Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Am I the only teenager who despises ‘teen’ magazines?
The mere picking up of a Dolly or Girlfriend magazine generates so many questions in my mind. Such magazines claim that it’s great to be different, yet how do they produce adolescents who look all the same? Do girls really buy into that consumerism? Why must they spend $7 every month on learning how to look the same as everyone else? What are they teaching the parents of tomorrow? Finally, what were the editors thinking?
A trip to the mall will show that teenage society is lacking in true original dressers. Every second girl wears a uniform of skinny jeans, silly flimsy coloured leather slip-ons and detailed camisoles. The other half wear embellished jandals, boho skirts in terrible un-bohemian shades of orange or pink, and plain tank tops. Girlfriend magazine is beginning to feature articles about punk style, creating a style oxymoron. Punk mentality is based around DIY spirit and not following trends, but magazines making punk mainstream cancels the rebellion out, leaving a style of dressing as opposed to a lifestyle. My old Chuck Taylors and Ramones shirt are looking less appealing.
Even the more eclectic international magazines such as TeenVogue or ELLEgirl (with matching needless capitalisations in their titles) are simply feeders into their adult counterparts, Vogue and Elle. The latter magazines are very centred around brand loyalty, occasionally featuring photoshoots composed solely of Louis Vuitton. TeenVogue features Chanel purses costing over $600US, a completely unrealistic price for most teen girls, and has ads for Burberry and Hermés, re-enforcing the brand orientation of Vogue. The ‘A Room of my Own’ feature in TeenVogue claims to showcase ‘real girls’ rooms, but has rarely featured a teenager who isn’t the daughter of a designer or famous person.
With local magazines being to trend-orientated, and international ones focusing on expensive brands, all I want is a publication focused on style. True, individual, ahead-of-the-curve style. I want to read about fashion in other countries, I want to read opinions of trends, I want to read something that isn’t full of ‘omg 4 u’ and ‘SHRN’. My hard-to-please reading needs leave me in quite the dilemma. What do I read? It seems the answer, for now at least, is I don’t.
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! My college paper is apparently tough to get in to, and is rated among the top 10 in the nation.. But, I'm determined! I was thinking about applying for sports intern since its the only position opening 
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