Every once in a while, a new trend comes in, whether it be music or clothing, it does not matter. Teenage girls are usually the most prominent consumers. With that comes extreme scrutiny. But why is that? Why are young girls usually targeted for their interests?

  One of the most prominent examples of this would be “Bieber fever” or the response that came with One Direction when young girls were classified as crazy and obsessive due to their interests in them. Not only that, but it is common to see this in everyday life when women show interest in “manly” things such as bands like The Beatles, which often leads to the widely joked about the response of “Oh yeah? Name every Beatles song.”

   Such scrutiny is embedded in hundreds of years’ worth of misogyny. As women were belittled and put at a lower status than men, their interests were devalued. The housewife “I Love Lucy” ideal of the 1960s is a large contributor as well. Women were stuck at home with nothing to do, thus picking up meaningless and “silly” interests in the eyes of others. Despite the fact that many like to believe that American society has moved past this idea, it is still translated into the inherent misogyny many have today.

   This misogynistic viewpoint may be surprised as the clock rewinds, though. Returning to the topic of The Beatles, genuinely think about it. Who got them famous? Crazy, obsessive teenage girls. In fact, who got Elvis Presley, the man widely credited with revolutionizing music, famous? Crazy, obsessive teenage girls. Without the help of teenage girls, we would probably not have the evolution that led to modern music.

   This goes beyond just music. It can be seen in clothing, literature, art, movies and so much more. Young women are the pioneers of new trends and are one of the biggest influences on what sells on the market and what fails.

   Pop-culture would be nowhere without their “silly” interests. The scrutiny put on young women for the things they like is frankly outdated. Instead, this “obsessive” period of their life should be celebrated and commended for the things it has managed to accomplish.