Wednesday 27 March 2013

And talking of abuse...

No. This isn't a doll. This is a child,  just fifteen months old. She is taking part in a "beauty" pageant. In this country. Little girls as young as a few weeks take part, and some  are given wigs, full makeup and fake tans. They wear high heels, and "evening dress" in addition to their other outfits.

And we worry about the growing number of cases of  anxiety among teenagers concerning body image, and the increasing number of anorexics. Well, this will certainly help...

23 comments:

  1. Oh, I know, there are entire US television channels devoted to little girls in beauty pageants. I think it is criminal.
    I don't know if these things take place here in Canada, but if they're in the US and the UK, I suppose it's possible.
    Sigh.
    K

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  2. It is criminal, yes. If their mothers have never outgrown playing with their Barbie dolls, let them play - but stick to the dolls, ladies, don't do that to your kids.

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  3. Pageants are a creepy American import that we really could do without.

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  4. I watched a programme on it recently. It was certainly very creepy as Libby says.

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  5. I'd say these kids must be paedophile's dreams. Poor mites. What happened to childhood. What are the parents thinking about?

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  6. It sometimes seems that people have children for all the wrong reasons. This example is no less than grotesque.

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  7. Well it's certainly not for the children's sake that baby pageants like that take place...

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  8. Shame on the parents (usually mothers). Should have bought a doll as an accessory if that's what they wanted.

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  9. Contrast that with the Lego advert http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10150440365398303&set=a.10150097508983303.274727.9171233302&type=1&theater

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  10. What a grotesque, sad and abusive photo. Can't believe parents subject their children to this kind of thing - bet they would be the first to complain about paedophiles.

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  11. I'm glad (though not surprised) that everyone seems to agree. Thanks for the comments, and I apologise for not replying to each; Easter, and children (with unadorned faces!) means I've got a lot to do. One of the saddest things is that babies have their own beauty - their peachy skin is what we all envy, isn't it? - and to cover it up and disguise it is a revolting travesty. Heaven knows what awaits these kids in the future, brought up as they are to think that looks are everything. It doesn't allow them just to be themselves, neither does it prepare them for a life of failure and disappointment (because of course, many will "fail" to win these revolting competitions). This is child abuse, and I think it should be made illegal, like all abuse of children.

    I plan to remove this post in a day or so, as I can't stand that photo.

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  12. Actually, Frances, I think that the post should stay as an example of man's inhumanity to man or, more precisely in this case, woman's inhumanity to children. I have never considered myself naive but I really had no idea that sort of thing went on in the UK.

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    1. Neither had I, GB. But everything seems to come over here eventually. I think it should be stamped on. Firmly.

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  13. I thought we had our children so that we could bring wonderful, unique human beings into the world. And that our responsibility to them was to ensure they were always aware that their uniqueness was the quality that made them important and special.
    To dress them up as miniature adults and force them to compete with other shows a dreadfully sick and warped mentality. And a very strange, disturbing sort of parenthood.

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    1. I couldn't agree more, Joanna. A the very least, it's telling children they not okay just as they are

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  14. Frances...please! remove this revolting photo. I can't bear to see it again.

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    1. Neither can I! I plan to remove it soon, when comments' replies have been read by their authors.

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  15. That's grotesque ! Poor liitle scrap .

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    1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    2. What a wonderful irony Frances. Some itinerant spammer comes along and abuses your hospitality on a post labelled "Talking of abuse". I really do think that this post is worthy of being kept for posterity. By the way whilst Blogger Reader is still alive you will be able to read this even if you delete it. You can run but never hide from Blogger!

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    3. Said spammer about to be deleted. Thanks for your support, GB!

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