teenybopper

The term teenybopper was invented by marketing professionals and psychologists, later becoming a subculture of its own.^[1][2] The term describes a young teenager, particularly a girl, who follows adolescent trends in music, fashion and culture. The term was introduced in the 1950s^{[citation needed]} to refer to teenagers who liked pop music and/or rock and roll. "Teenybopper" became widely used again in the late 1960s and 1970s, following an increase in the marketing of pop music, teen idols and fashions aimed specifically at younger girls, down to 15 years.^[3]

Subcultural aspects

The subculture is exclusive to females, not allowing male entry. As a subculture, it is a "retreat and preparation", allowing girls to relate to their peers and "practice in the secrecy of girl culture the rituals of courtship away from the eye of male ridicule", ^[2][4] also having no risks of standing out or personal humiliation, and serving as a retreat to avoid being labeled sexually.^[4] It also allows young girls to participate in semi-masturbatory rituals, since they don't have access to the masturbatory rituals common among boys.^[4] While the subculture allows them to have a space of their own, the subculture magazines offer an idealized relation with the teen idols, implying always a subordination of the female to the male, anticipating that the subordination will keep being present in their future relationships, and presenting an idealized form of marriage.^[4]

The narrative fantasies elaborated around teenyboppers serve as distractions from boring, unrewarding, or demanding aspects of life, such as school or work, and as a defensive means against the authoritarian structures at school.^[1][4] When shared with other teeny boppers, it allows for defensive solidarity.^[4] It allows its members to define themselves apart from younger and older girls.^[1] Their groups, like all girl groups, will never go above four, unlike boys, who prefer bigger numbers.^[4]

It has a commercial origin and is "an almost packaged cultural commodity", emerging from the pop business and relying on commercial magazines and TV. ^[1] As a result, it has less creative elements than other subcultures. ^[1]

Membership has very few restrictions, does not require elaborate spending, and requires much less competence and money than certain school activities.^[1][4] Due to its female members not having as much freedom as their male counterparts, the subculture is suited so that it can be followed at school or home,^[1][4] and a party can be made with just a bedroom, a music player and permission to invite friends.^[4]

Musical preferences

In the 1960s, a new type of music appeared, different to the Tin Pan Alley music school, but molded by it.^[5] It was no longer written by the old established songwriters of Tin Pan Alley, but by extremely young talented people.^[5]

They helped to establish the new teen idols and wrote the so-called "teeny bopper songs", which "blends soft rock with pop ballad, is not explicitely physical and only hints at sexual interaction.^[5] The difference that the 70s' "Teeny Bopper syndrome" had with prior idol phenomena was that these new teen idols were directed at even younger girls, down to 15 years old, who were too young for having heard The Beatles and were not attracted to the new heavy rock music of the time that their elder siblings listened to.^[3] This new market has a quick turnover potential and it boosted the benefits of many broadcasting companies.^[3]

The teeny bopper idol image is that of the young boy next door, with its key elements being self-pity, vulnerability and need.^[5] Their music is consumed by young girls, who collect posters and pin ups.^[5][3]

References

Bibliography

See also

• Adolescence
• Bubblegum pop
• Teen pop