<![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health? - Jezebel Comments]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health? - Jezebel Comments]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> i didn't know they made pirates that small.

faire-la-moue

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> full on pimps and hookers.

slauza

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> They don't even look happy. Shouldn't parents want to buy things that would make their kids happy?

rbdfoxes

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I don't think there is anything wrong with a little child invading mommy's make-up or trying to play dress-up, unless, of course, the mother had sexualized occupations. Children emulate the people they surround. It's how they learn. And they emulate their parents since they, more than likely, spend the most time around them.

But mini skirts?

...

DDD:

Ever heard of Libby Lou? You see 4-year olds that beg to be dressed like Hannah Montana at those stores. And Hannah Montana is 15.

N i s t h a

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Jinxfere: Found the Tamora Pierce entry! It's here. A sample:

When the adults ask me, that's when I really start to burn, though I always stay polite. Again, I have to wonder if they ask male writers who specialize in boy heroes why they do that. I want to ask the media people whose side they're on, though I do wonder if they don't wonder if they ask me the question to allow me to make the point that there aren't enough girl heroes out there, and why not? But honestly, why is it strange to like to write for girls?

Aren't they worth it? Look at them on the soccer field, or bent over a book. Watch them in the mall, looking at music or clothes, or at home or in gym, practicing headstands and somersaults. Do you see them in class, getting all fired up about injustice, or in a club, dancing to set the world on fire? Do you see them bent over sketch pads or lap tops, working away, or read their internet posts, where being unseen sets them free to say what they think? They're a more tremendous resource than oil or water, and they are trashed, ignored, lectured, talked down to, shoved aside, told they're hos/sluts/technoignoramuses, tied up and abused in games/movies/comics/television, handed diets until they collapse from the weight of them--and yet they are still thinking, still active, still passionate, still idealists. They are world-beaters.

Jinxfere

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Skinny Bone Jones:

You raised a caring and considerate human being! That is more than a lot of parents achieve by the time their kids are adults, you know. And that matters more than anything else she'll ever achieve, to me at least. Decent human being > PhD. Of course, nothing says you can't be both, but the most important is taken care of.

Jan74

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @nellicat:

My cousin had Little Mermaid sneakers and shirts when he was 8 and while my uncle was concerned he was gonna get crap for it at school, he never did.

Jan74

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> So. Sick. Of. This. Shit. I am so sick of this sexualizing materialistic dressing them up like tiny adults not letting little girls just be normal little girls bullshit.

When I was a kid I ran around in bright red leggings and an over sized Jurassic Park t-shirt. The only brand name I coveted was nerf. My mom made me two capes (red for when I was She-Ra, black for when I was a witch or Batman) and a Thunderbird costume. (And when I was in highschool she also made me a cool Lord of the Rings cloak when I was one of the hobbits for Halloween. Thanks Mom!)

And I have to second the complaint of assuming boys won't relate to female characters, which is bullshit (if I could enjoy countless books/films/cartoons/comics with male leads when I was a little girl, then I'm sure little boys can manage just fine with the reverse). Tamora Pierce wrote a really good rant about this a while back, in response to parents asking her why she didn't write more books with male protagonists; I'll have to look that one up.

But that point brings me to one thing that I really cheesed me off as a kid. Because the assumption that "boys won't watch something starring a girl" leads to "boys won't play with toys of girl characters". Action figure-loving girls, like myself, apparently don't exist, so figures of female characters don't get made that much, no matter how many are on the show, or how important their roles are. I can remember begging my mom to buy me figures of characters that I hadn't even heard of, just because they were girls. And I was never able to find one of my favorite X-men character (Rogue). :(

Sorry to rant like that, I just feel so damn powerless when it comes to this stuff. I'm not a parent, or a teacher, or really in any kind of position to try and provide a positive influence to these kids. Hopefully in the future I can be.

Jinxfere

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> The ("polygamist") pastel prairie dress looks better and better everyday. More freedom of movement, better math scores, better body image...

dakardame

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> My 6 yo daughter was given a Hannah Montana doll as a gift yesterday. As soon as she got the doll out of the box, she took off its trashy outfit and put it in a ball gown. And as much as she claims to love HM, she's only watched the show once--for about five minutes before she got bored and decided she'd rather color.

My little one loves fashion, but she has no desire to be provocative. Her taste runs more toward "dainty and ladylike." Her favorite outfit is her Strasburg flower girl dress, ballet slippers, and her makeshift fairy wings. And her second favorite is her SuperGirl costume, complete with the requisite flowy cape.

Skinny Bones Jones, that's such a wonderful story about your daughter. What a proud mom you must be, and I salute you for raising such an awesome girl.

achuckbarrisproduction

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Skinny Bone Jones: Your daughter absolutely rocks. You've raised her well, obviously - good job!

ItchykooParker

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @chlauraform: THAT'S what looked so familiar.

And those clothes are ugly, House of Dereon.

