The other day in Target I was horrified to see these bras for little girls. They are size 30 and there's no cup size because the little girls who wear these bras are too young to have developed breasts. But don't worry about your flat-chested eight year old feeling like a failure on a job application for Hooters: These cups are padded to make your little darling feel - and look - just like a real sexual grown-up-boobs gal.
They're called Self Expressions For Girls by Maidenform and they are "COMFY and CUTE with just the right amount of coverage," offer a "SMOOTH appearance under clothes" and come in "FUN and TRENDY colors and prints." Good idea, Maidenform. It's never too early to prepare eight year olds for adulthood in a breast-obsessed culture.
Here's Suri Cruise, age 3, wearing heels while shopping with her mother in the 10/5/09 issue of People Magazine. Wow Katie Holmes, you're actually making Kate Gosselin look like a good mother. 
Is this really heelarious, er, hilarious? Or is it just another example of how normalized the sexualization of children is in our culture?
Cute and innocuous, or exploitative? My question is, why do this at all? Sure, businesses will sell anything they can to make money, but why, in 2009, are we as parents still so ignorant and unaware that we buy - and buy into - it?
Let's let the kids be kids.
Your comments are welcome.
6 comments:
Oh, man. My only comment is "ick". And I loves my shoes! It must be reeeaally bad for me to feel that way.
I agree Robin, I can't imagine you without your wonderful shoes.
eeeewwww.
I am at a loss as to what to say beyond this is absurd, reprehensible, repugnant, stupid, and what legitimate reason is there for this? Beyond profit, of course. It's an untapped market.
This hits new levels of wrong.
Good post. I freak whenever I underwear shop for the 15 year old, as she can't understand why I am against thongs. Her mom does it ... and I try to tell her 15 year olds aren't supposed to be sexy, just comfy. Ugh, the madness of all of this.
I'm doing an online book club, please come join us. I miss talking about books with all the old blog babies.
Thanks Girl. Sometimes I listen to current music on the radio just to see what kids are exposed to, and the messages to girls that they have to behave sexually to be loved is so blatant and widespread. There is SO little out there teaching girls to value themselves for being smart, being good people, having self-respect, etc. I have two teenage boys and I think it's easier to parent them about respecting girls than it would be to parent girsl about respexcting themselves, because the negative messages to girls are so over pervasive that they've become normal in our society. It's really frightening.
Hi Polly, I am 49 and have a 17 yr. old girl. I noticed about 10 years ago how things have shifted for females in this country. When I was growing up there was a real women's movement in this country. Sadly, we now have 8 year olds in stores like Victoria's Secret with their moms and grandmoms. Yes, I see this all the time. Moms and their kids dressed alike, in Uggs and Coach bags shopping side-by-side in stores like American Eagle, Victoria's Secret, Aeropostale. I think it is odd but seems like I am the only one.Everywhere you turn you see all these tv shows showing women fighting with each other (Any Housewives, the Hills are two horrible female-hating shows). Look at the awful Kardashians, Lamas, Denise Richards, Girls next door shows on the E channel. All brought to us by Ryan Secrest, who loves to show skanky females at their worst. Where are our female role models?
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