by I have said in the past that I don’t care for reality television but there are certainly some areas of reality television that are far more creepy than others. Specifically, I am referring to shows like Toddlers and Tiaras — a show that blatantly degrades extremely young girls and sexualizes them in every way possible.
They are dressed like prostitutes and gyrate their hips to sexually charged music. You would think that this means that surely the parents of the children on the show are aware, at least to some extent, of what they are doing to their children. Not so for mother Susanna Barrett, who sued media organizations because she claims that they sexualized her daughter.
Barrett claims that after a video of her little girl singing LMFAO’s “I’m Sexy and I Know It” at a night spot surfaced, several media outlets tried to turn the non-sexual performance into something inappropriate, and she’s suing mad.
Let us break this down to its basic components. First there is the fact that young Barrett is wearing clothing that is completely inappropriate for a child of her age. It does not matter if she is sitting still while singing or gyrating her hips as some media outlets reported — there are appropriate activities for children and inappropriate activities and this most certainly falls under the inappropriate area.
Really, Mrs. Barrett? You’re really trying to say that your daughter singing a song called “I’m Sexy and I Know It” is not inherently sexual? The name of the song is calling attention to the sexual appeal of the person singing it — how could it not? Let us look at some of the words that young Ms. Barrett sang that evening.
When I walk in the spot, this is what I see
Everybody stops and they starin’ at me
I got a passion in my pants and I ain’t afraid to show it, show it, show it, show it…I’m sexy and I know it
I’m sexy and I know it
There is no such thing as coincidence. Mother Barret, like every single other person exploiting their children for money through the disgusting Toddlers & Tiaras program as well as the many children being paraded in outfits smaller than their price tags on stages all across America, knows exactly the extent to which she is and has sexualized her child. How is it possible that we live in a country in which there is a big outrage over a middle finger but little girls being dressed like biker women is not only acceptable but gets high ratings regularly on cable television?
What fascinates me most about these infant and child beauty pageants is that they so heavily rely on Southern families for their competitors. California, the Midwest and the East Coast don’t seem to put as much value on sexualizing their young female children in these contests. It’s an amazing thing to ponder.
Amazing indeed, David. I wonder if money matters are harder in the South.