This would just be lame if it wasn't so destructive.

bigleggedwoman

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I think the clothes are suitable because there are no exposed belly buttons or off-the-shoulder crap. Now, the makeup is out of control. And don't get me started on the heels. I had a 3rd grader who wore platform 3" heel boots to school, and then her mom bitched when I sent her home.

ceejeemcbeegee

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> High heeled boots on little girls. Oh fuck give me a break. This is just one of those successes that Beyonce would attribute to her lord and savior. Jesus would so rock the platinum cross when he comes back.

goodcheapfun

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> what, the. fuck.? OK ladies this shit has gone too far. What kind of lonely narcissistic life must you lead that you really feel your child should look like a tarted up mini version of yourself? God willing I want daughters that look like pippi longstocking. Overalls, dirty scraped knees and a sassy can-do attitude.

Alohamaid

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> Two kindergarten classes just walked into the theatre where I work to see a play, and I am happy to report that none of them are dressed like this shit. I checked.

kelsium

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> The black girl in the fedora and boa looks cute for dress-up. She reminds me of a little girl in a McDonald's commercial who insists on wearing her feather boa and girly dress-up outside the house, and as she and her mom pass by a table, there's another girl in dress-up with her mom. They both greet each other like "You look faboulous, darling."

Or like the Cosby episode where Claire, Rudy, and Rudy's friend play dress-up in beads and makeup and blouses and leave to go to the mall in that.

As a nine-year-old, I liked fantasizing about being a stripper because I thought it was mysterious and glamourous and grown-up, like how a little girl would view a showgirl or a movie star.

The mention of mother living vicariously through their daughters in beauty pageants (especially if the mothers have let themselves go) reminds me of watching VH1's I Know My Kid's A Star. One of the kid's mothers had been Miss Louisiana in the early 90's, and her daughter seemed like a normal, spunky kid who would be at home as a tomboy in the bayou. The mom instilled manners and respect in the girl, and never wanted her to badmouth other kids or be worried that she wasn't as good as the others. The mother gracefully guided the girl to challenge herself but have fun, and she ended up the winner.

beatrice3000

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I was reading this and thought "This is a Dodai post". I'm not sure why, but I love the way you compared this to snake venom.

It's not just the clothes, though they are disgusting, it's the make up and the poses. It doesn't look like little girls playing dress up, it looks like little girls dressed up and it's wrong.

Dogtanian

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Le Kangourou de Kataroo bites her thumb in your general dir...: How long before the girls start referring to their favorite cartoon as "Cinda-fucking-rella??"

Miss Smith Drank Your Vodka

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> [www.istockphoto.com]

What in the hell is wrong with Beyonce and her mama?

Those clothes are ugly as hell (and so is the adult clothing line, for that matter) and those poor little girls look ridiculous (and kinda creepy) in that mess.

frizzylocks

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> really, beyonce? feather boas? fetish wear for children.

caitlinmajor

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> ooooowwweee, that mess is taaaaaackyyyy!

Friday025

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> All of the little girls appear to be wearing heels! And why do they need purses and jewelry, much less that "pimp hat" on the one model? No child should have clothes like this, outside of the dressing-up box. So very tasteless.

NoYouAre

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> These ads are absolutely damaging to girls' mental health. I don't understand why it's "ok" to promote clothing like this and it's not ok to put Miley Cyrus's bare 15 year old back in a photo.
This kind of ad just forwards the idea that women are for sexual gratification and if you aren't doing it, look like you want to do it. Even when you're six years old. Our society has hit a new low.


princessxenu

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @MadelineBassett: You're dead on. The message the spray tanners and pageant moms want to put out there is "look, but don't touch."

WifeMotherCrip

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> And next thing you know, just like Kelly Rowland before them, the little tots will be getting boob jobs to fit into those "hot Dereon tops."

ronniedobbs

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> What makes me sad is that children are increasingly sexualized in a culture that is fighting a battle over abstinence-only education, and I am willing to bet a lot of the same people who are spray tanning their kids and slathering them with make-up for the junior pageant circuit are the same ones who are ready to carry torches and storm the school board meeting if there's an initiative that even mentions the word condom.

That being said, and acknowledging the pervasiveness of harmful media messaging, I think a lot can be offset by good parenting, to those of you worried about parenting kids (as the lovely story about standing up to the classroom bullies illustrates).

For those of you taking on boys... My much younger brother is 14. He still likes to play with Legos and build forts in the woods behind the house because my mother has been vigilant about making sure he doesn't grow up too fast, as she was with me. He's not sheltered, but he's still innocent in a lot of ways. He's taught compassion and responsibility and respect. It would never occur to him to think of the girls in his class as sexual objects only (not that he doesn't have crushes, of course), and not just because my mother would come down on him like a ton of bricks, but because that kind of thinking just isn't in him based on the messages he's getting from our parents, and, I think, me. I look at who he is at 14 and can say with confidence that he is a good person and will grow up to be a good man.

