What's the right age for female sexualization?

[AkronPonderer]

I see many Catholic mothers and fathers complain that the world is sexualizing females at younger and younger ages.

To me, this implies there is an age they feel is proper for females to be “sexualized.”

What is the appropriate age?

 

[puzzleannie]

when they are ready for marriage and motherhood.

if you mean the natural biological processes, they happen when they happen, although because of diet and other environmental influences, they seem to be happening earlier for many girls.

if you mean dress, make-up, speak and move like a hottie to catch a man’s eye, that should wait until she is ready to handle a hottie, by marrying him and raising a family with him.

 

[Asillia]

I like the answer above me.

Sexualization in itself is (I think) not a bad thing; since we ARE sexual beings - so there is nothing wrong with recognizing and embracing that. But the real problem (along with it happening younger and younger, before young girls are ready for marriage and motherhood, the purpose of our sexual nature, or using sex outside of its context) is that we make it the only, or the most important, thing about a person, and ‘sexualization’ has become synonomous with ‘objectification’ - both of the girl being ‘sexualized’, and of the boys she is trying to attract.

And there is NO good age for that.

 

[puzzleannie]

the current cultural practice OP is justly criticizing is, I think, that of advertisers and media in general depicting young girls–and clothing retailers are the worst offenders–as sex objects. This is a crime IMO that cries out to heaven for vengeance and is directly responsible for the general cultural acceptance of sexual activity in children, and implies sanction for adults viewing and using children as vehicles for sex. If you do not believe this is a widespread problem and cultural shift ask anyone who works for police or FBI on child porn and child abuse.

 

[Asillia]

I do believe that. That’s pretty much exactly what my post said; that the real problem is the way society goes about its ‘sexualization’, but that there is also a healthy way of being ‘sexualized’ (if that word even applies…I’ve never heard it being used that way).

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

when they are ready for marriage and motherhood.

if you mean the natural biological processes, they happen when they happen, although because of diet and other environmental influences, they seem to be happening earlier for many girls.

if you mean dress, make-up, speak and move like a hottie to catch a man’s eye, that should wait until she is ready to handle a hottie, by marrying him and raising a family with him.

Amen, amen I say to you!

And that age is NOT eleven!

 

[AkronPonderer]

puzzleannie:

“if you mean dress, make-up, speak and move like a hottie to catch a man’s eye, that should wait until she is ready to handle a hottie, by marrying him and raising a family with him.”

So, there does come a time when a Catholic female is supposed to dress, wear make-up, speak and move like a hottie, for the purpose of a catching hottie’s eye? Interesting.

To many orthodox Catholic males, there is never a time for a single orthodox female to have those attributes.

What attributes define this “hottie” male"?

 

[Carolinagirl411]

Good luck any of you with young teenage daughters. The problem is that society at large is completely controlled by the media. Little girls view their “heroes” like Hillary Duff, Miley Cyrus, etc. and want to be just like them. What do these girls do? Wear make up, jewelry, and dress VERY inappropriately. I’ve been in clothing stores before and have seen clothing designed for children…and those clothes were sluttier than anything I’ve ever worn…and I’m 24! Granted I don’t believe in walking down the street letting my stuff hang out like some girls…but still. I don’t want to see a 10 year old doing that either.

However, if you tell your daughters, “No you can’t wear that” you will be the most awful person in the world in their eyes lol b/c they want to dress like their heroes and be like their friends.

All I can say is best of luck. Teenagers are getting harder and harder to handle and starts at an earlier age…like 10/11.

When I was little I watched stuff like the Disney cartoon classics with goofy and pluto, etc. Now disney just plays really disgusting shows that turn our children into idiots. The one time a friend’s kid was watching Disney I felt like I lost 50 IQ points.

 

[redpepper]

I see many Catholic mothers and fathers complain that the world is sexualizing females at younger and younger ages.

To me, this implies there is an age they feel is proper for females to be “sexualized.”

What is the appropriate age?

“Sexualization” is always wrong.

 

[AkronPonderer]

I bet puzzleannie is a female.

Asillia:

“Sexualization in itself is (I think) not a bad thing; since we ARE sexual beings - so there is nothing wrong with recognizing and embracing that.”

I bet Asillia is a female.

redpepper:

“Sexualization” is always wrong.

I bet redpepper is male.

Interesting. Same exact words. All thoughts from conservatives Catholics. Completely different conclusions, probably based on the sex of the commenter.

Something else is at work here. Mostly likely, behavioral biology.

No wonder there is a never-ending “battle of the sexes.”

 

[JimG]

The problem is that society at large is completely controlled by the media. Little girls view their “heroes” like Hillary Duff, Miley Cyrus, etc. and want to be just like them. What do these girls do? Wear make up, jewelry, and dress VERY inappropriately. I’ve been in clothing stores before and have seen clothing designed for children…and those clothes were sluttier than anything I’ve ever worn…and I’m 24!

Most parents could probably make the same statement. Do little girl’s mothers wear the same type of clothing that they are buying for their daughters? And yet they do continue to buy.

