Tacky
August 10th, 2011 at 10:07 am by David Farrar
Hamish Coleman-Ross at Stuff reports:
A controversial child beauty pageant has confirmed it will be held in New Zealand.
Three New Zealand cities are being considered as the location for an American-style beauty contest for dolled-up children next year.
Undeterred by protests against a pageant in Melbourne last month – and a tabloid television turf war that erupted over six-year-old United States star Eden Wood, who later pulled out – organisers Universal Royalty plan to bring the show to New Zealand for the first time next June
Yuck. That is one part of American culture that we can do without importing. It’s a free world, and if some parents are think it is good for their kids to take part, then that’s up to them.
But any who do would remind me of the women interviewed for the Bruno movie. He asks them if their child models would be prepared to model, lose weight, undergo liposuction, operate heavy machinery and finally dress in Nazi uniforms in order to get the part – and the mother nods away agreeing to them all.
Tags: child models
August 10th, 2011 at 10:10 am
Don’t need it, tacky crap.
Vote:Get Sue and Minto involved, they’ll put a stop to it.
August 10th, 2011 at 10:13 am
Tacky yes, but its a free society, and if Mum’s and bubs wanna do this, they should be allowed.
Vote:Otherwise alcohol and smoking should be banned first. And Morris Dancing…
August 10th, 2011 at 10:14 am
There is a good article by Jane Clifton on the ‘toxic princess syndrome’ in the latest Listener.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 10:20 am
If 18,000 woman (50 per day) aborting their babies every year doesn’t bother you, I’m not sure why you find this disturbing.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 10:26 am
Lots of tacky things in this world and some things that are utterly repellent.
The reason this particular thing is a big deal to our elites is that it is reinforcing the ideals of femininity and female grace in little girls instead of promoting the idea they should be taking on masculinity and alpha male roles (e.g. aspiring to be a member of the SAS – which apparently is the next barrier to be broken)
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 10:26 am
Last time I looked mothers were still allowed to encourage their children to do stuff. Nothing illegal about this YET.
Maori can push thier kids into kaphaka, Greens into Morris dancing, Labour into youth reducation camps, Nats. into to rugby clubs with their macho attitudes and Christians into their indoctrination clubs like Catholic youth, Muslims into Mosques. you get the drift.
So just cause you don’t like this, have a look and see what you are doing.
Mind you if most of you socialists had your way thewn all these things would be banned.
Vote:Hypocrites.
August 10th, 2011 at 10:27 am
iMP how free? How sexualised to want infants to become before it falls out the arse end of your free speech?
EWS off topic, get a grip. Or use your own site.
Also morris dancing is a crime against humanity and anyone perpetrating folk dancing in public should be jailed. thats just common sense.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 10:29 am
sorry guys, it’s not tacky. It is sick.
Vote:That some can’t see that is frightening for our future.
August 10th, 2011 at 10:33 am
Yup I am with Mick Mac on this one…it is sick sick sick. There must be a line drawn in the sand somwhere in regard to the sexualisation of infants, I would have thought that this steps way over the line.
Freedom only goes so far in any society, just because the creeping progressiveness of our present society allows for this type of explotation to take place does not make it right.
Tacky goes a small step of the way to describe this.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 10:34 am
It is pretty sick. Though it’s not illegal, I’d hope NZ firms don’t want this kind of business here.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 10:38 am
It’s not sick it is a very poor photoshop of a little girl wearing makeup. It doesn’t even look like a flesh and blood little girl, nothing like.
It is unreality and fodder for women’s magazines (which are tacky) at best
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 10:39 am
its sick and creepy. a lot like dimes personal life. not illegal but the mothers need help.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 10:45 am
Just when you thought there was nothing left to ban, the socialists come up with new ways to tell other people what to do.
Yep, agree its tacky and scary and distasteful, and its not a scene I have any desire to go near. But – FFS – OF COURSE parents should be free to do this with their kids if they think that’s whats in their best interests. I’ll pick parents over socialists running arguments like “its not in our culture” any day of the week.
Goddam lousy stinking socialists.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 10:52 am
Anyone who runs an argument like “its not in our culture” simply considers people as pawns to be sacrificed to whatever social goal they think is worthy this week. It’s a revolting argument, and taken to its logical conclusion the end point the argument is that everything that is not compatible with the de jour view of what’s in society’s aka the socialists’ best interests is to be banned.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 11:03 am
Ugh.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 11:07 am
I would hope responsible parents (those who dont try to live their lives through their children) are responsible enough not to involve their children in this, although we have had a less formal “baby competitions” in NZ in the past so this isnt new. Its the extent that PARENTS go to that take it to another realm. We dont want to emulate american society, with their fixation on sexuality.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 11:08 am
Personal opinion on this, like most things, will differ, for me its sick to sexualise children of this age, and thats whats happening. Consider: Auckland Weetbix Tryathlon, with the thousands of kids competing there. Bet not many people know of the covert police presence now required becuase of the undesireables that lurk. Its a number that surprised and scared me.
