Girl Power?

It seems American cinema has just noticed that there’s a helluvalotta estrogen out there just waiting to be tapped. Girls in their tweens and teens are the hottest demographic going, and if you aren’t in on the girl power, than you’re missing the money train.

Between movies such as “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen,” the music of Avril Lavigne and an utterly girly trend in fashion (monograms, anyone?)…the girls have it. But what are they getting?

With teen icons such as the Disney-owned Lindsey Lohan and Hilary Duff and the oh-my-God-they’ll-soon-be-legal Olsen twins, do girls really have the best pop culture can give them? Today’s teen girls are recovering from a childhood of idolizing sex-tinged superstars (“My name is Ashleee and I was a Britney fan…”) and turning to….what?

Today’s message for girls may be better than it was a mere few years ago, but is it going to produce a culture of intelligent women? According to the latest fashion trends: sex is in, voting is out. According to the likes of MTV and Teen magazine, we learn that you should wear your low riders and tight t-shirts to get boys into your “Milkshake,” not get educated. The world outside if of no concern to you, you have too much shopping to do.

We are living in an age of information and a time of war, but I have serious doubt that the “kids today” could care less. They have an AIM conversation going on with the news ticker turned off. That’s life.

What’s the answer? How about style and substance? Instead of having the young adult lit section at Barnes and Noble be filled with movie adaptations of Disney girl power flicks, why not have schools push real women’s lit on these gum-poppers? Some Edith Wharton in the house? Maybe a bit of Toni Morrison or Terry McMillan? Go Ask Alice? Anyone?

Judy Blume, that caretaker of the all-American girl, she’s out to make a movie for her teenie tween fans. Blume gave us a hard look at losing your virginity, dealing with death and anorexia. This woman knows girls and know show to make them care. Her film, “Deenie,” is about a girl with scoliosis. Hey, that’s reality –thank God.

Girls need a quick slap of reality. They need to see the world isn’t a land of daddy’s credit card, Lizzie McGuire-brand hair ties and pretty pink Barbie cars. Can Blume do it? I know I can’t think of anyone better.