age appropriate, but after scandals such as these, many parents are not allowing their children to watch Disney programs. For example Cindy Crawford does not allow her children to watch Hannah Montana because she does not like the overall message (Robyn, 2009).

Within this age group of pop stars, purity rings have become overly popular. Celebrities such as The Jonas Brothers and Jordon Sparks wear them. Joe Jonas defines a purity ring as “promises to ourselves and to God that we’ll stay pure till marriage” (Jonas Brothers, 2008). Although purity rings are ways of portraying abstinence, young celebrities are still depicting themselves as sex objects. Denny Pattyn, a pastor who founded the Silver Ring says “celebrities can both help and hurt his group’s quest to create a cultural shift in America where premarital abstinence becomes the rule” (Purity Rings, n.d.). For example, at the MTV Music Awards, British comedian Russell Brand made the importance of the purity ring a complete joke by making fun of the Jonas Brothers (Purity Rings, n.d.). Not everyone takes the purity rings seriously, especially since in the past others such as Britney Spears who used to wear one later confessed to having sexual intercourse before marriage. Michael Reece, Director of the Center of Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University states, “It is probably a nice thing that we have celebrities who are trying to be role models and model healthy behaviours,” (Purity Rings, n.d), but who knows how long it will last for, because after all teenage pop stars are human and may want to experiment.