{"id":1093,"date":"2013-08-27T20:22:15","date_gmt":"2013-08-28T01:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lovingonme.com\/?p=1093"},"modified":"2017-05-19T09:31:11","modified_gmt":"2017-05-19T14:31:11","slug":"class-dignity-and-self-respect-what-could-be-more-beautiful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovingonme.com\/2017\/2013\/08\/27\/class-dignity-and-self-respect-what-could-be-more-beautiful\/","title":{"rendered":"Class, Dignity and Self-Respect: What Could Be More Beautiful?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Pretty<\/a>Everyone is up in arms about Miley Cyrus\u2019 performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. CNN even has an article asserting that her performance \u201csets girls and women back\u201d. Really? To where have we been sent? Seems to me we never really evolved beyond this place.<\/p>\n

Miley is just the latest in a long list of entertainers that use over-sexualized hype as a form of self-expression. Shall we call the roll? Let\u2019s see there is Madonna, Britney Spears, Madonna and Britney together, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna. Don\u2019t like any of those? How about Elvis Presley with his grinding hips? Was he too not selling sex?<\/p>\n

The more things change the more they stay the same. Has the \u201cvulgar\u201d behavior gotten worse? Not really. Were there not \u201cbad influences\u201d when we were growing up? Of course! Our access to information may make it seem like the issue is getting worse, but what is likely increasing is our understanding of the infamous words of our parents \u2013 when you become a parent you\u2019ll understand.<\/p>\n

As a Mom, there are two things that I\u2019d dearly love to see happen. First, that someone with authority would tell every underdressed child, Put. Some. D@#n. Clothes. On. \u2013 Punctuating each word so the meaning is not missed. Second, that network television executives demand that entertainers \u2013 male and female – be fully dressed when performing.<\/p>\n

But, neither one of those are likely to happen. You know why? Because outside of Monday Night Football and a couple of performance reality shows nearly all of the top 25 television programs from last season include a sexual undertone. So in actuality, we\u2019re not really outraged by the \u201csexiness\u201d of this woman-child. We\u2019re just terrified that our babies will become what entertain us.<\/p>\n

So how do we, in the words of Chris Rock, keep our daughters off the pole? How do we instill in all of our children values and a sense of self-worth? The same way our parents did \u2013 by being parents.<\/p>\n

Studies galore confirm that when it comes to our kids, we remain their greatest influence.\u00a0 Unfortunately, there are a few of us so busy trying to be their friend that we forget to be parents.<\/p>\n

We could learn a lot from the advice given by old school Mommas. You know the ones I\u2019m talking about \u2013 they had eyes in the back of their head, a look that could stop you in your tracks, and a way of saying things that was both complimentary and corrective.<\/p>\n