As someone who comes from the generation that gave the world Britney Spears, Skins and sexting, I consider myself virtually shock-proof. But the series of photos that have recently streamed out of France certainly grabbed my attention. Hot on the heels of 10-year-old Thylane Loubry-Blondeau’s spread in Vogue Paris, French lingerie designer Sophie Morin has raised even more eyebrows with an ad campaign that shows bra-and-panty-clad pre-pubescent girls striking adult-like poses. And get this: The range of loungewear targets sex kittens between the ages of four and 12.
Perhaps the intent was to be provocative and to generate some sort of buzz, but the shoots have sparked online debates about the sexualization of children. The consensus is that the Vogue editorial and the lingerie collection are creepy, disturbing and inappropriate. (That said, how does one motivate an underage model to project a Jon Benet Ramsey vibe? Do you show images of the murdered kiddie beauty queen? More crucial: why?) Somewhere, while taking a break from watching TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras, Pedobear is drooling at these snapshots and touching himself…there.
Kids Selling Grown-Up Fashion
Continuing its tradition of recruiting Hollywood ingenues for its advertisements, Miu Miu has handpicked Hailee Steinfeld to star in the label’s autumn/winter collection. In a similar move, Marc by Marc Jacobs, another diffusion line, has chosen 13-year-old Elle Fanning to be its latest celebrity spokesmodel. (17-year-old Dakota, Elle’s older sister, appeared in a Marc Jacobs campaign in 2007 when she was just 14 and is now the face of the designer’s Oh Lola fragrance.)
While it is clear that the two starlets have not been made to look older than they are in their respective campaigns – Miu Miu by Bruce Weber, Marc by Marc Jacobs by Juergen Teller – both labels have been criticized for using teens to sell designer fashion to grown women. Actresses Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kirsten Dunst and Katie Holmes have all represented Miu Miu at one point or another, and it was a perfect fit each time as they were already in their 20s. But Hailee, praised for her turn alongside Jeff Bridges in last year’s True Grit, is the youngest to be courted by Miuccia Prada. Elle, meanwhile, is also set to appear in a short film for Rodarte, presumably modeling the Mulleavy sisters’ latest collection.
From Child To Adult
In 2010, Kendall Jenner created a bit of a stir when, then 14, she posed for a White Sands bikini shoot. Whether it was merely another publicity stunt cooked up by her savvy mother Kris, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians sibling appeared mature in addressing the controversy. “Going into this shoot, it was never my intention to be provocative or too racy. It was a beach shoot, and I was wearing beachwear. I am happy with my age, and am not trying to rush into anything too soon.” Now the Wilhemina model is making older sister Kim proud once more by appearing in Australian swimwear designer Leah Madden’s Summer 2012 campaign. Fine, it’s the beach – and people really do wear bikinis there last I checked – but whatever happened to wanting to become a Disney princess?
Speaking of Disney and older sisters, 18-year-old Miley Cyrus seems to be having more trouble transitioning from child star to mature performer than she had hoped. First she danced around a stripper pole during a Teen Choice Awards performance, then came a skin-baring Vanity Fair feature, an older boyfriend, nine tattoos and photos of her smoking from a salvia-filled bong. (Noah, her nine-year-old sister, seems to look up to her. She is said to have promoted a lingerie line aimed at kids whose parents want them to look like cute little whores. A stripper pole – here we go again – figures prominently in the shots, too.)
Good Girl Gone Bad
Anyone conscious in the last two years can testify that Miley’s push to portray herself as anything but Hannah Montana has been aggressive, from the racy outfits to her message-laden Can’t Be Tamed video. As Fox News put it, “As she tossed her good-girl image in favor of a sexy bad girl, her album and box office sales suggest she also tossed away much of her fan base.” (The general public just isn’t ready for that jelly, Miley.)
Bottom line: I guess no matter how forward-thinking we think we are, we still want kids to act like kids. It doesn’t matter if it’s a toddler in heels or a tween idol going through an image crisis – trying too hard to be sexy is not sexy and is, in fact, quite sad.
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