I have a 6 year old daughter. She trusts me implicitely to do the right thing by her, to be her moral compass until she grows her own. Its a role I take bloody seriously. Im more than happy for her to play soccer in the mud and then that afternoon to play dressup with her little buddy from across the road. But this shit? Not even. Freedom of choice is one thing, but using it as a reason to allow kids to be exploited by the parents, if you cant see that thats wrong, there is no hope for you. IMHO of course
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 11:14 am
ben, interesting take on it, and in some ways I find myself agreeing with your sentiments, but in this case I cannot see a logical reason to condone this type of child exploitation, and it is nothing to do with “Goddam lousy stinking socialists.”
It is not as if the children themselves are making the decisions ben is it!
Let the mums dress up like dolls, no problem, in fact they can parade bare titted for all I care, they are capable of making the choice & decisions around that.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 11:15 am
hmmokrightitis
Vote:Agree 100%
We dont need this type of rubbish in this country.
August 10th, 2011 at 11:15 am
While it’s wrong, in my opinion, I don’t think it falls in to the class of activites that should be banned – we’vealready got far too many things in that category thank you. But if you think it’s wrong, say so. If you know someone who’s interested in such a competition, let them know what you think.
I hadn’t thought of the paedophile factor hmmokrightitis, thanks for putting that thought in my head (shuddder). If they go to the tryathlon, I imagine one of these contests would be like Mecca.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 11:23 am
I’ve just asked my 10yr old whose sick at home today what she thought of the attached picture. Did she think she would like to do that sort of competition?
Vote:Her response is
-she doesnt look like a real person she looks plastic.
-its stupid for parents to make their kids to adult things
August 10th, 2011 at 11:28 am
I worry about those who see something sexual here (murray et al). i see a little girl a bit too heavily invested in dress up.
As DPF said on another topic, i will worry when it becomes compulsory, until then its of no concern or interest to me.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 11:33 am
The photo has been air brushed look around the chin and the arm pits More unrealistic crap to distort a already distorted concept
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 11:37 am
Grendel
Just because its not complusory doesnt mean it can be brushed under the carpet as a non event.
In you life that may be so, but in the wider context of our society its a potential issue, that once the gates are opened they’re not easily closed.
1 paedophile is 1 too many as far as I’m concerned. And the last thing I would think the majority of NZ’ders want is to give them fodder for their sickness, which actually images of little girls trying to emulate adults tend to do.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 11:39 am
I deliberately avoided clicking on the link yesterday so thanks for the photo which was as sick as I would have expected. Wrong on so many levels.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 11:44 am
lofty –
It is not as if the children themselves are making the decisions ben is it!
How would you know who is making the decisions? Like all socialists wankers, you presume too much. Did it not occur to you that parents might take their child’s wishes into account when deciding whether they participate? Or maybe they don’t, just as parents ignore their child’s protests over piano practice. Either way, your distaste for the activity is no substitute for parents’ views on the matter. The end. Outside your imagination it is not exploitation if the child or their parent wants them to be there and their participation does no harm to them.
The usual rule, comrade, is that informed consent is shifted to the parent – and not the incompetent state – where children are too young to decide for themselves.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 11:46 am
It’s not violating any laws, and the parents have freedom to enter their kids into these competitions. Of course our freedoms also allow for boycotting and protesting the event, and I look forward to seeing this happen too, as my freely expressed opinion is that it is sexualising the kids, it is encouraging unhealthy attitudes (body image, looks being paramount etc) and I personally believe the parents who put their kids into these things are themselves mentally deranged.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 11:46 am
Little girls don’t know anything about sex and they don’t want to know. It is just pretty clothes and playing with make-up to them. The only sexualisation is in the eye of the beholder. I don’t subscribe to the generalised fear of pedophiles hanging from the branches of every tree so I think that whole “sex” aspect of this is very overblown.
It’s the aspect of Sorry dear, you lost because those other girls were all prettier than you that really sucks IMO. Little girls deserve to be protected from that sort of sh!t for as long as possible.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 11:51 am
Little girls wanting to dress up and look adult is perfectly normal. The social distortion takes place as a result of the actions of a few, obsessive adults, which are then paraded as a norm by a sensationalist element of the msm.
Same thing happens with a few rugby dads, for instance.
Mostly harmless.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 11:54 am
There is nothing “sexy” about that picture, nothing at all.
If you are freaky you might be better of and perving at the local swimming pool at little girls in their bathing togs, shudders at the thought, rather than attending a little girls beauty pageant where I’ll bet the audience is about 100% female.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 12:03 pm
Don’t need this and the picture is ‘shopped anyway
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
They have been running infant modelling competitions in the Richmond Mall since I’ve been living in the Nelson district.
Personally I think it’s bordering on abuse.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Thanks for your view ben, it is appreciated.
I don’t see myself as a socialist wanker ben, but if you do no problem.
And to be addressed as comrade, well what can I say ben,… thanks?
