Am I getting old or is this horribly wrong?

[princessmom29]

I don't think they no what sexy is at 8. Have they heard the word, sure, but that doesn't mean they understand the concept.

The picture is some young girls imitating what they have seen others do.

Yes, is it right to ask them to imitate this at 7-8?? What are they being taught?? I think it says that this is the way to get attention and make poeple liek you, and that is adngerous message to send to a little girl becuase once she has figured out what it is all about as a teen, she now sees it as a way to be accepted.

MY husband saw this video and said "that just really creeped me out." I think that says it all.

 

[Planogirl]

So what can be done about this? Anything? Should anything actually be done?

 

[declansdad]

With all due respect, declansdad, you are dead wrong.

They sure as heck know what sexy is at 8. They may not know where babies come from, but they understand that posing that way feels differently (sexy) than if they were playing ring around the rosie. I was a little girl once, I have sisters, we were a modest family, but I can tell you that when you put skimpy clothes on little girls, have them watch adult women thrust their hips and gyrate in videos, and teach them to do the same, their inate sexuality is brought to the surface. It's a psychological fact, and something I've seen in my own life.

Well I don't think I'm dead wrong but I don't think you are dead wrong either. They may know what "sexy" is but they really don't understand the context.

This is a perfect example of why the parents should have stepped in and told the teacher to tone down the routine or pull their child from the competition. The little girls may not know what "sexy" is, but their parents do.

Very true and the exact reason people should not be calling these girls "tarts" or "future strippers".

 

[Wishing on a star]

Yes, any analogy to compare Miley Cyrus with 8 year olds is completely meaningless.... Miley is all but an adult, and well within the 'age of consent' in most every State.

What is okay for a young adult, who has the capacity to make their own decisions and choose what they wish to do... and what is okay for parents and teachers to push onto little 8 year olds...

Two VERY different things.

 

[Aisling]

So what can be done about this? Anything? Should anything actually be done?

Nothing, except to teach your own daughters and the little girls in your life that they should not be doing what those little girls did. Children aren't little adults and there are lines that shouldn't be crossed if you care what's in their best interest.

 

[Scurvy]

I found it to disturbing to watch more than about half of it. For the costumes--it's not the amount of skin that's showing that bothers me. It's the fact that it's deliberately designed to look like a bustier and a garter belt. The red satiny material and the black lace add to that appearance and the thigh high stockings and fishnet arm coverings just put it over the top. A 7 yo should not be wearing lingerie.

That's my problem with the costumes as well. It isn't a matter of coverage - they do cover more than some bathing suits I've seen marketed to young girls. But they are very clearly designed to look like miniature lingerie, which I find to be completely inappropriate.

I didn't see the parents interviewed. (was that on another network, not GMA???) But, I did she the routine, in all it's glory, on my big-screen.

It was on GMA, but they showed the routine in two different segments. One was just where they were having one of the hosts and a couple of guests talk about different news items of the day. But earlier in the show they did a segment about this controversy and they interviewed two of the parents. The parents came across like complete idiots. One of them kept saying that it wasn't intended to be on youtube - that it was only intended to be seen by those at the competition. They didn't really address the specific concerns that people have about the routine, they just kept saying that the outfits provided adequate coverage and the song wasn't objectionable, and that the routine wasn't intended to be viewed by so many people.

As far as the song, I do agree that it isn't particularly objectionable. Some of the ones mentioned in this thread I find much more shocking. "Leave Your Hat On" is about stripping. "Hanky Panky" - at least they took out the part about spanking, but they left in the line about bondage and even had a girl mouthing the words. "Soulja Boy" . . . Seriously, what idiot came up with the idea of using that song?! There's really nothing wrong with the Beyonce song and I bet the girls could have done a perfectly age-appropriate dance routine to it. . . if they hadn't been dressed like little exotic dancers and been gyrating like them as well.

It saddens me to see that parents don't have more sense than to let their children participate in something like that. Children grow up, they don't stay kids forever. There will be plenty of time for more suggestive outfits and routines as they get older. There's absolutely no reason to allow or encourage young children to behave like miniature adults, especially not in a situation like this dance routine.