That said, teaching right/wrong and preserving childhood shouldn't have to be such a battle.

MadelineBassett

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I think the clothes are ugly *BUT* I have to say that at least the children are completly covered and now showing off 'skin' like a lot of the clothes that are currently available for little ones.

The high heels have me perplexed, though.

Miss_Melody

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> 4th grade, y'all. It breaks my heart.

I am also so fucking glad that another mom and I figured out way back in kindergarten how to explain this nasty prostitot shit to our kids. We just explained that it's way too sexy for little kids and that even sometimes grown-ups are way too sexy.

Can you imagine a Sesame Street adaption of that Too Sexy song that re-worked it into a sort of anti-sexualization PSA message to young girls and boys? It'd be fucking badass.

For the record, most of the girls at my petite's school wear jeans, capris, printed tees with pandas and stars and hearts and monkeys or whatnot on them, little flats or skimmers or tennis shoes and brightly-patterned hoodies. It's basically the standard uniform for everyone.

buggeroff

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I have two little girls this age, and they would not even want to wear such ugly shit- not that they would have a choice. You guys would all be surprised, though, at how readily available trashy clothes that come in a size 3 toddler are! You can pick up a tshirt that says something nurturing like "sexy angel" or "I love my boyfriend" for like $1.99 at Ross. Don't forget about the ubiquitous Apple Bottom Jeans to be found in all preschools.

It's really hard, and really scary to raise little girls when shit like this is out there. This JonBenet inspired collection and photograph is just another example of things looking innocent in a controlled environment (studio) and horrific in the mass marketplace. BAD CHOICE Dereon.

Kaehoku

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I don't understand why she's marketing to little girls. She could make the same clothes, but just target them at teens, and I'm sure they'd still sell.

Turtle_belle

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @chlauraform: jon benet, the politically correct ethnic versions.

too bad for these little girls. they're doomed to be lousy at math and have a perpetual self-hatred later in life.

high heels suck anyways. they were invented by a man...anyone see that tv program with Stacey London about heels and handbags? heels are actually designed to push a woman's chest forward and her butt out in that "come fuck me" stance. sad.

amie sinn

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Lymed: From my point of view the kids have been sexualized with their expressions. My first reaction as a kid was to smile as widely and goofily as possible at a camera - not stare open-mouthed or put my hand on my hip and smile saucily.
It just really creeps me out.
A lot.

It especially creeps me out because I see the effect of these things in my own life. I distinctly remember telling one of my friends when I was around 12 that, as an adult, I wanted to be an international sex symbol. When I was about 5 or whatever I was really unconcerned with those sorts of things. But by the time I was 10 the message definitely slipped in that I was supposed to be a sexual being.

speaksoapcube

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @BioCookie: Oh, I know! Don't even get me started on teenage boys. They are a kajillion times more discouraging than the girls are. I save my fiercest subversive feminism for high school dude nation. I'm not gonna overturn the patriarchy myself, to be sure, but a gal's gotta try!!

HistoricUpstart

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Skinny Bone Jones: As one of friends who happens to be a mother said in reference to a particularly inspiring, impressively-empowered comment her little girl made the other day: your work there is done. kudos to you and your daughter.

nyobserver

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> This really makes me worry about raising children in the future. When I was a kid, I wore my dad's t-shirts and a pair of jeans. And I had flip flops and sneakers. Not heels. I even had those stupid gelly shoes. But never did I ever turn to my mom and go, I want to wear something sluttier than I'm wearing now. I never cared what shoes or pants or bags I had as a kid. This makes me want to shelter my kids like there's no tomorrow. It's only going to get worse in the future when I'm ready to have children. What are kids of the future going to worry about? If their vaginas are tight? If their tits are big enough? Where will it end? What will be next for little girls? And how the hell did boys get out of the whole sexualization?

UGH, this pisses me off.

Leigh81387

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @SarahMC: Very true. We shall populate the earth with Jezebelles!

TiffisBetter

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> i bet these models make more than i do...i need to pimp my future fetuses

hypnotic

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @haguenite: My thoughts EXACTLY. This is fucking gross, sorry B.

jezebelacious

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @TiffisBetter: I think stuff like this should make us want girls even more, as any kid raised by a Jezebel is probably going to turn out better than all right. The more great girls we raise, the better this world will be.

SarahMC

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @roodles: me?

See what happens when girls are taught that they're sexual objects??
They make bad, bad, dated jokes. That's what they do.

andBegorrah

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @tscheese: Our dressing up goodie box contained everything from 1950's dresses (why did you let us spoil those mama, why?!) to MC Hammer pants. Really, the latter were my favourites.

haguenite

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Skinny Bone Jones: That's so nice. That really made my weekend!

tashatakeadive

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Skinny Bone Jones: Maybe I will reconsider my position (uh, taken this morning) not to have girls. Your daughter is awesome and gives me hope. :)

TiffisBetter

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Begorrah: You're reminding me of Lily Allen's "I don't know"
I want to be rich and I want lots of money
I don't care about clever I don't care about funny
I want loads of clothes and f**kloads of diamonds
I heard people die while they are trying to find them

I'll take my clothes off and it will be shameless
'Cause everyone knows that's how you get famous
I'll look at the sun and I'll look in the mirror
I'm on the right track yeah I'm on to a winner

[...]

