Dolly’s March issue is awash in shopping, fashion and beauty content. There’s a comp to locate “Shopper of the year.”  

 

The big story in this month’s issue is the return of the Dolly Model Search after a 10 year hiatus. “You can be the next Miranda Kerr!” girls are told. While Dolly told me it will have firm conditions applying to how a young winner will be used, it is difficult to see how she will deviate from the standard beauty ideal. And it’s still about girls competing against other, being judged and compared, in what is essentially a beauty contest.

Editor Tiffany Durk says readers want a “relatable teen role model.” But couldn’t Dolly provide its readers great role models outside a competitive appearance-focussed event? Young women rising above the airheaded cult of celebrity and fashion to achieve great things in the world? I’d love to see Dolly’s pages full of young women like this.

The ‘Retouch free zone’ labels are good, but I’d like to see more of them and they’re not applied consistently (The models/real girls Dolly shoots seem to get one, but not celebrity pics or any women in advertising).

Buried in the fashion pages: special report on animal cruelty, how to find out who your real friends are, ‘Are you guy shy’ which includes advice on how to “Amp up your flirt style” (Dolly’s readers include 12-13 year olds, just so you know), why girls are stealing and the best deed you’ve ever done (which is quite sweet, especially as it’s all boys telling of their good deeds). But that’s soon overtaken by “Dolly’s hottest 100” including “Hottest future husbands”, “Hottest TV Hotties”, “Hottest Pop Princess” and “Hottest Role Model” (with Lady Gaga at number 7).

First person stories include “I’m a solo teen mum” and “I fight for turtle conservation”. Then there’s guilt trips ,what your FB profile says about you and how to help a friend out of trouble. In the advice columns, it was good to see Dolly tell a 13-year-old to stand up to a boy pressuring her for sex. “Make it absolutely clear to him that sex is not on your agenda. Explain that he must accept this and stop hassling you” and if he won’t listen – break up”.

 Author: Melinda Tankard Reist, Editor: Dr Ramesh Manocha

Mental Health & Wellbeing of Young People Seminars
If you want to find out more about the influence of porn on young people you can hear Melinda Tankard Reist speak on this important emerging issue at our Mental Health & Wellbeing of Young People.