 

[Asillia]

I hope nobody takes me out of context in the previous post…

But for the record, I don’t think the way I do about sexualization becuase I’m female, but becuase I think, through my study of JPII’s writings on the subject, that recognizing that we have a sexual aspect is not an evil in and of itself.

This is not to say I approve of any way, shape or form, of the way sexualization goes on in our society and media. I’m not even sure if what I describe is called ‘sexualization’ or not…that word has such negative connotations.

 

[deb1]

I bet puzzleannie is a female.

Asillia:

“Sexualization in itself is (I think) not a bad thing; since we ARE sexual beings - so there is nothing wrong with recognizing and embracing that.”

I bet Asillia is a female.

redpepper:

“Sexualization” is always wrong.

I bet redpepper is male.

Interesting. Same exact words. All thoughts from conservatives Catholics. Completely different conclusions, probably based on the sex of the commenter.

Something else is at work here. Mostly likely, behavioral biology.

No wonder there is a never-ending “battle of the sexes.”

I never thought about how broad the meaning of sexualization was before. I took it to mean making an individual a flat object whose only attribute is to attract the opposite gender for sexual purposes. So, my answer to this definition would be NEVER.

If you mean sexualization to be purely the physical ability to have children or desire sex though, that probably happens with puberty and yes, God designed us to eventually want to reproduce. As a Catholic, I want young women to wait until they are married to have sex, of course.

If the question is meant from a secular and not religious viewpoint, then you might be asking what the age of consent should be. I think that it should be 18 in all states.

If you mean at what age should we allow young girls to market themselves as sex objects…I wish that the answer was never, but as we live in an increasingly secuar society, my answer has to be that the same age that girls can have sex with older men is the same age that they are allowed to depict themselves sexually available to such men. So, 18.

By the way, I think that the posters that you quoted probably agree on this issue more then you are giving them credit for doing. They are just each using a different definition of sexualization.

 

[deb1]

I hope nobody takes me out of context in the previous post…

But for the record, I don’t think the way I do about sexualization becuase I’m female, but becuase I think, through my study of JPII’s writings on the subject, that recognizing that we have a sexual aspect is not an evil in and of itself.

This is not to say I approve of any way, shape or form, of the way sexualization goes on in our society and media. I’m not even sure if what I describe is called ‘sexualization’ or not…that word has such negative connotations.

God designed us to be sexual or else we couldn’t reproduce. He also wanted us to be married when we do have sex. I think that maybe the OP needs to define what he/she means by the word sexualization before we go any further.

To the Op, you seem to be taking some people’s quote out of context. This was probably not done on purpose.

 

[deb1]

Most parents could probably make the same statement. Do little girl’s mothers wear the same type of clothing that they are buying for their daughters? And yet they do continue to buy.

I think that women don’t see clothing the same way as men. So, a mother would view an outfit as cute or stylish that her husband sees as inappropriate.

I think that both parents should discuss the limits of what they allow their daughters to wear BEFORE the girls reach puberty. Reaching a consensus early on is very helpful.

 

[buffalo]

Look at your child and see the beautiful innocence. Why would we want to discourage this beauty by contaminating it before its time? I would prolong this as long as possible, while still preparing the child. I would say 15-17.

 

[deb1]

puzzleannie:

“if you mean dress, make-up, speak and move like a hottie to catch a man’s eye, that should wait until she is ready to handle a hottie, by marrying him and raising a family with him.”

So, there does come a time when a Catholic female is supposed to dress, wear make-up, speak and move like a hottie, for the purpose of a catching hottie’s eye? Interesting.

To many orthodox Catholic males, there is never a time for a single orthodox female to have those attributes.

What attributes define this “hottie” male"?

I am bolding this statement because it has me confused. Do you mean that you honestly think that orthodox Catholic males do not want their wives to ever be sexy for them? As a happily married woman, this has not been my experience. It sounds like you are working with a very limited stereotype of Orthodox Catholics and that is causing you to accidentally misread some post.

There is a difference, of course, between adult sexuality between a married couple and the media’s push to make younger and younger girls appear sexually mature to older men. I hope that you recognize that difference.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

After the wedding reception, on her wedding night!

How do you know all these people are conservative Catholics? You do not list yourself as anything, Akron.

 

[AkronPonderer]

deb1:

Please notice the word “single” in:

To many orthodox Catholic males, there is never a time for a single orthodox female to have those attributes.

 

[deb1]

deb1:

Please notice the word “single” in:

To many orthodox Catholic males, there is never a time for a single orthodox female to have those attributes.

Yes, I see. Sorry.

I don’t think that anyone should be sexualized because, to me, the word invokes images of viewing an individual only as an object.

I am in my forties and I can remember a time when feminist were very anxious to prevent women from being viewed as cardboard cutouts whose only value was their sexuality. Strangely enough, that has changed and now we have a society that is pushing a very limited view of female sexuality on younger and younger women.

Quite frankly if Catholic males are encouraging Catholic females to have enough self respect view themselves as more then one dimensional caricatures but instead, as whole people with intelligence, compassion and talent, then all I can say is…“Way to go, Catholic men”

I still want your definition of sexualization to make certain that I am answering your actual question.