Girls

GeoGirl, the forthcoming Walmart makeup line aimed at tweens, continues to cause a stir. Although some corners of the Web have been outraged by GeoGirl, this news clip instead focuses on two Oklahoma moms who aren't crazy about their daughters wearing makeup. "At this age," one says, "They just need to learn that they can be accepted for who they are, not how pretty they can make themselves be." Do you agree?

Research seems to suggest that children exposed to more germs as little kids are less likely to get illnesses such as asthma, allergies, or autoimmune disorders later in life. And even more research suggests that since little girls tend to be cleaner and play indoors more frequently, they have an increased risk of developing these types of sicknesses. It's called the hygiene hypothesis. To find out more, just keep reading.

When I took my entrance exam to a Jesuit high school, the girls and boys were separated — girls on one floor, boys on the other. I dismissed it as Catholic paranoia, but it turns out the school was onto something. A new study found that women do worse on math tests after being subjected to the "male gaze."

We already know any gender gap in math is due to stereotypes ingrained into girls and women's minds. In fact, a recent study found girls and boys have nearly identical math scores in countries that emphasize gender equality. Hopefully, the stereotype will soon be history as gender equality increases around the world, and girls will never know they were supposed to be bad at math.

But what about women today? Considering the study participants were men and women, should we ask how men affect women's performance at work? Maybe it all evens out anyway.

Toddlers & Tiaras, what hath ye wrought, seriously? In this week's episode, a mother took her tiny daughter to the salon to get her eyebrows waxed. Why this even occurred to anyone as a feasible thing is unclear, but it's especially bad because, as the mother herself explains, "She had a bad [waxing] experience . . . the wax was way too hot and it ripped off her skin, so she's been kind of terrified ever since." We're pretty terrified, too. Here's the footage:

Remember the halcyon days of the early '90s, when kiddie makeup from Walmart meant Mary-Kate and Ashley clear glitter that immediately came off? Well, it seems Mary-Kate and Ashley's out for the current generation. Now, Walmart is launching a new collection called GeoGirl. According to one executive vice president at the brand's manufacturer, Pacific World, the line is designed to be "real cosmetics with natural ingredients that will create return purchases and create a true beauty consumer." Ah yes, because the point with these things is to create children who feel like they need makeup.

Anyway, the paraben-free line, including mascara (seen above), lipstick, cream blush, and mineral powder, will be launching Feb. 21. It's discomfiting that family-centric Walmart, which pulled Maxim's latest issue over Olivia Munn's peekaboo lacy underwear cover, will then target makeup at kids so young. What do you think? Would you be OK with your "tween" wearing the blue mascara or red lipstick from this line?

Teenage girls are getting angrier, and they're expressing their emotions with more punches, slaps, and kicks than ever before. Fingers have pointed to binge drinking as liquor numbs feelings, making girls less adept at coping with emotions. But girls have been binge drinking for decades, so I don't entirely buy that Students Against Drunk Driving warning. What does intrigue me is the sociological explanation: girls are tired of being the passive sex and are emulating male behavior.

Mike Fisher, an anger management psychotherapist, says it's becoming increasingly socially acceptable for girls to fight, especially in inner-city schools where they feel the need to stand up for themselves physically. It's reached the point where brawling girls now have their own, very boyish name — ladettes — at least according to the British press.

So now the question is how will these girls grow up? Considering the number of women found guilty of murder, assault, and other attacks has risen by 81 percent in the UK since 1998, chances aren't looking so good.

Every two months or so, a newspaper will publish an outrageous story about girls wearing makeup, getting bikini waxes, or doing other grown-woman things before they've hit menarche. Then everyone (including us, for what it's worth) worries about Girls Growing Up Too Fast, and the concern dies down until the next article. But this time it's different: girls who try makeup at earlier ages usually become blasé about cosmetics earlier, too.

Before high school, more girls are using cosmetics than before — so the concern over kiddie spa parties may be warranted. But compared to just a few years ago, high schoolers are wearing less makeup. Experts from The NPD Group, which researched how girls use cosmetics, suggest that the initial thrill of using makeup wears off by the time the teen years roll around. "You've got girls asking, 'Do I really need this?'" says NPD beauty analyst Karen Grant. "Maybe it's not that exciting anymore because they've been using it since they were younger."

Source: Flickr user Jan Tik