Jezebel
Did you see the new ad for Beyoncé's Deréon Girls Collection? Little girls, for lack of a better phrase, "tarted up" in adult-ish cropped and embellished jean jackets, purses, lip gloss and blush. Oh, yeah, and that one kid is wearing heels. They appear to be adult sized heels that she is just trying on, as kids do, but... Sigh. According to a report (issued last year) by the American Psychological Association, sexualized images of girls and young women in advertising, merchandising, and media is harmful to girls' self-image and healthy development. You're thinking: Duh. And yet. It exists. And persists. Eileen L. Zurbriggen, PhD, chair of the APA Task Force says, "The consequences of the sexualization of girls in media today are very real... We have ample evidence to conclude that sexualization has negative effects in a variety of domains, including cognitive functioning, physical and mental health, and healthy sexual development." Eh, people are just making a big deal out of a photo. Right? Consider this:
The following is from a summary of the APA's study:
Sexualization has a range of negative consequences for young women, the task force finds. For instance, "studies show that when you begin to see yourself as a sex object, it leaves you with fewer cognitive resources to do things like math," Zurbriggen says. Sexualization also can lead to body shame, depression, eating disorders and low self-esteem, the report notes.Ads like Beyoncé's may be harming little girls' ability to do math. Pair this with the statement (from the same study) that says, "Research links sexualization with three of the most common mental health problems diagnosed in girls and women—eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression or depressed mood" and you have a recipe for disaster. Some people think it's "cute" when babies have Fendi shoes, when little girls wear shirts that state, "I Left My brain In My Locker" or underwear that blares, "Buy It Now! Tell Dad Later!" or crocheted string bikinis. Some people don't think it's a big deal that 15-year-old Miley Cyrus, icon to children nationwide, appeared positively post-coital on the cover of Vanity Fair. Would these same people allow their children to drink coffee laced with snake venom? Why is something so damaging to a child's health not taken more seriously?
Beyoncé Tarting Up Young Girls Too [Gawker]
Related: Sexualization Of Girls Is Linked To Common Mental Health Problems In Girls And Women [APA]
APA Task Force Report Decries Culture's Sexualization Of Girls [APA]
What Parents Can Do [APA]
Symposium: "The Sexualization of Childhood," (June 13 - 14, Pittsburgh) [Bound, Not Gagged]
Earlier: Bikini Waxes, Highlights & 'Tramp Stamps': That's What Little Girls Are Made Of
How Many 8-Year-Olds Have To Get Bikini Waxes Before We All Agree The Terrorists Have Won?
Dear Moms: Your 6-Year Old Daughter's Ass Is Not "Juicy"
Today's Teens Believe It's Better To Be Sexy Than Clever
Young Girls Today: Tramps In Training?
Britney Spears & Jon-Benet Weren't Born In Inappropriate Outfits, You Know
Comments
ok. what mother in their right mind would allow their child to appear in this ad???? wayta use your child as a cash-cow.
gross.
Good grief, it's gross. Little girls should dress like little girls, not miniature adults.
So irresponsible, but not surprising seeing how momma get's down on the fashion tip.
Pretty Woman called and wants its wardrobe back.
That line should never EVER apply to the 12 and under set.
This is seriously fucked. There are just not enough words to describe it. What with all the bratz and whorses as well, I'm so concerned for women of the future. Sigh.
OMG you're so prude Jezzie. Sex sells! Besides, it's not like they're showing any skin. Everyone knows that your sexuality first starts to bloom as a toddler. I'm just really glad that Annie Leibovitz and Beyonce were there to capture this beautiful image and put heels on it.
These girls don't look sexualized as much as they look a little trashy, which is equally awful. Of course the weird thing is that they're targeting the parents of these 5 year olds not so much the kids (because where would a kid see this? Are these ads running in Nick Jr magazine?) so that pretty much means that this world is bullshit.
word. this is jon-benet just in different clothes.
@virtualcatlady: Also Dereon sounds too much like Derriere to me...
Don't worry APA. No sensible mother would dress her child in that fug shit anyways. Whatever happened to Stride-rite and Gymboree?
It's like looking at a still of the Lady Marmelade video. Ugh.
Ugh, this crap is so not okay in my book. What happened to dressing children like children, overalls, t-shirts, weeboks, those funny socks with the lace on the top, you know things children can play and get dirty in.
Besides Kimora did it first and better then this.
This ad reminds me of little girl beauty pageants. Way too dolled up, and for what purpose? Certainly nothing good can come of it.
Nice, makeup on six year olds.
House of Dereon clothes are T-A-C-K-Y. Puts Kimora's Baby Phat line to shame. Bleeccchhhhh.
Looking at House of Doodoocrap's clothes is damaging to EVERYONE.
@roodles: haha, love it.
@roodles: Your sarcasm is undeniable.
They're probably in cahoots with Maury so they can go on later MY 2 YEAR OLD DRESSES LIKE A TRAMP!
I have to disagree on little on this. I hate the concept of too adult clothes on little girls, but these clothes are so fug, the girls in the ad just look like they're playing dress up in mom's early 80's rejects.
