7. Greenfield: Fast Forward

Lauren Greenfield's photos for Fast Forward capture kids and teenagers in L.A. and though these photos Greenfield shows "the early loss of innocence in a media-saturated society and how kids are affected by the culture of materialism, the cult of celebrity, and the emphasis on image". The phenomenon that is most seen in these photos is "getting older younger"; her photos show young girls obsessed with their weight and appearances. The young boys seem to only care about women, and have posters of half naked women on their walls, even thought they're ten.

She contrasts the rich, white kids with the poorer, ethnic ones and while these photos show how these teenagers are different, they can also be used to show the similarities between all different types of kids, no matter the age, class, or race. She says in her artist statement, "thanks to programs like Sex and the City and its widespread popularity among teenagers, one doesn’t have to grow up in Beverly Hills to know Prada and Jimmy Choo and desire them. Versace and DKNY are worn in the inner-city of South Central L.A. Starbucks, Gap, Puff Daddy and J-Lo unite Kansas City and Edina, Minnesota, rich and poor".

I understand that kids want to be older and everything, but I don't get why parents give in and let their kids dress (or not dress as it seems) in clothes that are revealing and inappropriate for ten year olds and give their kids whatever they want. This is just one of many subjects that makes me really upset.

Greenfield's artist statement relates to the third assumption, that media matters and popular culture is not just a form of entertainment; "Film, television, music, advertising, fashion and other forms of popular culture shape the daily lives of all Americans whether we celebrate or resist the influence". Greenfield says, "By the time I was done, this body of work had become about something that went beyond L.A.; the early loss of innocence in a media-saturated society and how kids are affected by the culture of materialism, the cult of celebrity, and the emphasis on image".

I thought it was disturbing how focused on weight the little girls were and especially in that one photo, how the parents seem to go along with it.