I remember hearing - and actually understanding - that word "sexy" for the first time when I had just returned to the States after living in the Philippines with my grandparents for about 3 years. It was 1976 and I was only 7. Rod Stewart's "Do you think I'm sexy?" was a big hit, as were lots of other disco songs (such as "She's a Brick House") that influenced my budding vision of what it meant to be an American and to be beautiful. I remember watching "Charlie's Angels" on TV religiously and my older brother's poster of those gorgeous blondshells Farah Fawcett and Cheryl Tiegs on his wall. I was both awed and embarrassed by these images and the songs being sung in the late 70's because I was raised in a very modest and conservative Catholic manner, as are many Filipinos here and abroad. I was even taught to look away when two people are kissing - IRL and even on TV! Fortunately, I did not relate to these white blonde girls since I was a brown filipina girl as skinny as a stringbean and quite the tomboy who also wore her brothers' hand-me-down clothes and played with boy's toys. So my dad and step-mom really reinforced educational achievement with my brothers and I, as well as excelling in extracurricular activities (tap, jazz, ballet, softball, basketball, field hockey, band color guard, honor society, etc.). I didn't really focus on beauty and being sexy... just on what I liked to do, and what I did well, and that made me feel good. As did a cute look from one of the many cute guys I had mad crushed on!
And now fast forward 30 years and sex is EVERYWHERE! TV, movies, magazines, celebrities. For me, the one who really crossed the line was Madonna when she portrayed a writhing virgin during the MTV music awards. These girls want to be a sexy Britney or Jessica or Paris. Back then, wholesome Marcia Brady and Marie Osmond were the ones I looked up to. And all the girls' clothing these days, from lowcut jeans to miracle bras to platform shoes...aim to make a little girl look shapely. Is it any wonder that feeling sexy makes a girl feel good?
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