Holy hell...where do I start! I'll leave it at ugly, gaudy, and not little girl appropriate. This reminds me of the horrid pictures from Thailand where little girls are dressed-up and forced into prostitution.
Actually, I think these are fairly conservative little girl clothes compared to the tiny shorts with clever sayings on the heiney I see around.
"studies show that when you begin to see yourself as a sex object, it leaves you with fewer cognitive resources to do things like math." Which may explain my college statistics class, cuz I was pretty slutty back then.
I want the girl from Little Miss Sunshine to rush that photo shoot and go crazynuts on all that garbage.
Man, when I was a kid, I wore hand-me-down Transformers pajamas with cowgirl boots. Or a cape. Whatever happened to kids dressing for fun?
I don't understand how a 4-year-old can wear heels like that and I can barely walk across the room in them
@boring diatribes: Have you seen the pageant special on VH1? It'a coverage on kiddie pageants and a lot of the girls the follow around are the same ons in Little Miss Sunshine. Scarry Shit.
There is something supremely disturbing in the way that little girl in the heals is standing with her hand on her hip and her lips parted. She looks like a midget 22 year old with freakishly small hands.
Somebody stop these fashion photographers now!
Also, people who buy designer clothes for tots regardless of whether or not the clothes are 'tarty' just have too much money.
I wonder how the photographer handled this shoot. "Make love to the camera...er...give me sassy, sexy...er...pretend I'm stealing your cookies and milk! Attitude, ladies, give me attitude." GROSS.
oh this ad upsets me so much - objectifying children is obscene. Also, it looks like there are 2 (TWO!!) pairs of heels, I swear the bottom left child has on white high heeled boots! right?
Plus, I give them props for actually putting some non-white kids in the ad.
The ad is horrible. That goes without saying but the clothes, damn, those are BAD. It's like Baby Phat children's clothes only tartier if that's even possible.
@ineffable.me: Hahahha, 2 year olds screaming "I DO WHAT I WANT!!!" in tube tops and leopard spandex.
@jenalicious: I agree with you, but lots of moms don't see themselves as harming their kids this way - they just want to have fashionable babies. Ick.
Actually, dressing children as small adults is quite common in the history of Western European/North American culture. After they were taken out of baby clothes, kids until Victorian times (when childhood was conceived of and valued as a stage of life) were dressed as small adults. Look at the portraits of the upper classes and royalty - little adults, even at age 6.
My mom would have despaired of ever getting the grass stains out of those satins and velvets.
This is a cast photo of Flavor of Love 25.
I saw that ad the other day, and I can't believe Beyoncé would attach her name to that line. Aside from the aesthetically displeasing garments, the whole thing makes me feel creeped out--I feel like I'm looking at the beginning of a child porn series. Kids will go for whatever is sparkly or decadent without discretion (or their mediocre-decision making moms will pick it out for them), and it's absurd that they're relatively helpless to realizing how provocative they look.
I cannot tell y'all how many teenage girls I teach everyday who have the pressure/desire to be sexxxay taking up WAY too much of their brain space. So many girls who are SO fucking intelligent, but will never try to be anything more because that's not what boys like. I'm hoping my feminist subversiveness will have an affect on them, but it's so discouraging some days.
@eleanorstrousers: I agree with you on that
@AthertonMerriweather: too far too far (but you're right)
Dammit, Dina.
@Pinkosaurus: complete with pouty "i wanna sex you up" face?
This is so tacky! I feel sorry for any little girl whose mother would put her in this crap. Violet Affleck could shows these little ones a thing or two about dressing age-appropriate!
quite apart from the revolting child-sexualization going on here (and wtf? why freak out about kiddy fiddlers being everywhere and yet make your kid look like this?!), why would anyone buy expensive clothes for children? your children should be getting muddy and tearing their clothes, not posing in make-up.
the jonbenet fetish lives on it seems.
YUCK.
I tried on my uncle's cowboy boots when I was four. I walked about three steps, tripped over my legs and whacked my head on a bookcase. Lord knows what would've happened if I tried on a pair of heels with my sense of balance. Probably would have fallen down the basement steps and busted my skull wide open. No thanks, House of Dereon.
What's wrong with a cropped jacket on a little girl? If it's meant to be worn over a shirt that covers everything. This ad bothers me because it's trying to get moms to use their daughters as big dress up dolls. But I don't see it as overly sexualized.
Guess what, future daughters? Mommy wore turtlenecks every day of 2nd grade, and you're going to, too!
For real, my heart will break if I have a little girl who one day wants to look like this.
@tashatakeadive: You think so? Because I think there's a market for this kind of stuff. Sad, but true.
I really hope news media outlets pick up on how gross this is and make a stink about it and force Beyonce (with her limited thought capacity) to answer for it. What makes her think this is acceptable?
@nikkidarling: Yes, we have a 6-year old with a BISH PLZ attitude on our hands. Not good.
@SarahMC:
ah--hahahahahahahaha
you could definitely sing some superfreak dressed like that.