Sexualization is different from sexuality in that sexualization is something done to you, whereas sexuality is something you have. When children are sexualizes it is vile, because it send a cultural message that they are “available” for sexual interactions with the viewer … the adult viewer. This message makes my head fall off and explode. Let’s look, shall we, at this very sexualized model, Thylane Blondeau, who is a 10 year old French girl:
Explain to me why a little girl needs sexy-face? That child is in what? Fourth grade? She is a beautiful child, but she is a CHILD and does not need to be rendered into a sexual object of the male gaze! She needs to be left alone in her childhood. Even if she were posing in a non-sexy way, and wearing kids clothes, the look on her face is still too adult and sexual. WTF is wrong with the adults around her that they taught her the “come-and-fuck-me” look? Children that young should NOT know how to “smolder”. They should know the lyrics to Disney movies.
Apparently this child’s mother thinks this is fine and dandy, and doesn’t understand the uproar. Of course, her mom is an “entertainment reporter-turned-reality show contestant-turned-fashion designer” so she may not really understand the problem. After all, the girls is going to need to package and sell herself sooner or later, right?
The fashion industries’ response to all this? To introduce a line of lingerie for little girls ages 4-12, with photos of little girls in the lingerie in its advertisements.
Jesus wept.
When my daughter was younger I had people always saying I should get her into modelling.. THIS, THIS RIGHT HERE, is why I never bothered. Ugh.
Is it wrong that I am simultaneously horrified by what you’re writing about while being highly entertained by the style in which you write it?
So the mother is more horrified by the dollar value of the necklace her daughter was wearing than from nude and near nude photos of her child. I can only imagine the salivating pedophiles around the world looking at this child. Something is terribly wrong when the parent does not get IT.
Thanks for the pictures! I guess the make up does make her look a tad older now doesn’t it?
I feel ill. Really, really ill.
Huh. As the parent of a four and half year old girl, this is not OK with me. Oh, and I’m sorry, the “lingerie” line for girls in my daughter’s age group. She’ll be sticking with the Dora and Disney Princess (I know, I know, but hey, she’s still young enough to be swayed by the fact that they’re pretty) underwears. She’s not old enough to know what lingerie is, much less need it. Urgh.
Sick, sick, sick.
The little girl is pretty but these photos are obviously inappropriate.
Disturbing. Some people should not be allowed to have children. For example – this girl’s mother.
The statement that these sexed up kids are for “Men” to gaze at is innacurate. There are plenty of pedophile lesbian women out there soaking up this depravity. Blaming Men for this is just wrong.
1) “male gaze” does not mean “men”, it a conceptual theory. http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/2007/08/26/faq-what-is-the-%E2%80%9Cmale-gaze%E2%80%9D/
2) Lesbians very, very rarely molest children. It happens, but it’s a miniscule percent of cases. Researcher has shown: “There appears to be practically no reportage of sexual molestation of girls by lesbian adults, and the adult male who sexually molests young boys is not likely to be homosexual (Groth & Gary, 1982, p. 147).” http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_molestation.html