Am I getting old or is this horribly wrong?

[princessmom29]

I saw the animation earlier and I agree that there are similarities between that and the little girls' routine. However, the hand movements are somewhat different in the chipmunks video. They have their hands more on their sides and slightly lower than the little girls in the video do. Many of the little girls actually appeared to be clutching or covering their chests, but in the animation the chipmunks hands weren't on their chests at all. In my opinion, changing that and adding all the pelvic thrusts and grinds really significantly changes the tone of the routine.

that's the point i wastrying to make. There is going to be a certian amount of "hip shaking" as another poster put it, but all of the really suggestive body language didn't come from cartoon chipmunks! It is all the added stuff that makes it Ewww. Taht and body motions are a little distorted by al the fur!

 

[princessmom29]

This thread reminds me of a blog entry by Dr JD Parnell in 2006:

sounds like he borrowed liberally form Foot Loose for that one!

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

sounds like he borrowed liberally form Foot Loose for that one!

No - here is nore from the blog entry:

If you don't think that this happens, and you don't believe that dances have the potential to spread like cancer across our towns and communities, then I suggest that you watch the movie Footloose. I also suggest that you remember the year 1996, which was the Year of The Macarena. That year, The Year of The Macarena, was, in my great opinion, a cultural nadir for this country and, from the standpoint of values and morals, one of the lowest points in our nation's history. That was the year that Bill Clinton was reelected and that Madeline Albright, UN ambassador, and later Secretary of State, stood up in the United Nations and danced The Macarena. Also, that evil man, former VP Al Gore, also danced The Macarena. The Macarena was an evil dance that spread across our land and around the world overtaking entire nations. I remember those horrible times all too well. It was a shameful time even for me, because I remember driving my SUV down the road when I accidentally tuned the radio to a station playing The Macarena, and when the song played, I remember sitting there in the SUV and the beats and the rhythms of that evil devil music caused me to move and gyrate involuntarily in rhythm to the beat! Oh the shame!!! To this very day, I still beg the Lord for forgiveness for that indiscretion.

 

[Basil of Baker St]

But if the video was not on youtube and had not suddenly caused all this sensation, how many people really would have been all up in the air about it?

You and I both know that right here on the dis there are posters that get in a bonafied tizzy over something that they would have not thought about for 2 seconds irl. I don't know if you call it mass hysteria or mass outrage or what but its like one group just feeds off another. Without youtube, it is very possible that the kids could have done the routine and not one person ever been upset about it.

BTW, many people have the same negative connatations about cheer because of their "skimpy" uniforms and their "sexual" moves.

How can someone get upset about something they've never seen? I did not know this kind of thing existed in dance competitions until now. I guess that you're implying that we're just forum sheeple, ready to tsk, tsk and wag our fingers to fit in?? I assure you that is not the case.

I have the same problem w/ cheering. I have noticed over the last few years that the cheerleaders' uniforms at my beloved alma mater are getting tinier and tinier. It makes me cringe every time I see them. Sometimes less is not more, sometimes less is just tacky.

I also notice that you didn't elaborate on your complete separation of "dance moves" and "sexual moves", which was the main point of my original reply.

 

[Lauralee]

Those two parents who were interviewed on GMA didn't support their side of the story well, did they?

Yea, maybe their little girls didn't watch the Beyonce video, but I would bet their dance coaches did. Do we really think the girls choreographed their own routine?

Yea, right, they didn't expect their little girls' dance performance at the "largest US urban dance competition" WOD to NOT end up on YouTube? They're regretting it now only because it's gone viral with so much negative feedback. That was too big of a competition to go unnoticed. Yea, they've tried to stop it the best that they can? The horse is already out of the barn fella!

 

[kidshop]

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.

Yep. It is not a 'perception' that the costume and grinding was to be seen as sexy. It was what they were after in making the choices of the song/dance/costume for 7 y/o girls. And I think it is wrong to display little girls like that.

On another note, I think TLC has a new show idea!

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

More:

I want all of you to know here and now that I do not approve of dancing. In fact, I wholeheartedly disapprove of dancing. The problem of dancing, particularly among youth, has been something our society has had to cope with for many decades. However, I feel dancing is more problematic now than ever. The problem of dancing is not just going to go away. We can either try to ignore dancing, or we can try to deal with the problem by passing laws forbidding it. For those of you who do not feel that dancing is such a big problem, then allow me to reeducate you, and if you will not be reeducated, then, God willing, I will some day be in a position of imposing a mandatory reeducation of all of you who are too permissive of dancing. Dancing is a great sin and a very horrible vice because it degrades the common morality and degrades traditional Christian values, and it encourages our young people to have sex. It also directly encourages homosexuality. Dancing is also responsible for abortions, because I am quite certain that more dancers have abortions than non-dancers. Most troublesome is the fact that when communities allow dancing, the dances become like a horrible cancer that grows and multiplies, eventually overtaking the entire community. And eventually, if left unchecked by a harsh and wise and good community Christian reverend, the dancing will turn the entire town into a cesspool of obscene gyrations and sexual perversion.

 

[perdidobay]

Call me a fuddy duddy, I think those kids are cute and talented, but IMHO those costumes are way beyond good taste for anybody but dancers in a nightclub.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

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.



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.

The excuse of these parents thinking that it wouldn't be seen by so many people makes me sick. So they think that it's ok for a few people to see it but not thousands? Give me a break!

 

[Mermaid02]

The excuse of these parents thinking that it wouldn't be seen by so many people makes me sick. So they think that it's ok for a few people to see it but not thousands? Give me a break!

 

[crashbb]

More:

Why do you keep quoting bits of some random man's speech?

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Why do you keep quoting bits of some random man's speech?

Random? Hmmm....

 

[Buckalew11]

Yep. It is not a 'perception' that the costume and grinding was to be seen as sexy. It was what they were after in making the choices of the song/dance/costume for 7 y/o girls. And I think it is wrong to display little girls like that.

On another note, I think TLC has a new show idea!

Actually, you are probably right!!!!

It'd definitely go right along with those pageant shows! Over the years I have been asked many times to do little girl's hair for pageants and my answers is always no.

 

[Deb in IA]

Hey, if that doesn't work she can always post a passive agressive post about how wonderful her own daughter is.

Unbelieveable.

 

[Mermaid02]

Unbelieveable.

Unbelievable someone would post about her daughter doing relief work in Haiti or unbelievable someone would call it passive aggressive?

 

[Ceila]

Random? Hmmm....

This thread isn't about just any kind of dancing and you know it, so knock it off. This thread is about young girls dressed and moving provocatively while dancing.

Your posts have absolutely disgusted me on this thread.

 

[Deb in IA]

Unbelieveable that someone twists a wonderful, heartwarming post into something vile and hurtful.

 

[crashbb]

This thread isn't about just any kind of dancing and you know it, so knock it off. This thread is about young girls dressed and moving provocatively while dancing.

Your posts have absolutely disgusted me on this thread.

Thank you. That was what I meant by "random".

 

[princessmom29]

No - here is nore from the blog entry:

Ok...... That guy needs to officially hop on the nut wagon because HE IS CRACKED!!!!!

Note: I am talking about the bolgger being quoted, not the poster.

 

[Mermaid02]

Unbelieveable that someone twists a wonderful, heartwarming post into something vile and hurtful.

That's what I thought- thanks for the clarification!