Life's about film stars and less about mothers
It's all about fast cars and passing each other
But it doesn't matter cause I'm packing plastic
and that's what makes my life so f**king fantastic

And I am a weapon of massive consumption
and its not my fault it's how I'm programmed to function
I'll look at the sun and I'll look in the mirror
I'm on the right track yeah I'm on to a winner

haguenite

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Begorrah: tea?

roodles

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @tscheese: "Half the time they were topless and screwing each other. But the rest of the time they were spies and astronauts and presidents."

It sounds to me like you were just subverting gender norms. You know, they weren't sluts, they were just acting like men.

BioCookie

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Skinny Bone Jones: That is FUCKING AWESOME. I teared up a little myself just reading that, and it completely made my day.

bellethellama

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @treecut: sounds like the shakespeare troup kids ("troupies") in my high school. they would rock capes and whatever else costume-y they were feeling. lots of corsets, hats with long plumes, etc. sometimes awesome, sometimes weird, always entertaining!

BaconBandito

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Skinny Bone Jones: That is awesome.

RomanaTwo

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Skinny Bone Jones: What a sweet girl you have!
Kids can be brutal, and I'm sure what he will never forget her for being so nice to him.


thegreenman

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @treecut: OMG, me too! Some of my friends even had the mystical faux-crushed-velvet $9.99 at CVS from Halloween black hooded variety and I was TOTES jealous.

Seriously, why can't dressing up just be fun?

tscheese

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @treecut: No no no. You didn't think you were super cool. You were super cool.

mbprice

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @nellicat:
Oh that blows! I HATE that corporate mentality that boys will never like girls in empowering roles. And guess what, they are making sure it becomes that way.

BrutallyHonestBabes

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> lmao, they probably thought the pics were ok because the girls were "covered up", I bet.

Jezebabe

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Skinny Bone Jones: . Her teacher looked the other way when the petite shouted at the other kids to STFU and leave him alone, and she's since written him a letter telling him how smart he is and what "an intelligent sense of humor" he's got, and when no one picked him yesterday for groups of 2 or 3 for an activity, she and her little friend asked him to be on their team and he obliged."

That's a start. Kudos to the wee one and the parents who helped impart some wisdom and kindness!

That new "friendship beats bullies every time" commercial for McGruff the anti-crime day both pisses me off (make an ad about adults and THEIR responsibility, dammit) and weepy.

marie123

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Skinny Bone Jones: That has a Forrest Gump ring to it...

But seriously, that's awesome. Congrats to her and to you for raising a fearless hellraiser.

mbprice

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @BioCookie: Unforch, it's a lot easier to get a girl to realize she's more than a sex object than it is to get a guy to realize she's more than a sex object.

SarahMC

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @thegreenman: My friends and I didn't have boy dolls, so there were a lot of lesbian orgies going on at the mansion.

treecut...will cut a beech

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @mbprice: My friends and I occasionally wore capes in high school. We thought we were super cool.

treecut...will cut a beech

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Skinny Bone Jones: You done good to raise a girl that does such good. How old are these children? And WHY must children be such assholes to each other?

nellicat

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> Ugh, I saw these today when I was surfing the web. When the hell is society going to stand up and say STOP MAKING OUR KIDS OLDER? I mean come on, high heeled shoes for 8 year olds? I don't even wear clothes like that?

This makes me mega stabby.

Paging Miley Cyrus and Jamie Lynn Spears anyone?

Leigh81387

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @HistoricUpstart: I know. Like the freshmen I teach. But seriously, I find it way harder to get through to the guys they're trying to impress than the women. Surprise, I know. For the hour I have them in the classroom, the women are way more engaged and smart and all around wonderful people. The guys might as well be looking at internet porn and jerking off. Which they probably are in their heads. Your feminist subversiveness is having an effect on them (or at least that's what I tell myself) but it isn't having an effect on the patriarchy, and that's the problem. The hegemony is strong with this one. And by "this one," I mean Beyonce.

BioCookie

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> Vile. Seriously.

It's ever-so-slightly off-topic, but in light of all the killer mean girls or hyper-sexualized girls news...

If anyone wants an uplifting story about a little girl, mine has spent the past two weeks standing up for a little boy in her class that everyone ceaselessly makes fun of. I think the last straw for her was when he just gave up and starting crying in line, poor thing. Her teacher looked the other way when the petite shouted at the other kids to STFU and leave him alone, and she's since written him a letter telling him how smart he is and what "an intelligent sense of humor" he's got, and when no one picked him yesterday for groups of 2 or 3 for an activity, she and her little friend asked him to be on their team and he obliged.

