Too Sexy, Too Soon: Combating the Sexualization of Childhood

Has anyone seen that Platform Breathe.org commercial with the little girl running around in that see through white bathing suit that looks a little too much like underwear? Have you heard about the public outcry against Abercrombie and Fitch's new line of "push up" bikini tops marketed to girls who are 7yrs old? Kudos to the writers of The Society Pages.org and other news organizations for keeping this provocative issue in the news. One would think some of the mom's out there would get it by now but when I saw the newest article about the mom giving Botox injections to her toddler, well I began to question whether we are really taking the issue of pimping our daughters out seriously or not.



For me, it began with bleaching sessions where my foster mom would instruct me to stand in the bathtub for hours while she rubbed Jolen' bleach all over my body. As a result, I suffered burns and serious skin issues that would plague me for years to come. Her thought at the time was that she was "doing it for my own good" and that my dark hair was an embarassment she wanted to relieve me of. I was too young at the time to understand what feeling "embarassed" was all about and wound up feeling a deeply profound sadness at my mother's repulsion of me.

While my case was extreme, there are hints of this kind of mentality in the news stories I am seeing replay over the past several months. I believe that each parent has the right to negotiate and not dictate to their daughters regarding issues of wardrobe and personal hygiene. When mom's are desperate for their daughter's to fit in, to be noticed by the opposite sex, etc.. I fear they overlook a very necessary respect that should be granted to every child. Daughters should have a say in what makes THEM feel comfortable without the pressure of an adult's insecurities.

These moms are no different than the fanatic parents who push their sons and daughters to compete in sports activities while disregarding his/her genuine need to have fun on THEIR own terms. I remember moments in my childhood where I was expected to "perform" for sons of my foster dad's lawfirm so that he could move up the company ladder. I believe in many ways mothers who force cosmetic surgery, provocative clothes before their daughters are ready to sexually deliver, and companies that climb on because they know mothers will buy in are all part of this "Pimp Our Daughters Out Brigade." This is a provocative thing to say, but I have a hard time blaming men who look at young girls when it has become downright impossible to know how young or how old these girls are in the first place. It starts with the mom's and I hope we will all feel confident enough to hold other mothers accountable when we see this kind of behavior playing out.

Toilet Paper People of CA 9:20PM May 18, 2011