Whilst doing some reasearch I stumbled across Tampax’s “educational” site for teenage girls, www.beinggirl.co.uk. The site is filled with relentlessly upbeat articles on dating, boys, makeup and periods.

One of their advice sections is entitled:

Everybody’s crazy about boys (except me). Feel like a freak simply because you’re not lusting after anything (or everything) in trousers? Worry not - being boy crazy is not the law.

…and it makes me want to puke. It says boy crazy is not the law, but then says:

Developing feelings for the opposite sex is a totally normal part of growing up

Er, nor necessarily.

Just because your best mate has turned into a boy-crazed loon overnight doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you just because you’re still interested in other stuff.

Ok, good…

Chances are, the boy bug will bite you at some point too so don’t worry about it.

Argh! That’s right, don’t worry, you’re not gay, you’ll fancy boys soon like normal girls.

In the meantime, having interests in lots of stuff (not all exclusively male…) makes you a far more interesting anyway we say!

Only in the meantime, though.

The second page is a story about two 14 year old best friends, Jess and Chloe. Chloe ditches Jess when she gets a boyfriend, Matt. But not to worry, the story ends “happily”.

Earlier this year, she introduced Jess to one of Matt’s mates’ Sam. They’re not ‘boyfriend/girlfriend’ - yet - but Jess has admitted to Chloe that she thinks Sam is seriously cute…

Bllleeerrgh.

It makes me really sad to think that this is what teenage girls have for advice about love, life, and menstruation.

Photo from clemente used under a creative commons license.

Posted by Catherine Redfern on 3 February 2008, at 3:19 PM