I'm an Elizabeth…but I wish I was a Jessica!
So the cool kids over at Gawker are talking about Sweet Valley High. Apparently, they've "modernized" the series and the covers will now be photographic, featuring Leven Ramblin from All My Children. I don't know about you, but I happen to love those old illustrated covers. Those girls were impossibly pretty, they looked like dolls, I used to love just staring at the swivel rack in my library. But Random House hasn't just slapped on a new cover-- they've gone in and updated the text. Oh no they din't! Apparently, the twins now drive a Jeep Wrangler instead of a Fiat. And that's not all:
"To publicize the re-release of teen fiction series Sweet Valley High, Random House Children's Books sent a letter to journalists highlighting the changes made to the content of the 1980s paperbacks. New cover girl Leven Rambin (pictured) was not mentioned, but just to make sure preteen and teenaged girl readers are sufficiently insecure about their bodies, the publisher made the "perfect" clothing size a couple of notches more restrictive. It seems kids in the 80s lived by totally fat standards. Also, Sweet Valley High students now have their own anonymous blog, presumably to hatefully bully the fattest of their classmates."
So apparently a size 6 is no longer "perfect." The Wakefields are now a perfect size four, according to the press release. I'm surprised they didn't go so far as saying, perfect size 2. Or zero for that matter! I mean, yes, clothing sizes are getting bigger (ie a 1950s size 8 is NOT a modern day size 8, it's like a 4) as we are getting bigger, but it's obvs not just that-- today's standard of beauty is basically anorexia. Just look at the runways! Look at Hollywood's big stars! Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger, Sarah Michelle Gellar-- all tiny. It's totally unrealistic and unhealthy. That is not what our little tween girls should aspire to-- or us women either, for that matter. Leave our Wakefields alone and leave our girls alone too!
xoxo
Jenny
posted by Jenny Han at 7:58 PM
10 Comments:
oh, the wakefield sisters...i had every single one of those books. read them in sixth grade.
i totally remember the "perfect size 6"!
i'm not suprised that is completely bloadilishish by today's anorexic state of perfection...
Oh, this is SO WRONG. (Though I have to admit, I'm almost as enraged by the loss of the Fiat as I am by the clothing size.) Heresy!
This is one of those details I just can't believe someone put in a press release, and someone else signed off on. However, I think even the constant reiteration of "perfect size six" was nothing short of destructive.
I want to believe that pre-teens of 2008, who have so many more targeted reading options than those of 1983 will simply overlook the "updated" series.
I agree with Jill. I can't BELIEVE they actually put that "perfect size 4" thing in a press release! Geez!!! Are they PROUD of how completely inappropriate they are???
There's so much pressure on girls these days. Why would a major publisher tell them that THIS particular size is "perfect?"
AARGH!!!
I was reading YA in the height of these (i.e. when they actually came out) and I might have read one of these books...but they were just so unappealing to me. I liked the Fireside imprint because it was more realistic (haha!). Hopefully these will be a big bust, but probably not...sigh.
I'm also as disturbed by the "perfect size 4" change as I am about the Fiat change. Will they change all of their cars? Will Bruce still drive his black porsche with the 1bruce1 license plate? Will Todd still drive his white Toyota? What about Lila's lime green Triumph?
GRRRRRR!
I'd guess Todd will only drive his Toyota if Toyota put up the cash to be included. Of course it would have to be a Prius now to make the right kind of statement. I have a hard time imagining that in the specific cultural and commercial climate of 2008, no money exchanged hands when the specific make of Jeep was a) selected and b) included in all media materials (certainly worth more than mere inclusion in the book). This harkens back to the previous discussion on this site about product placement in books.
Wow, Jill. I didn't even think about that! But I'm sure you're right! Geez. The SVH twins have been bought and paid for!!!
There should be a full investigation!
:-)
Oh, my gosh!! I had forgotten about the Sweet Valley Twins. I enjoyed those girls. I loved the Windswept books, too. So mysterious. ;^)
Well, it seems that even publishers who focus on young adults don't care for our girls' health and self-esteem any more than the rest of popular culture. As parents and women, we must try to undo this damage. But how?
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