No wonder our girls today are growing up too fast and struggling with body image issues.

When you see this:

 

And this:

This Vogue spread was entitled “Cadeaux” (gifts in French).  One of the pages is titled “Beaute” – beauty under 10 years old?

Ok, it’s Vogue – a high fashion, artistic magazine. But this issue (December) featured girls in heavy make-up, high heels, red fingernails and looking way too sensual for their age. Sexuality oozes inappropriately in this spread.

This 15-page spread was crossing the line – portraying girls in this way is dangerous and plain wrong.

I also feel the same way about TLC’s Toddlers and Tiaras. We know beauty pageants exist but why do stage mothers push their children to grow up way before their time?

On a recent episode, a pageant mother forced her terrified five-year-old daughter to get her eyebrows waxed.  She continued to have it done even though the little girl was clearly upset from once having her skin ripped off.

Dressing up girls in women’s clothing and make-up simply sexualizes our youth – which in turn harms our girls (and boys) and today’s society.

Too much emphasis is put on beauty and sexuality which leads girls to develop shame and fear regarding their own bodies.  This, of course, can lead to poor body image, eating disorders, anxiety and depression.

Unfortunately, magazines and television networks keep pushing the envelope – for ratings and subscription sales… bottom line, for money.

By the way, Carine Roitfeld, the editor-in-chief of Vogue in France, is no longer in that role… she stepped down, stating that she tried to do “something every month that is… not politically correct.”

Author

Maria Lianos-Carbone is the author of “Oh Baby! A Mom’s Self-Care Survival Guide for the First Year”, and publisher of amotherworld.com, a leading lifestyle blog for women.

4 Comments

  1. YUCK.

    Those pictures are ridiculous..fashion magazine or not..just not ok, Not with the issues so many young girls are dealing with today.

    I saw the show you’re talking about it and was insane! Teaching YOUNG girls that they aren’t pretty unless they are in full (fake) hair and makeup is incredibly sad. These mothers obviously have their own issues and instead of dealing with them are just passing them on to their children. I WISH I could have some “Fit vs Fiction” time with them! :o)

  2. Awful. The clip of the little girl in the chair is really disturbing. This is so not okay. As it has been said many times before, you have to get a licence to get a dog, but you can pretty much do what you want to your kid. Not cool.

  3. Parents who allow their children to partake in activities like this magazine spread, Toddlers and Tiaras and all that need to be psychologically assessed themselves. Seriously does it sound logical to WAX your child? Does it sound logical to force your kid to look and act 10 years older than what they are? Is it logical to make your child feel inadequate in her mothers eyes for a few bucks? According to these ignorant people it does. Funny how child services will jump on a decent family for nothing but let these idiots keep raising kids let alone birth them. Disgusting. I don’t buy fashion magazines nor do we watch any of that garbage at home on tv. No thanks.

    • Maria @amotherworld Reply

      It seems our society is just pushing our kids to have to grow up sooner. Sad. Let kids be kids – the childhood years are so precious and too short.

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