Is this where I now raise my clenched fist and sing L’Internationale ben? I only ask seeing that you appear to know me and my political position so well.
If I may make the point though you RWNJ, it is you and your type that rails aginst the dumb dependants and welfare bludgers, uneducated can’t make decent decisions types, you know what I mean eh ben?
Yet you are happy it seems to allow “informed consent” from what appears from my view to be dumbarsed parents who really should be lumped in with those dumbarsed welfare bludgers, don’t you think ben?
cheers
Vote:Comrade Lofty
August 10th, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Why is everyone only concerned about the little girls? The ‘Little Mr’ competetions are even more disturbing- Fancy making your 5 year old son perform Cabaret and dance routines….
Vote:I saw it on a Louis Theroux documentary- I’d post a link but that would be creepy
August 10th, 2011 at 12:22 pm
We have our own culture in NZ – we dont have to adopt this over sexualised American rubbish.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 12:32 pm
I’m not saying I find these events tasteful, nor would I encourage my own daughters to be involved in them. But to my mind, some people here doth protest too much. Is the pervert the person who enters her child in a pageant, or the person who is “creeped out” by a five year old wearing makeup? If you look at this picture above and you find it “sexual” then maybe the pervert is you? Just sayin’…
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
Dee Dee…”we have our own culture”? You mean Coca cola, McDonalds, Chinese Gooseberrys, Japanese sandals (jandals)and the English game, rugby?
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
You want over sexualised? Just watch 5 min of “True Blood” and kiwi child-star Anna Pacquin.
[DPF: Anna is very sexy, but she is no child - she is 19 years old]
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Er…um… in defense of “American Culture” I’m willing to wager the majority of Americans think these things are crap too. But it’s a big enough country with enough freedoms to allow these and other nutters to organise most anything. So before we add this to the NZ collective knowledge of American Culture, along with reruns of Bay Watch, can we pause before we start drawing conclusions?
Now NASCAR….I can’t explain that one…
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 12:57 pm
Our culture, where 5 yr olds dont have to worry about not being “pretty” enough to win a beauty pagent!
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
iMP – You are aware Anna Pacquin was 26 when True Blood premiered in 2008, right?
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
When we lived in the US, there was a girl in my daughter’s class who did the pageants (she was 9 by this time). She loved it, it didn’t seem sexualised to me in my observations, and she was just like all the other girls – except she used to look orange after any pageants with all the false tanning product they used. She loved that with the prize money, she could buy the latest phone or gadget or clothes that they wouldn’t have otherwise afforded. Given that both her parents were overweight and not (IMO) particularaly attractive – best make hay while the sun shines.
If you want to see exploitation or sexualisation of our young kids, go to a gymnastics gymnasium, a hip-hop or dance school performance, or cheerleaders competition. In terms of “sexualisation” – the kiddy beauty pageants are really kids play.
You still get the pushy moms at the dance and gymnastics schools. And the little kids get all made up with mascara, lippy etc. for shows. What’s different?
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
That girl doesn’t even look real. I assumed it was a photo of a toy doll. Scary. But, as RRM and BlairM have also implied, I’m a bit puzzled by people saying this is sexualisation.
It’s more of a dress-up with crazy mothers who like this crap. I’ll give those who say it’s sexual the benefit of the doubt, and assume they’re just using a moral-panic catch-phrase rather than being closet Capills.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
No, oh please no, this is something we certainly don’t need. However, despite its absolute tackiness, there’s little anyone can do. Hopefully the common decency of the community at large will mean that such attempts will not find fertile ground here.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
It’s up to parents, really.
One of mine, when she was 2, was already getting into her mother’s shoes and trying to dress like her, and into the make-up. It was harmless. She wanted to look ‘pwetty’, and even at 2 she had an awareness of how she looked. This was before we had TV in the house.
As long as it’s kept without pressure, and fairly light-hearted, it should be fine.
It disturbs me that Stuff and other web sites keep displaying the unreal and very fake image of the little girl that goes with stories such as this.
She’s been airbrushed, photoshopped, and made in to a pastel-coloured parody of herself.
Perhaps the discussion would be helped if accompanying photos were more ‘real’ — that is, showing a girl as she really is.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Labour Party release latest official portrait of former leader
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 2:36 pm
I’m not sure why this would be fodder for paedophiles. Wouldn’t paedophiles want children to look like children because that’s what they are attracted to?
Nevertheless it is rather tacky but it’s worth considering that there are a multitude of areas where parents try to live through their children and that’s the real problem IMO.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 3:14 pm
Surely this activity must be considered child abuse. Have the parents of these girls asked the girls what they want?
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
These “mothers” should just buy a doll……
For those who’ve mentioned her, Anna Paquin’s not sexy.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 3:17 pm
it’s worth considering that there are a multitude of areas where parents try to live through their children and that’s the real problem IMO.
Yes, we have our own problems, illustrated by this recent case:
Not sure which is worse.
Vote:August 10th, 2011 at 7:20 pm
What a total disgrace. Parents supporting such exploitation should be shot.
Vote: