Sexualisation of Children

[Colour Scientist]

I decided to make this topic after I read an article on Sarah Burge and a beauty salon specifically aimed at little girls. It's not a particularly new article and the Daily Mail isn't the world's best source but I thought it might stimulate some discussion.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2001867/Human-Barbie-Sarah-Burge-Fake-tans-little-girls-mothers.html

For those of you who won't look at the article basically this mother holds the world record for undergoing the most plastic surgery procedures (amounting to £500,000) and for her daughter's seventh birthday she gave her a £7,000 voucher for a boob job (which can only legally be used when she turns sixteen). Apparently this was exactly what the child wanted to be "just like Mummy".

It then goes on to describe the opening of a salon aimed at children in Essex which "offers fake tanning, manicures, pedicures, facials, make-up, ear piercing and hair treatments for the under-13s."

These kinds of stories seem to be an increasing phenomenon in our society (largely in the West) and the children involved appear to be getting younger and younger. Personally I find it pretty disturbing. Who is to blame? The media? Parents? I'm inclined to lean towards parents but these days it's impossible to shield your child from everything, especially the peer pressure these developments encourage.

So, what do you think? Is this a dangerous trend or is it a normal development for the next generation?

 

[Orcboyphil]

Its pretty scary. We want our daughters to grow up and be presidents and doctors. Whilst the mother seems to just want a new best friend. I think the worst symptom of this is Virgin waxing. The goal being you destroy th hair folicules in the pubic region so that they never grow pubes. Its pretty dispicable because its forcing a fashion statement on your daughter that might (hopefully) be gone by the time she grows up.

 

[manythings]

It's a trend I've been seeing for the past five years, and is probably older than that. It's very creepy passing by photographers studios in areas with a large amount of new families. A lot of them look like they are posing kids provocatively and it's very disturbing. Where that shit is going on you know there are paedophiles watching like the men who judge those little girl beauty pageants.

 

[FFKonoko]

I don't think there is a requirement to shield the child from everything. What there should be is instilling a basic moral compass and understanding of what is and is not appropriate. A 7 year old that wants to be like mummy should be asking for a Fisher Price lightbulb oven, not a boob job. That seems to suggest a serious problem with what mummy is in the childs eyes.

 

[chawlie fair]

I blame society and the media really. The world is so very quick to point out your flaws and make you feel bad, and if its something physical that you can't change, your bound to do something drastic. It doesn't help when you go shopping and you see Kim Kardashian in the checkout line dressed up like a sex goddess on the front of a magazine with the heading "How to look more sexy". I say just everybody treat each other more nicely and ladies don't worry so much about how you look. If we all do that then you don't have situations like these where the mother does not want her child to go through what she did.

 

[Twad]

This isnt new, but is always kinda disturbing. I would say that the problem lie with the parents that arent educating their kids right, and the pressure corporations put on the public (through TV and other medias) that screw with the mind of people so they want to look/act/wear XYZ thing.. lots of money involved. Lots of it.

 

[Casual Shinji]

This beauty salon seems more aimed at rich, stupid parents than anyone else. And their kids will grow up to be fucked up spoiled little brats regardles, so I wouldn't worry about this particular case that much.

 

[Seives-Sliver]

I say that this is a slippery slope at best, I think this would have to do more with American history than anything else. Jessi, from Omfgcata, put it very well when he said 'The reason America is so fixated on sex and swear words (Or violence), is because it was a puritan civilization first, and they abhored those kinds of things.' that's the gist of what he said. And I think it rings very true now, because America has been around for quite a while and it's starting to come out of its shell and experimenting a lot with the things that previous generations thought innopropriate. So this might be seen more and more often, but as for who to blame, it has to be the parents first and foremost, with children coming in at a close second.

There is a lot a parent can do when a child is young, and telling them 'no' is a very good way of telling your kid what is right and wrong. A child is a close second at fault if they disobey the parent's orders, and this is strictly pertaining to this situation of course. Now there could be a rift between the parents, a conservative father who doesn't want his daughter becoming a trollop at the age of 12, while a mother wanting her baby girl looking like a glamed out princess with makeup, sparkles, earrings and all that. There are layers upon layers of things to do, but all in all, it is for the parents to decide what to do, and this will flare up a bit more, and may be accepted if it is...Well...accepted.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

I blame the communis....wait that doesn't work....I BLAME MEDI....that doesn't work ether...you know what I blame ourselves for this.

 

[Woodsey]

Well, with the exception of rare cases like that, I've always figured that since we're becoming less sexually-repressed, people are simply gaining an interest at a more natural age.

And when you get down to it, her wanting to be "like mummy" is fairly normal in young girls. That's not sexual on behalf of the girl just because her mum does it to herself for sexual reasons.

 

[puffy786]

Its sort of horrible that a young girl is expected to take up plastic surgery to feel accepted. In general, i feel that plastic surgery for all ages are wrong.

 

[Odbarc]

Urgh, I'd never date or even look at a woman like that.
So thankfully my daughters won't turn out wanting to look like [ Mimi Bobeck ]. (Google it & lol)

Despite half of Japan's animated porn being of underage charecters?

They "appear" to be under aged. Isn't 14 legal in their country? Or at least 16, which I'm pretty sure they can legally marry. (I could be wrong or it has changed.)

I'm mostly attracted to women who have no tattoos, unnecessary piercings (they all got their ears pierced so you can't deny that). What I actually had is seeing some otherwise suitable women blip right off my radar because they've got some weird extra piercing on them or one benign little tattoo. But I've got standards!

 

[dosp5]

I don't know how to work hyperlinks but you should look up "Toddlers in tiaras". It's the most terrifying show I have ever seen.

 

[Drakmeire]

The media is not to blame for this, it's the parents for actually allowing their children as well as helping them do things like this.
Don't blame what the child sees, blame what they are taught.
I hope this all blows over soon. I saw my 11 year old sister watching Toddlers in Tiaras and I immediately turned it off. Very few things disgust me, (Hell, I plan to let her watch Soul Eater once I think she is mature enough) but that show as well as that attitude with children is one thing I well never support.

 

[Nimzar]

That is messed up.

Though it is the next logical (if that term can be used here) of the "sexy" clothes designed for the same age group.

 

[Azure Sky]

Despite totally being attracted to lolicon, I seriously doubt the media will ever put forth children as sex symbols.

(largely in the West)

What, the West? Despite half of Japan's animated porn being of underage charecters?

Granted, Japan probably has the biggest reader-base for Lolicon material.
I also believe it has one of the lowest rates of underage sexual abuse if what I read some time ago was to be believed. =s

 

[Guilherme Zoldan]

I see this and my reply is a resounding "so?"
Its better then sexual repression and pretending theres no such thing as penises and vaginas until your kid is 18.