Nymphet Industrial Complex
There is a constant presence of a nymphet-esque subculture amongst teenage girls and a prominence of ‘Lolita phases’ in adolescent girlhood. Who cultivates the nymphet appeal and what is its allure?
With a developing sense of sexual autonomy and an increased awareness of how the outside, adult male world perceives them, some girls are swept up by a phase in which they start walking the line between childlike innocence and womanhood. This phase can be characterised by various traits including, but not limited to:
An interest in/the pursuit of older men
An infatuation with Vladimir Nabokov’s ‘Lolita’
As of the 2010s, Lana Del Rey fandom
Leaning towards vintage fashion references, particularly those of the 1950s
Supposed ‘daddy issues’
This phase revolves primarily around Vladimir Nabokov’s archetype of the ‘nymphet’. When googled, a nymphet is defined as a ‘sexually attractive girl or young woman’ though this omits the more disturbing origins and connotations of the word. The idea of the nymphet is rooted in a paedophilic perspective of sexual attraction and beauty. However, the pursuit of this title is found amongst significant numbers of teenage girls.
It could be argued that, partly responsible for cultivating this interest, are companies who market towards teenage girls. Companies like PINK (Victoria’s Secret), American Apparel and Dollskill (who went as far as to create a Lolita collection) push an image of desirability in which girls are objects of the voyeurism of men. It could be argued that a limited sense of agency and awareness of how they are perceived is part of the appeal. Girls aren’t encouraged to imitate the allure of grown women. Instead, they are encouraged to sexualize their youth and innocence.