Lauren Greenfield's "Fast Forward"

"Although trends come and go, especially among teenagers, I was intrigued by the role of the media as a homogenizing force. Against the foil of obvious material and cultural differences, I began to explore the ways in which young people from diverse backgrounds are similarly influenced by a popular culture they share."

To think that all teenagers all have something in common because of the influences of popular culture, regardless of cultural and economic differences, is a really interesting thought. I know that pop culture does influence us, but Lauren Greenfield takes it a step further and says that it "homogenizing force." A claim like that certainly warrants some evidence, which she lays out in Fast Forward. To defend her hypothesis, Greenfield took a video journal of teenage students from her Alma mater high school in Los Angeles. The pictures are a candid and vivid affirmation of her claim, that what teens see and hear will ultimately draw them to make similar choices. These choices, Greenfield argues, kind of makes all teens dress, act, and desire all in the same ways.

The photos that Greenfield puts forward in her journal, to me, suggest two things: first is that teens are growing up way too fast, and second they are terribly lazy. Perhaps the best example of this is the boy who had belly dancers at his bar mitzvah. I don't know how old he is exactly, and maybe I am being culturally insensitive by saying this, but I think it is inappropriate to have scantily clad women frolicking around young kids. I think Greenfield is trying to tell us here that even if the child did want the belly dancers, the fact that the parents allowed it means that they too have been influenced by this force of popular culture.

Another moving (and a little disgusting) photo was the plastic surgery on a teen's nose. In a world where there are television shows called Nip and Tuck where plastic surgery is just another thing, these teens feel that it is necessary to alter their physical appearance to fit in, to strive to be the normative teenager that the media depicts are "beautiful."

But what did Greenfield mean when she said that the media served to homogenize teens even across class lines? In one of the photos, a Hispanic teen is standing outside his modest home all decked out in his tuxedo. It was the day of his senior prom. The media teaches us that it is important to go all out on your prom night, even if it is beyond your economic means. It is clear from the photo that he comes from a working-class home, so this prom was extra special. He probably worked really hard to save money for that night. As a result, it was a family affair to see him off. His whole family was out in front of his house to see him off. Would this have occurred if the young man was rich? I forgot who it was, but someone in our class had said that the prom was just another day for one of their friends because they were used to formal events. Clearly, to this boy and his family, it was much more.

Now, when he arrived at his prom, it is likely he was just another kid, and all of those class differences were left behind. Everyone was likely dressed the same, all had a limo, all danced to the same music. It homogenized the entire group. If just for a moment, he was equal with all of his peers.