God damn, it makes me all teary-eyed just thinking about it. I want to beat those other stupid mean kids up and buy that boy a sundae and some awesome books.

buggeroff

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @ScarlettOdahling: And by "part of her brain" surely you mean "chip"?

JessicaLovejoy: Heart of Dykeness

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @BaconBandito: i dressed up in this long flower print dress with petticoat that i wore to a wedding as a flower girl. i always felt like an old timey girl in it. i pretended i was a time traveling detective posing as a teacher. fucking aces.

ineffable.me

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @tscheese: My Barbies were pretty slutty too...especially after I got my New Kids on the Block dolls (Jordan, especially). Jordan got the most ass because he was always driving the Ferrari convertible. My Barbie playhouse functioned in a similar way as the Playboy mansion.

thegreenman

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> yeah, I saw this on Gawker and was too speechless to comment. I'm hoping it means Beyonce had very little actual involvement in this (like a lot of corporate, brand extension type stuff). But she still had to have veto power to reject it. Disappointing at best.

As for the Cyrus 'rents and "guardians"? Do not get. Can't possibly have the girl's best interests at heart (deja vu to Brit).

nyobserver

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @virtualcatlady: or Diarrea . . .

angelheadedhipster

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @marie123: Beyonce's interest in girl power began with "Independent Woman" and ended with "Cater 2 U".

roodles

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Lymed: I think we need to keep in mind that accessories like heels and lipstick are in themselves sexual. Heels are meant to thrust the buttocks out/make them more prominent;lipstick is said to mimic the flushed, reddened look of a woman's genitalia when in a state of arousal. Yes, it's playing dress-up, but it's also important to take note of the symbolism of the accessories/aesthetics on these little girls, whether THEY are aware of it or not. (One hopes NOT!) It's one thing for a little girl to play dress-up in the safety of her own home but to put makeup and heels on little girls and photograph them for public consumption is a whole other thing, IMHO.

Anna

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @HistoricUpstart: That crap has to start at home! I keep telling my 15 yo daughter that a teenage boy doesn't have much to offer...most of them can't drive and don't have any money, so what's the point? There's plenty of time to be sexy and date after med school!

Usedtobealice

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @roodles: Er, YOU! You're the clever, evil one! For "prostitots," such as. Coffee?

andBegorrah

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @treecut: yeah, my dress-up repertoire consisted of princesses, fairies, and fairy princesses. that, or a mobster with a sunglasses, drawn-on mustache, paper cigarette, and my brother's plastic machine gun.

BaconBandito

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> wait, you mean you guys didn't have a Barney string bikini when you were in 2nd grade?

@tiffisbetter: dude, me too. And then one day my mom walked in on the middle of my Barbie orgy...that was when I knew I was too old to be playing with Barbies.

mgarcia20

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @ineffable.me: Oh you clever, evil thing.

Guys, who needs math with an ass like this?!?

andBegorrah

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @SarahMC: And it's how the toys are so specific and pigeon-holed that bugs me. Barbie playsets in my time involved houses and cars and such - things that could be used for every conceivable adventure.

The Bratz stuff seems so specific to me. Like little pink fake credit cards and a little pink fake cash register for shopping sprees? Eugh.

tscheese

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @mbprice: thats only because you didnt have access to the international male child catalog. you wouldve been walking around in froy frou sheer pirate shirts and speedo thongs with added padding. (plus your cape, of course)

ineffable.me

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @BrutallyHonestBabes: Thanks. Yeah, my daughter loves Dora, too, and now the Dora corporation (or whatever) released "Diego" to please the boys. Which pisses. me. off. BOYS LIKE DORA!!!! Why is that so fucking hard to believe, that boys might actually like and admire a spunky, brave girl character?!? End of rant. For now.

nellicat

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> Why is something so damaging to a child's health not taken more seriously?"

P.S. Come on Beyonce--what trashy tacky crap. What happened to girl power? (Can you expect that from a girl group?)

Because sexualizizing kids is so f*cking yummy as it winks at men in a culture that wants to have its cake and eat it to when it comes to sexual exploitation and trash; so empowering for older insecure Moms who are indifferent (or else trying to live through their daughters by imposing this oversexualized form of adulthood on them...."overly mature" for a ten year old is a return to "teenage-dom" for Mom); and MOST IMPORTANT--sex sells.

The only thing that sells better (a la Miley and models that are 14)....sex and scandal. What's tastier than jail bait and jail bait culture (those thongs for little girls)? And really, it makes sense--why SHOULDN'T the ideal woman be (physically and mentally) an infantilized, overly-made up, air-brushed, post-coital DOLL?

Gotta get the girls young too...hopefully they'll be messed up enough to keep buying and falling for this system.

