Beyonce’s sexy little girls ad

I just wanted to comment on this part of your column:

“Someone from Disney wrote that press release with a straight face, perhaps while staring into a mermaid princess’s breasts spilling out of her seashell bra? Hannah Montana is a billion-dollar brand for the company. And another of their child stars is now-pregnant: 16-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears. And before her, of course, Disney brought us Big Sister Britney, former “dirty girl” Christina Aguilera and Lindsay Lohan.”

In regards to The Little Mermaid… that is absolutely ridiculous that you would insinuate that Ariel was sexualized. She was a teenage mermaid! What would you have her wear? A t-shirt under water? Have you ever heard/read the original story “The Littlest Mermaid”? If anything, Disney *cleaned it up*. Second of all, to hold Disney accountable for the actions of the famale stars you named is just as ludicrous as your Little Mermaid comment. Disney doesn’t *own* them. These girls get caught up in the glamour of showbiz and, with the help of neglect from their own parents, choose their own path.

The problem ultimately lies with the parents, not with the media or entertainment industry. Ridiculous. Stop taking your children to McDonalds.

If parents want to fight this commercialism of sex, they must not cave in to the demands of their children’s buying habits. I blame the parents who buy this garb for their children. These are the same parents who denounce violent cartoons or having sex offenders living in their neighborhoods. They are being seduced by the ad media into buying before THINKING. One thing to ponder: I have seen parents in Wal-Mart or Target too embarrassed by their child’s temper tantrums to deny that child a product, toy, etc. What ever happened to a definite NO or a swift pat on the bottom? This is not child abuse (which the media also pushes on our culture). A child is a child not a small adult. Denying children anything in our society has gotten to be a cultural sin. Parents: take back parenting - be in control. Remember, these tikes will be our future parents.

Valerie and Tom, you 2 see the issue as others “should see it”.

Dawn, you make a valid point, but you’re part of the problem. The “media” IS the medium and everone else thinks that’s the way it is because of the “media”. You say it’s a parent issue, it’s a peer presure issue, because of the media. If All parents said “No” to this krap, then we wouldn’t have prosti-tots idolizing celebru-skanks. We wouldn’t have the desensitization of sex by our 12-15 year olds who have seen it all on prime time TV (again unnecessary media explotation (for ratings)). This type of clothing is continuing the demorialization and objectification of girls as usable throwaway sex objects. It alos perpetuates the pediphile problems this country is facing a growth in - good grief.

The media and the Beyonsay types is creating a “nice” way to look at our young girls turning into future zlutty mothers.

Want to stop this sort of thing dead in its tracks? Don’t buy the merchandise. Don’t buy ANY of their merchandise, as long as they are selling.

Yes, there are those who are trying to sexualize youngsters in order to remake the culture to one more of their liking. These people are evil.

But, in the end, most of the businesses pushing this type of merchandise are simply trying to make a buck. As long as those who lack the will to say “no” to their children and the courage to buck this this trend keep spending their money on slutwear for their daughters, the businesses will keep selling it.

Since when do 5 year olds do the shopping? They can absolutely dress like innocent kids — or not, if that’s what the parents choose. The ad is obviously mimicking dress up time. Notice the feather boas? Did you think that was part of the outfit? Where’s your sense of humor? Why can’t adults keep things in perspective anymore? Lighten up. If you take away mommy’s high heels and the makeup, the clothes aren’t that bad. To me it looked like embroidered jeans and jackets. Big deal. That being said, I wouldn’t dress my daughter in them - but not because I think they’re hypersexy. It’s because my husband and I have made a choice to set the example that although we can very well financially afford to do it, we do NOT fill designers’ and celebrities’ bank accounts with our hard earned money for the “privilege” of wearing their names or logos on our backs, feet, or butts. That’s the example we have chosen to set. We also don’t waste our outrage on topics that aren’t that serious.

I just read your article about the hypersexualization of young girls and your offer to host a discussion of the “Lolita Effect” for mother-daughter teams.

What about the boys? In less than a month, I will be the proud mother of a son, and I certainly don’t want him growing up believing that this epidemic is acceptable. As a woman, I understand the importance of educating and communicating with the younger generation of girls, encouraging them to respect their bodies, minds and selves and not buy into the over-sexualization rampant in the media. However, I feel that it is equally important that we have similar conversations with our sons. Boys of the same age need to be taught that what is displayed in the media is an entirely inappropriate way of categorizing and approaching girls and women. If we help to teach a generation of BOTH sexes that this sort of media is detrimental, then we will have better luck in ensuring that women will be respected in the future.

Beyonce and these other fashion marketers should be ashamed of themselves, but unfortunately this is par for the course. I am the father of 2 girls - 2 and 6. It is very hard to buy clothes for them. The shorts and skirts are too small and revealing. Sometimes I look at the clothes and then I look at my wife and say “Why do they think we would put our daughters in this crap?”

I refuse to buy anything that is not appropriate for my son or two girls. I don’t care how popular it is or who made it. These people sell this stuff because weak parents buy it. If parents stood up and said these clothes do not belong in this age group or at this store then maybe there would be changes in the fashion market.

Good luck to all of you as you raise your children in this perverse climate.

http://www.unfilteredopinion.com

In the same vein, why do we encourage violence with our little boys? I consider many of the boy Happy Meal toys to be just as inappropriate as the skanky girl toys. The figurine is either clenching a sword or gun, with simulated killing action. Beyond the realm of Mcdonalds, any male toy aisle or even clothing for that matter is geared towards violence or a violent mentor. Thank goodness for Thomas the Engine!

I saw the ads on television and could not believe how grown up those kids looked. Why do little girls need make-up on? Until Dereon changes their ads, they can forget about me ever purchasing their clothes for any of the little girls I know and buy for. I bet the pedophiles love those ads. Heck, one probably created them. Shame on Beyonce’ and her mother for demonstrating such poor taste, as we all know that those ads have to be approved before they can be displayed to the public.

Slutty clothes for kids under 10 is just a continuation of the “Tom Thumb wedding” craze of the 19th Century, where children of the same age (5-10) were put in full wedding finery and underwent mock weddings for the entertainment of adults.

There is line to be drawn here between true children and pubescents, though. For whatever reason, girls are reaching menarche earlier, which means 10 and 11 year olds are turning into women. This whole “teen thing” where a person reaches sexual maturity, but isn’t allowed to reproduce for another 6 to 10 years, and is expected to stay a virgin that whole time as well when the hormones say otherwise is the whole reason for the fascination with the 12-15 year old girl-woman, because, indeed, she is both. (Don’t know why boys at the same age are just– well — dorky.) Some of those female middle schoolers could be wearing old-style nun habits, and still manage to appear sexy, because they are trying on what society is telling them every waking moment what is one of their adult roles.

I don’t think our society handles this very well, but I wouldn’t mix Beyonce’s proto-tot fashions with Miley Cyrus or the Spice Girls, Lolita or even the early roles of Jodie Foster. There’s a world of difference between playing dress up at 5 and doing so at 12 or 13.