When I grow up, I want to be a pole dancer!
There seems to be some controversy about the authenticity of this picture, the existence of this toy or its availability in the U.S. but either way, what are toy manufacturers thinking when producing pole-dancing dolls for kids?
Is it really for kids? Well, what I can say is that it looks very different than the infamous USB Pole Dancer (video) advertised as “your own personal stripper on your desktop” that you can plug in to your iPod. What we are really looking at here is the continuation of a couple of patterns that have been in existence for quite some time: the early sexualization of children and the objectification of women.
Early Sexualization
Children, tweens and teenagers are sporting more and more “bling bling” these days. 7 year-olds wearing short t-shirts with, “flirt” written across their chest. 15 year-olds wearing shorts with the word, “tasty” written on their bottoms.
What about the music on their iPods? Take a look at this…
“So blow me bit** I don’t rock for cancer. I rock for the cash and the topless dancers”
(Kid Rock, F*uck off,” 1998).
“Dont cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me
Dont cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me…
Dont cha wish your girlfriend was raw like me
Dont cha wish your girlfriend was fun like me”
(Pussycat Dolls, 2005).
What you gon’ do with all that junk?
All that junk inside that trunk?
I’ma get, get, get, get, you drunk,
Get you love drunk off my hump.
What you gon’ do with all that a**?
All that a** inside them jeans?
I’m a make, make, make, make you scream
Make you scream, make you scream.
(Black Eyed Peas, 2005).
As part of a recent study of the effects of listening to popular music on sexual behavior (Martino et al.,2006), researchers coded the content of 164 songs from 16 artists popular with teens. Overall, 15% of songs contained sexually degrading lyrics. Most of these lyrics were concentrated within the work of rap and R&B artists; as many as 70% of individual artists’songs included degrading sexual content. (1)
By the way, did you happen to catch Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana) at the most recent Teen Choice Awards doing her controversial pole-assisted gyrations.
Objectification of Women
Sexual objectification of women include displaying bodies in provocative and revealing clothing that emphasizes body parts, erotic facial expressions and overall sexual readiness. In an article entitled, “Sexism on MTV: The portrayal of women in rock videos,” R.C. Vincent, Davis, and Boruskowski (1987) found that 57% of the [music] videos featured a woman portrayed exclusively as a decorative sexual object. (2)
America’s adolescent girls are in crisis. Growing up in a female body is more difficult today than ever before because girls’ bodies have changed and so has American society. Menstruation and sexual activity begin much earlier and there is also much greater emphasis on the body as a way of defining the self. source: http://www.thebodyproject.com/book.mgi
So maybe you’re okay with Beyonce’s Dereon Girls clothing line and ads depicting young girls in high heels. That’s your prerogative as a parent. But there is something to be said about the controversy surrounding this ad and the idea of speeding up childhood by dressing up six year olds like sixteen year-olds.
According to the American Psychological Association, “The proliferation of sexualized images of girls and young women in advertising, merchandising, and media is harming girls’ self-image and healthy development.” (3)
Check out the APA Task Force Report on the Sexualization of Girls.
Copyright © 2009. Cesar G. Gamez, MA., All Rights Reserved.
References
(1) Martino,S.M.,Collins,R.L.,Elliott,M.N.,Strachman,A., Kanouse,D.E.,& Berry,S.H.(2006). Exposure to degrading and nondegrading music lyrics and sexual behavior among youth. Pediatrics, 118, 430-441.
(2) Vincent,R.C., Davis, D.K., & Boruszkowski,L.A.(1987). Sexism on MTV: The portrayal of women in rock videos. Journalism Quarterly, 64, 750-755.
(3) http://www.apa.org/pi/wpo/sexualization.html
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Good stuff Cesar. I’m so glad that I don’t have girls, all boys here for me.
It makes me crazy that I have to specifically seek out appropriate clothing for my daughters. They are tall girls who are in sizes marketed as “tweens” and sometimes I have trouble finding clothes that make them look like little girls instead of tramps.
Children are only children once; they’ll be grown-ups for the rest of their lives. Allow them to be children while they ARE children! They’ll be grown soon enough! Telling them, “You need to grow up” is just about as bad in my book.
Sorry. That just pushed my “rant” button.
…and Miley! What is that girl thinking? The ultra short/tight shorts, the POLE!!! Does she WANT to be another Brittney? I was hoping she was gonna keep it clean. I guess another teen queen bites the dust.
I am one of the fan of Miley. I also watch her TV show everyday. This video is also rocking. I don’t feel anything wrong about it.