The problem is that even young girls see that there are more tangible and immediate benefits to going with the flow and dressing like prostitots then being awesome at math and keeping their virginity until they feel comfortable with the timing."@roodles: seconded

marie123

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @tscheese: I miss the Barbies who had actual careers, and I was born well into the mid 90's. It happened so fast, now we got the hooch dolls that drive me up the wall.

Hell, dolls shouldn't even be an issue. But when boys get Transformers who are awesome super heroes while girls get "OMFG TEXTING SHOPPING BRATZ!", it gets bad.

TheGarlicSong

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @treecut: I remember putting make-up on my best friend when I was, like, 7 and she looked in the mirror and implied I made her look slutty (blue eyeshadow-what can you do?). I don't even know if we had the WORDS to describe that, but it was something we didn't want to be. At all.

boring diatribes

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @nellicat:
At least there is Dora for teh girls! And good on you for getting them for your boy. You're right, he doesn't know the friggin difference and he shouldn't!

BrutallyHonestBabes

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @TiffisBetter: At least we had to use our immaginations. Now the slutty & stupid storylines are being dreamed up for them and marketed to them.

@mbprice: Thanks!

SarahMC

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I used to dress myself--frequently--as a superhero of some kind. My mom made me a cape that I could put around my neck with velcro, so I'd wear that and whatever else I could get my hands on. Snow boots. My dad's belts. Pajama pants. Goggles. By god I was the last thing a criminal would want to see.

mbprice

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @HistoricUpstart: I teach, too (high school) and I know what you mean. I get so frustrated at the girls when they talk about how chauvanist the boys are and how they have no respect for women, but these girls don't realize that most guys will have respect for them if they respect themselves. Sounds simple and trite, but it's the girls who are confident and self-respecting that seem to have more positive relationships with guys, and...well, everyone. A lot of the "sexxxay" girls dress that way or act that way because they don't believe anyone would love them for who they really are, so they have to tart up their personalities as well as their bodies. Sad.

mrsnigeltufnel

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @mepo: Agreed. Even if Beyonce is involved, she has been tarted up and bedazzled from the age of what, 9, or something? So perhaps all those years of being sexualized took over the "good judgment and common sense" part of her brain.

ScarlettOdahling

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> Because they're just like, girls. Right? *GIGGLE*

BiBiVirtue

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @treecut: I also was frequently mistaken for a boy, so much that my dad worried sometimes. But it's all good.

I frequently dressed up as a "lady" (i.e. Audrey Hepburn) or Cyndi Lauper in the "Time After Time" video.

lurkystars

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @tscheese: Yeah, to be honest, I had some pretty weird storylines involving my Barbies and My Little Ponies that disturb me to think about now.

TiffisBetter

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I loved playing dress-up as a kid, but I remember wanting to dress up like a queen, not a prostitute. And the rest of the time I had to wear my brother's hand-me-downs and be mistaken for a boy.

treecut...will cut a beech

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @roodles: its so sad that there is now a word such as prostitots.

ineffable.me

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @SarahMC: Hey there. Happy birthday!

mbprice

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @tscheese: I should probably say "topless and/or screwing each other." Barbies are capable of some anatomically impossible stuff, but screwing does require some clothing adjustments, such as.

Sorry. Offtopic.

tscheese

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @BrutallyHonestBabes: Ugh. Children's underwear is unbelievably annoying to buy - in order to motivate them into potty training, a nice fun set of undies is often just the ticket. However. My son wanted Dora underpants because he loved Dora - no Dora boy underwear to be found ANYWHERE. Boys underwear = legos, Thomas the Train Engine, superheroes, trucks, Star Wars. Girls underwear = Dora, Disney princesses, Tinkerbell, and Hello Kitty.
I said "screw it" and he wore Dora panties. He was 2 - who gives a rat's butt? But it still made me mad.


nellicat

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @WifeMotherCrip: Agreed. God if she ever has kids I hope she doesn't dress 'em in this crap. Even Kimora doesn't deck out kiki and kooky in this fug.

tashatakeadive

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> OMG I can't believe that that's a 4 year old in heels...granted I had a pair of heels at 5 years old that were a size 11 and sparkley and ruby red...they were my ruby red slippers and sometimes doubled as "cars" for my Barbies.

I worry for my future children. Why can't little kids just be little kids? Why do they have to be designer little kids? We have to quit projecting our desires on them!

flaxen_vixen

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> This is becoming the worst Friday ever for Lady News. First we're going to be destitute in our old age, now our baby sisters/daughters/granddaughters are being whored out in fashion - which I'm sure a ton of people think is "cute".

TO WHAT END, PEOPLE, AND WHEN WILL IT END?

*SOB*

lurkystars

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @BrutallyHonestBabes: I want R2D2 Underoos!!!!

nikkidarling

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @HistoricUpstart: at least you are trying!