 

[Wishing on a star]

About young children and sexuality....

I completely and totally agree with Mushy.

There is simply no question that we are sexual beings from day one.

There has never been anything but proven validation of that fact.

Whether these girls have experience, or vocabulary, etc... does not erase the fact that we are all sexual beings... And these girls are being taught, by the involved adults, to go out in front of everyone and 'flaunt' it, as a way to receive the ensuing applause/approval/self-esteem etc...

 

[FireDancer]

So what can be done about this? Anything? Should anything actually be done?

No, I don't think so. If the routine broke rules then the consequences should be whatever is listed as punishment in the rules. From other dance parents it seems it is a points deduction.

I agree with the PP that said they are free to do the routine, it is their life not mine. If their parents have no problem with it let them dance like strippers, tarts, harlots, or whatever they are dancing like they can do so all they want but I sure wouldn't allow my kid to belong to a team that did those routines.

In the end they should be free to do what they want from a societal point of view, the line has to come from the parents and not the rest of us.

 

[locolala]

Ok, I'm shocked this thread is still open. 45 pages.. 45 PAGES over a dance! That's just absolutely ridiculous. I'm sorry, but there are far more important things going on in this world that should have our attention. There are kids who don't know if they're going to survive the next time mommy or daddy gets drunk, kids who are starving on the streets, kids who are being sexually abused every DAY.. and you choose to spend 45 PAGES talking about a video? Yes, the dance is inappropriate and the costumes are revealing. I wouldn't let my daughter do a routine like that. But is it worthy of making the national news? Absolutely not. It's sickening to me that something so trivial has become so important.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Sorry, but I think that the 45 pages here, and the fact that this is now being covered thoroughly on national news, shows that, to us, as PARENTS, and to society, that this IS important.

 

[hentob]

Ok, I'm shocked this thread is still open. 45 pages.. 45 PAGES over a dance! That's just absolutely ridiculous. I'm sorry, but there are far more important things going on in this world that should have our attention.....

And you took time to post on this thread because....?

 

[Planogirl]

Ok, I'm shocked this thread is still open. 45 pages.. 45 PAGES over a dance! That's just absolutely ridiculous. I'm sorry, but there are far more important things going on in this world that should have our attention. There are kids who don't know if they're going to survive the next time mommy or daddy gets drunk, kids who are starving on the streets, kids who are being sexually abused every DAY.. and you choose to spend 45 PAGES talking about a video? Yes, the dance is inappropriate and the costumes are revealing. I wouldn't let my daughter do a routine like that. But is it worthy of making the national news? Absolutely not. It's sickening to me that something so trivial has become so important.

I'm a bit surprised that people are still discussing this too. If something can't and shouldn't be done and everyone has expressed their outrage...

But it's a message board and it's always fascinating to see what people get interested in. I find it somewhat interesting but only while trying to figure out what those parents were thinking.

 

[Aisling]

Ok, I'm shocked this thread is still open. 45 pages.. 45 PAGES over a dance! That's just absolutely ridiculous. I'm sorry, but there are far more important things going on in this world that should have our attention. There are kids who don't know if they're going to survive the next time mommy or daddy gets drunk, kids who are starving on the streets, kids who are being sexually abused every DAY.. and you choose to spend 45 PAGES talking about a video? Yes, the dance is inappropriate and the costumes are revealing. I wouldn't let my daughter do a routine like that. But is it worthy of making the national news? Absolutely not. It's sickening to me that something so trivial has become so important.

It's not that the video is more important than starving children. We all agree that children are beaten by drunk parents every day. This thread is an exchange of opinion, that's all, and many of us have strong opinions on the subject.

 

[locolala]

And you took time to post on this thread because....?

Home on bedrest and have nothing better to do with my time. I can't clean, I can't cook, I can't really do much of anything. The semester's over so I can't even study.

 

[Basil of Baker St]

That is not what I said or what I meant but good job on twisting my words into an insult.



