When Snooki calls another woman “a crazy bitch” is that the pot calling the kettle black? Or worse? When New Jersey mother Patricia Krentcil was accused of taking her 5-year-old daughter into a tanning booth with her (which she denies), the human trampoline from Jersey Shore infamy called her the words above.
This from the drunken dimwit who once told David Letterman that her goal in life is to have a tanning bed installed in every home in America. So much for lofty aspirations.
Apparently Snooki felt compelled to pass judgement on Krentcil because Snooki’s been forced to abstain from tanning beds because she couldn’t abstain from lying on her back in bed. I assume she doesn’t want the bun in her oven to be over baked.
With this as the backdrop, I enjoyed a recent Fox News story about the growing trend in high school students, this spring, making a conscious decision to forego tanning artificially before the Prom. Rather than bronzing and buffing, high school students from Massachusetts to Texas signed pledges to remain pasty white for the big dance.
Considering that, according to the American Melanoma Foundation, melanoma is the second most common cancer among 15-29-year-olds, I’m beyond thrilled that these students have made this smart choice. The Foundation also cited the use of tanning beds for the increase in the occurence of melanoma.
Unfortunately, not all high school students, and young people in general, comprehend the harm done by artificial tans. In a recent survey by the American Academy of Dermatology, 24% of young adults are either unaware or are uncertain that tanning beds are not safer than the sun. I’m certain that Snooki’s part of that 24%. The survey also confirmed that our young people (18-29) are much more likely to use a tanning bed than those over 30.
A number of states have made it illegal for people under age 14 to use tanning beds. Various cancer associations would like states to follow the lead of the New Jersey Assembly committee that recently voted to prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from using tanning beds.
While I recognize the physical harm these tanning beds can do to our daughters, you all know that this is a double jeopardy topic for me. We also need to tell our daughters that self-esteem doesn’t come from inside a tanning bed, nor is it zipped into a $500 prom dress.
P.S. Don’t forget to tell your daughter that you love her.
