Homecoming QueEn

Everyone knows the type of girl I am talking about; the popular girl, "prettiest" girl, the girl all the boys want to date and who all the girls wish to be like, the girl with the est hair, the best style, makeup, etc., basically, the homecoming queen. In our class I read an article on online communities geared towards girls. The specific site is Alloy.com, but there are many other sites with the same idea. Basically, corporations set up sites that promote their products, only they hide the purpose of the site by posing as a place for girls to communicate and learn about all things "girly." On these sites the corporations advertise their products to a large base of youngs girls by making their site seem like the stereotypical high school homecoming queen."If she is careful, the Alloyer can, in these various subsections, learn about the current popular trends without violating any fashion dictates, and then be praised for a job well done. Through its emphasis on style, Alloy seems to be functioning as the quintessential popular girl-being looked up to and dictating style trends while ridiculing and ostracizing those who do not measure up, for example, those needing makeovers." (Girl Wide Web 2.0, p. 270) They write articles on how to tranform into the "it" girl and then add links into the articles for specific products. The also provide "real" life role models in their promotion of celebrities. There are articles about the much older celebrities such as Beyonce and Britney Spears. "In this way, girls are presented with a celebraion of older, sexualized, commodified role models." (Girl Wide Web 2.0, p.274) I visited the site and saw first hand the propaganda and the way the site becomes the virtual "Homecoming QueEn."