Recently, I came to the realization that I despise all magazines for teenagegirls. The kind that tell you if you're smart, you're a geek. If you're a fewpounds overweight, you should start exercising for at least two hours a day andsubsist on a diet of water and rice cakes. If you don't have a boyfriend, theremust be something seriously wrong with you. And don't forget that you areobviously some kind of freak or weirdo if you don't waste your money on anexpensive new wardrobe of trendy clothes every month.

I say that thisshallow, idiotic trash is one of the worst things that could have ever happenedto girls! As soon as we are born, we are constantly barraged with the messagethat thin is beautiful, and that guys will accept nothing less. We're told thatif we aren't all supermodel-bimbo clones, we'll never amount to anything in thisworld.

People wonder why some teenage girls have such low self-esteem andconfidence. Maybe these trashy magazines have something to do with it. Articlessuch as "Overweight and Unhappy" or "Get That Bikini StomachNow!" make it no wonder that young women are starving themselves to death.If people can't reach these goals of "true beauty," they might becomedepressed or even go so far as to attempt suicide. Something must be done NOW toput an end to these horrible misconceptions of what "perfect" is. If wedon't act soon, more and more tragedies are going to occur. Maybe one step wouldbe to stop paying emaciated women millions of dollars to prance up and downrunways, modeling practically nonexistent fashions.

But some people, ofcourse, will manage to get that "perfect" size two body. Once they haveattained this, the magazines pound into their heads what to wear. Go ahead, buythat $25 barrette and those $150 shoes. Sure, they won't even be in style inthree weeks, but at least you can be trendy now. Of course, you'll also have toshop in the most fashionable boutiques and buy everything at rip-off prices. Butat least you'll have that label that no one will ever see. I admit it. I shop inBradlee's and Marshall's and other discount stores. And I will defy anyone totell the difference between my $15 sweater and someone else's $75 one from theGap.

But, hey, if you want to go on an endless diet and waste all yourhard-earned cash on brand-name jeans, go right ahead. Then you'll be ready tofind yourself a boyfriend. Now let's see, according to those trusty teenagemagazines, your boyfriend will have to fit into a special mold. He has to be talland muscular with perfect hair. He can't possibly be an honors student, or elsehe'd be WAY too nerdy for you. I mean, who really cares if his shoe size ishigher than his IQ, anyway? He should be obsessed with at least one professionalsports team, have an awesome car, and his varsity letter in something. He has tolove to go out and party on the weekends. Mr. Perfect should be older than you,too. He might force you into doing something you don't want to - but at leastyou'll have the STATUS associated with an older guy. He can't possibly be youngerthan you, even if he is the sweetest guy in the world; it would be way too tackyfor you to be seen with him. And if you can't find a guy right now - changeyourself. Lose more weight, show more skin! I say, if some jerky guy only likesyou for your physical appearance, and you actually alter your looks for him, thenyou don't deserve to have a worthwhile guy anyway.

So, every girl who hasa dusty magazine collection in her room, go find it right now. Go through all thearticles and find one telling you that it's okay if you don't have a boyfriend ora flat stomach. Or one that says it's a good idea to study hard. Find one thatsays there's nothing wrong with hating to wear make-up or not having a trendyhairdo. Search for one that says you should be proud of yourself no matter whatyou look like, or that it's okay if you aren't part of the popular crowd atschool. Find a magazine cover featuring an overweight girl, a girl whosecomplexion isn't perfect, or someone wearing glasses or braces. How about girlsof different ethnic groups and backgrounds, or perhaps one with a physicalhandicap? I'd be willing to bet that you won't see any of the above. You'll onlysee some skinny clone who doesn't have a mind of her own.

So, I beg allteenage girls to STOP SUBSCRIBING to these mindless wastes of precious time. Stopconsulting magazines that reduce all women, everywhere, to brainless, boy-crazyairheads! ?