If we're bringing it back to the movie, I don't think anyone is laying blame on the kids themselves or saying they should be policed. It's the adults in charge of the kids and particularly the movie that should be held accountable. And by 'accountable' I don't mean thrown in jail, but certainly scrutinized for displaying real-life kids in this kind of light.
If we're talking televised sporting events, if these events are shot in the same manner some of the kids are shot in Cuties then yeah, I'd say that's a bit of a problem. But seeing as gymnastic tournaments are generally very matter of fact in how they're televised, and DON'T have a leery quality to them, this really isn't a problem. This is ignoring the tremense pressure that is often put on these kids to perform though, which is its own issue.
And to make it clear, kids should be free to express themselves and develope their own sexual identity, but displaying that in a live-action movie should be treated with a lot more caution than Cuties appears to be doing.
It isn't just the Movie, though, what the girls doing in the movie is no different than we have on hundreds of Youtube channels..
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Girls love these dance competitions and have worked hard for them to be televised and to get their names out there so they can get sponsored, movie, TV, acting and dance roles, this is a hobby that is really important to the girls themselves. They would love nothing more than to be chosen to be on Beyoncé or Blue Ivy's dance team. The thing is for the girls dancing this isn't about sex at all here. This is a sport like anything else. Even in dance, they work countless hours trying to coordinate to get this just right for the televised performances. They have millions of girl fans around the world here. This is a huge hobby for girls, trying to police it and take it away is a seriously messed up thing to do to them at all here. And for what? Because of what some dirty old men might think? Seriously?! This is blatant body policing, body shaming due to what some creeps are doing and punishing the girls for it. They work hard so they CAN be on TV. The girls are who want this more than anyone else does.
Who exactly decides what is " leary?" the girls? We are expecting them to change their behavior because someone else might think it " leary?" This entire idea is screwed up in the first place.
How is this any different than telling a girl" Put that away dear, your Daddy has a dirty mind?" Or trying to burka the girls up? This really is no different than the colonizers forcing the Natives to adhere to their dress codes.. It was wrong then and it is wrong now.
Oh look aren't those savages all appropriately dressed now and less leary?
It doesn't matter how they were dressed, they were still raped, beaten, abused and murdered anyways.
Considering I, too, was forced by the US government to go to a school that did exactly that, I find this body shaming and policing to be extremely offensive,. what the girls are wearing and doing is fine. Them being able to showcase their hard work and talent on TV and the internet is fine.
They aren't the problem here.