Sometimes there are moments that hit me in the face and force me into the realization that I’m closer to middle age than not. Seeing this thread What’s The Difference Between Women Of The 90′s And Now? kinda threw me for a loop because it simultaneously made me realize that….I’m… *gasp* MUCH too old to be on some of these message boards that I used to love 
and that my generation may SERIOUSLY very well be the last of the “Jasmine Bellefleur’s”.
Last year, I posted about my love for vintage black glamour photos. I also made a promise to myself to take more photos when I’m looking sharp…so that future generations would have images of class to look at and possibly emulate. This need was further driven home when I was asked to bring in some of my professional hooker heels shoes as models for my senior girls to use as guides for appropriate graduation ceremony attire. Over the last 3 or 4 years we’ve had some….interesting choices of stroll to the pole footwear from our young ladies.
Still, it didn’t occur to me until reading some of the comments in the thread about women of the 90′s that even with our crazy, sexy, cool casual tomboy dookie braids wearing, Halle Berry short cuts and asymmetrical bobs – we were still LADIES.
I was pleased to see that the younger readers noticed that we had a variety of styles and looks. Our make-up and hairstyles were realistic and natural looking. Our bodies were not enhanced to the point where we walked around like centaurs…and we did NOT all pose with duck lips and our azzes tooted toward the camera.
While I am the first one to encourage women to embrace their sexuality and harness the power of their sensuality, I think that our younger girls have confused sensuality with sensory overload. I think that may be one of the reasons that even though my work environment can be casual, I make a point to dress up – dresses, heels, skirts – a wardrobe that draws attention, but is professional. I want to make sure that even if they don’t get it now, girls that see me may eventually understand the difference between being Jasmine and settling for all that Jazz.
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I’m loving the new look!
I’m a few years younger than you, but I’ve noticed the difference as well. I get so nostalgic when I see pictures like the ones you posted – wondering where did all those women go? I guess they got older, got married, and had babies. Their replacements, however, I just can’t get with. It’s when I talk about old TV programming because even some of the pictures in the collage are of TV sitcoms. Now, even Disney shows are over sexualized. Girl gets her first kiss, girl gets her first boyfriend, etc. Women were doing those things before it wasn’t their focus. I remember wanting to be Laura Winslow. The innocence of the times are gone.
Thanks, Roni! When I started reading that thread, I really began to try to pinpoint the exact moment of the shift. Late 90′s? Early millennium? You’re right. EVERYTHING is hypersexualized. I posted a quote on G+ not to long ago about how we no longer create and develop our own sexual fantasies because they are pre-programmed and spoon fed to us. There has to be something wrong with that!
And YES! The girls on the old shows were still doing all of the same things. I remember when Brenda lost her virginity on 90210. But it wasn’t the focus of the program. Now, all of the teen dramas have sex every episode and show the high school girls in better Vicki’s Secrets than most adults.
I am glad I came back through to your space. I love the new look and totally agree with the subject. My daughter is 17 but not nearly as “mature” as her counterparts. For this reason she does not seem to fit in with the clique. She was even told that if she wanted to hang with a certain group for her senior year they were going to have to take her shopping and step her game up. Of course, this meant buying clothes that were inappropriate. I shut that down quickly. I told her if they don’t accept you as you are, they are not people you want to call friends. These young girls are something else. SMH