I came back to edit this, because I thought there might be a better way to say what I meant. I (and others) see a particular move that the girls are doing as a "dance move", others see it as a "sexual move". I see the outfit as a dance costume, others see it as lingerie. Not sure that makes one of wrong or right, just seeing it differently. And it certainly doesn't mean that I am a bad parent or blind and it doesn't mean the other person is a pervert. It's just two different ways to look at something.

I think the implications that these girls are going to end up being strippers or street walkers is horribly unfair and wrong. There are many children that will, sadly, take a wrong road in their life. Luckily, the ones that have the greatest chance are the ones that are involved in something like dance.

Again, if not for youtube this wouldn't even be an issue. It would not have made national news and we wouldn't be discussing it unless a diser's child was doing the dancing.

There are a lot of dance moves that are overtly sexual. There are a lot of songs that make the connection between the two. (Reference Ludacris-How Low - "face down, a** up! Put in reverse just to back it up, let me put some Luda in it" And nothing against rap music, I like it, but I won't let my kids listen to it.)

This isn't something that is made up or a manifestation of puritanical beliefs. These girls are talented and I'm not trying to say that the moves are as bad as what you will find in a lot of clubs, but the whole routine, outfits, pictures, etc make it clear that being sexy was the goal. Their parents and dance instructors failed them by making it ok for them to be objectified.

Where are the boundaries? How gross does something have to be before it's bad enough? There is a backlash against this video and I'm glad because maybe the dance studios will stop pushing this crap and use more age-appropriate choreography and costumes. I just feel bad for the girls - what should have been a positive thing (their hard work and dedication to an activity that they obviously love), now has negative connotations through no fault of their own. Their parents put them out there for the world to judge in skimpy lingerie and they do not deserve that.

 

[hentob]

Home on bedrest and have nothing better to do with my time. I can't clean, I can't cook, I can't really do much of anything. The semester's over so I can't even study.

So, only people under your circumstances can post to this too-long thread?

Everyone else is "ridiculous" and should be worried about the bigger things going on in this world?

Gotcha

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

To those who think that the girls were just imitating the video and what they've seen from performers, one of the moms interviewed insists that the girls haven't watched the video. They learned the song and got the ideas from the Chipmunk Chipettes.

Did anyone else scroll through all of the competition pictures? I did. And EVERY SINGLE TEAM had significantly more clothing on than these girls. It was an urban dance competition where people wear street wear, not the feature outfit from the February Frederick's catalog.

Oh, and the girls didn't win in the competition. This team did:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INbvTMM7ohg

 

[AshleyW]

Home on bedrest and have nothing better to do with my time. I can't clean, I can't cook, I can't really do much of anything. The semester's over so I can't even study.

So why don't you go post about the oil spill or something?

ETA: Just saw this video of Jabbawockeez from the same competition. LOVE them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuonbvrbGtg

 

[Scurvy]

Ok, I'm shocked this thread is still open. 45 pages.. 45 PAGES over a dance! That's just absolutely ridiculous. I'm sorry, but there are far more important things going on in this world that should have our attention. There are kids who don't know if they're going to survive the next time mommy or daddy gets drunk, kids who are starving on the streets, kids who are being sexually abused every DAY.. and you choose to spend 45 PAGES talking about a video? Yes, the dance is inappropriate and the costumes are revealing. I wouldn't let my daughter do a routine like that. But is it worthy of making the national news? Absolutely not. It's sickening to me that something so trivial has become so important.

This is a website dedicated to Disney vacations. Vacations are pretty trivial, yet there are thousands of people who rack up thousands of posts on here, because it's something that many of us find important enough to post about. On the first page of this board there are threads about postcards, arson, birthday parties, injuries, TV shows, trips, Michael Jackson, and general chit-chat, among many other things. None of those are as important as kids who are starving or being abused, but we all post about them. I can't imagine that all of the posts you've racked up are about earth shatteringly important topics, are they? And you even found this thread important enough to respond to, after all.

If you don't find it important enough to post about then you are free to not post about it and to stick to only the "important" topics. Clearly, with this many replies, many posters do think that this is a topic that's worth at least a couple of minutes of their time.

 

[SeaShelley]

Oh, and the girls didn't win in the competition. This team did:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INbvTMM7ohg

Were they even in the same division??