"Today, 'slut,' even 'ho' -- girls use it in a fun way, a positive way."

So says Seventeen magazine editor-in-chief Atoosa Rubenstein.

Beyond the word itself, cultivating an exhibitionistic, slutty appearance — donning the trappings of promiscuity as opposed to actually being promiscuous — has been a growing influence on fashion and popular culture for a decade.

Biggest cultural development: This long fashion/culture piece contains no reference to Madonna. Am I telling you to go read this whole NYT article? It's a rambling grab bag of observations about young women and sluttery. And I don't mean that as a compliment.

IN THE COMMENTS: Thecla Mauro writes:

While shopping for my ten year old neice one day I overheard one mother say to another, of her eight year old daughter (standing right beside her) "she has a sexy little body, why shouldn't she show it off?"

The mother was busily looking through racks of 'ho clothes for her child. Blew my mind.

For more Mauro, read her blog. For more talk about this subject, read the comments.