Sara McCrea's “An Epidemic of Stupidity” is a clever, well-thought-out piece. It speaks honestly about a rapidly spreading issue: the portrayal of stupidity as an attractive quality in girls.

Girls who are pretty or popular are depicted as less than intelligent on such a regular basis that it is becoming a cliché. As the article points out, TV shows like “Jersey Shore” are particularly guilty of this. Girls who act intelligent are often mocked, rather than applauded. All this leads some to believe that being vapid or shallow will attract boys. The way I see it, this diminishes the efforts of women throughout history to be acknowledged as equals with men in terms of abilities and intelligence. We are moving backward, not forward; women go to great lengths to attract a mate, even at the detriment of a good education or successful life.

I believe that the message in “An Epidemic of Stupidity” is relevant and important. Lowering one's standards in order to appear more attractive is a dangerous mindset that will be hard to alter. But this article is a step in the right direction.