The problem is that even young girls see that there are more tangible and immediate benefits to going with the flow and dressing like prostitots then being awesome at math and keeping their virginity until they feel comfortable with the timing.

roodles

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @TiffisBetter: My Barbies were the sluttiest slutty slut whores who slutted and whored each other. Half the time they were topless and screwing each other. But the rest of the time they were spies and astronauts and presidents.

Take a look at the section of the toy aisle that's marketed toward little girls nowadays. Look at the emphasis on fashion, looks, shopping, and spending.

Instead of Airplane Pilot Barbie, we have Bratz Lollapalooza Shopping Blowout Credit Crunch Spree OMG Ponies Kitson Lite. It wasn't like this when I was a kid, and it wasn't that long ago that I was a kid, either.

I think little kids will always be creative enough to come up with their own fascinating scenarios during playtime, but the constant emphasis on shopping/spending/appearance in girls' toys probably wouldn't have been very interesting to me at that age.

tscheese

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> Are you sure this is not an ad for life-size Bratz dolls?

MissMal

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @TiffisBetter: Whereas, when we were 6, our shoe worries were about whether keds with curly laces were cool or if velcro sneakers were a give-away that we couldn't tie our shoes quickly. Not whether or not nikes or pumas were "in."

NotIt

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @TiffisBetter: People are buying 'designer' strollers...the whole 'kid as fashion accessory' makes me vomit a little bit in my mouth.

nikkidarling

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> Even the little girls in the photo are like "are you seriously making me wear this?"

Love the Bish Plz tie in.

Fauxhemian

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @jenalicious: The heels bother me too, but I don't think it's sexualized. I think it's "dress your daughter up in adult clothes like a doll." It's not appropriate, but it's not what I would call sexualized. The cropped jacket is just fug.

Lymed

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> More reasons to have a little girl, dress her in R2D2 Underoos, give her Legos and Smurfs, and teach her how to think to get ahead!

BrutallyHonestBabes

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @TiffisBetter:youeah that all sortof makes me want to vomit. when i was in high school abercrombie and fitch was as designer as it got. and this was way before their "ezra line" or whatever.

now my little step sister has like 5 pairs of Sevens. I like Sevens and all, but im out of college and make my own money...

jenalicious

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @mepo: It's her line and she promotes it, so she can't say she didn't see it. And if she really didn't see it, then she should accept the fallout because it's her responsibility to review the product before it goes out. I'm not accepting any excuses on this one.

WifeMotherCrip

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I wouldn't want my girlfriend to dress like that, why the fuck would I let my KIDS dress like that?

As a kid, I was pretty much left to my own devices for toys. I used my allowance to buy what I wanted. I turned out fairly okay, too. I grew up with rated R movies and violent toys.

As such, I'm against the idea of censoring toys from my imaginary future children, but I don't think I'd be comfortable letting my daughter play with this junk.

Jeremy

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> Let's just eliminate childhood altogether and launch Maxim: Maternity Ward Nursery. There's waaaaaay too much time between birth and puberty as it is; why wait until then to judge the symmetry of a girl's breasts?

half_ocelot

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> Sometimes I am only mildly pissed at our society. And sometimes I get royally pissed. It is so hard to even conceive of ads for little boys clothes where they would be tarted up (shirt unbuttoned halfway, gold chain, sexy eyes?). I feel like if boys were photographed this way, it would automatically look like kiddy porn.

treecut...will cut a beech

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @TiffisBetter: "Become one." I'm so ready to go home already.

TiffisBetter

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I agree with everyone who says that the clothes are fug. But to those of you who say the clothes themselves aren't very sexual, you're right, but consider this: look at the poses, the expressions on these little girls' faces. They look like mini-Top Models, not little girls. If these girls were smiling, laughing, and playing like normal kids, the clothes would still be ugly, but the message of the ad would change...for the better

amyltall

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @tscheese: Good point. It doesn't look like fun, and being a kid should be fun.

NotIt

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @cinemaddict: BWAHAHAHA! Brass knuckles and all!

tashatakeadive

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I wasn't allowed to wear heels until I was 14. Also, why did these kids' parents even allow them to appear in the ads? I would have pulled my kid off the set and given a nasty phone call to the kid's agent.

PetiteGal

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I think I have become on with Jezebel; I was just having this conversation this morning. Did we have anything equivalent to Bratz dolls as kids? I mean, Barbie could be slutty, but at times surely there was Doctor Barbie or Teacher Barbie. And when did materialism start so young? I don't think I had any concept of "designer" anything until the end of high school. Now I watch my coworker's girls of ages 6 and 10 covet Louis Vuitton bags and worry about shoes. What happened?

TiffisBetter

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @HistoricUpstart: I can so relate. I once exclaimed in complete despair, "Florine, there is more to you than your chest! Please cover the girls up and study your French!"

Yeah. You can tell I never took a didactics course.

haguenite

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @ineffable.me: Do not forget...Fiona Apple is ALWAYS right.

grood

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I gotta say I'm looking and looking and those shoes look like they were made to fit...

KittensMcgee

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> The only thing I see that might be considered sexualized here is the lack of any sense of fun on their faces. If they are supposed to look like they're playing dress-up, why aren't they laughing and smiling? Also the heels. Who wants bunions at 12?

Lady Skittlehattington

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> You know what? NOBODY should be wearing clothes this fug. The parents who will actually be buying their girls these sartorial atrocities are probably the same parents who are wearing the grown-up versions. It's a legacy of trampiness that's being passed on to the next generation.

MissCricket

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> It's sorta umcomfortable looking at the ad, but I don't think it's sexuallizing. More like just really bad advertizing, and trashy looking like ineffable.me said.

When I have kids, they're gonna dress in hand-me-downs, and footsie jammies. None of this designer crap until they make their own damn money.

TheGarlicSong

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> Even if I could afford it, my daughter would NEVER wear this or anything like it. Gross, gross, gross. Not to mention I think buying new clothes for children is immoral - reuse & recycle, friends!

nellicat

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I feel like that teeny bag contains the baby version of the "overnight" bag.

YICK.

JessicaLovejoy: Heart of Dykeness

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Lymed: the heels bother me... little girls shouldnt be walking around in shoes like that.

jenalicious

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I do doubt whether Byonce has actually ever seen these items never mind design them. I lay blame at Mama Knowles bedazzled feet.

mepo

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I'm just worried there's going to be a terrible mix-up and the little girl in the red hat and denim outfit is going to get involved in a biker-gang fight she can't get out of.

cinemaddict

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @tashatakeadive: That's all I could think about when I saw this, those little pageant girls. It's like Jon Benet all over again.

And seriously, the only cosmetics little girls should be allowed near are the Tinkerbell kind.

DorothyZbornak

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @nikkidarling:
um...i meant 'heels'...didn't get my iced-coffee in today.


nikkidarling

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @tashatakeadive: Yeah I hate all of those parents as much as I hate the ones on that other show about kids trying to break into show business. Like, what are they thinking? Spray-tanning your 4-year-old? Talk about taking up space in her brain that could be used for math.

boring diatribes

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I was a child model. My momma would have found this ad ludicrous, but whateves. My daddy would have killed someone. But then, there was no way a stylist was going to get heels on my feet.

But back then, all my spots were oshkosh b'gosh and the lord and taylor easter insert. The most uncomfortable/ridiculous things I had to deal with were bloomers that matched the dress or socks with stiff lace. In retrospect, being tarted up like a Victorian doll was way better than being just plain tarted up.

NotIt

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @SarahMC: She would put a stop to this, AND HOW.

Khrushchev

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @AthertonMerriweather: Oh ew, by Flavor of Love 25, Flava Flav will be at least...65. With the way that man is aging, he'll look like the Crypt Keeper.

KathrynwithaY loves Joan Collins

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> What the shit!? I lived in beat-up jeans and T-shirts until I was like 17 and realized I had boobs.

Sure, these girls are covered, which is better than I can say for some little girls' clothing, but it doesn't look like dressup funtime random "let's play jumprope with this feather boa!" or "I'm She-ra"!

Know what it doesn't look like? It doesn't look like fun. The clothes are tight and so adult-ish. When I was five or six I would have screamed bloody murder if I had to wear something like this.

tscheese

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> I'm getting little girl beauty pageant vibes de creepy off that top pic especially.

recidivicious

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @BAngieB: but shes mom of the year! (or something?)

ineffable.me

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> Not only are those clothes age inappropriate but fuck they're ugly. As the Brits would say its Chavtastic.

mepo

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> Meanwhile, boy children are still dressed like... boy children. Their clothes are pretty much the same as they were when I was little. Their little girl peers are being dressed up like they're supposed to be turning the little boys on or something.

SarahMC

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @chlauraform: Yup yup yup. My thoughts exactly. They look like eerie, provocative, little dolls.

scullymurphy

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @SarahMC:
ah--hahahahahahahaha

you could definitely sing some superfreak dressed like that.


nikkidarling

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @nikkidarling: Yes, we have a 6-year old with a BISH PLZ attitude on our hands. Not good.

haguenite

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @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?

WifeMotherCrip

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> 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.

Khrushchev

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> 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.

Lymed

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> 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.

KathrynwithaY loves Joan Collins

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> 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.

Charlotte Corday

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> 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!

pinkyBella

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @Pinkosaurus: complete with pouty "i wanna sex you up" face?

jenalicious

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> Dammit, Dina.

BAngieB

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @AthertonMerriweather: too far too far (but you're right)

tashatakeadive

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @eleanorstrousers: I agree with you on that

tashatakeadive

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> 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.

HistoricUpstart

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> 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.

molly

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> This is a cast photo of Flavor of Love 25.

AthertonMerriweather

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @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.

ItchykooParker

]]> <![CDATA[Beyoncé's Mini-Me Ad: Damaging To Girls' Mental Health?]]> @