Letters to the Editor
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Cotton Mather frowned upon dancing too
Did you know, for its day, the Minuet was considered racy because dancers actually touched?
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I was in middle school in the late 70's...
And I can remember that middle school sexual awakening is nothing new. If we'd been allowed to, that kind of performance would have happened then also. And this was small town, middle America, kids walking home from school territory. I spent my eighth grade year with a friend who became more and more visibly pregnant, then disappeared "to Grandma's house" for the summer.
The difference is that we wouldn't have been allowed to do a public performance of sexualized dancing. An adult would have stepped in and said no, not applauded. The adults often did step in and say no... from my own parents who wouldn't let me wear makeup to school, my friend's parents who wouldn't let her wear the high-heeled sandals she was dying for... they said no. Consistently. We pushed against it. Consistently.
The kids are doing what all kids have always done--push their limits. It's up to the adults to say no, that's not appropriate. It's kind of sad when they abdicate that role. I'm sure it's much easier to say yes. However, I don't plan on standing silently by when my own grade-schoolers get to middle school.
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Hey, Carol:
Do you echo this sentiment as well:
"This must all boil down to the fact that so many Americans feel there is no longer anything negative about sex in our culture and even sex and teenagers and sex and preteens (as young as ten, I guess). I just can't accept that idea!"
Since we all know that sex is always negative, particularly for women.
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Thank Heaven For Little Girls
One Man's lap dance is another mans Martha Graham retrospective.
Would we be equally upset if a young boy had risen to the stage for an angst ridden rendition of Howl?
If a young girl had read from the Vagina Monologues or simply something by Tennessee Williams would be offended?
Young women like young men are fascinated by sex and sexuality. And will find a way to express it.
Parents wisely know or at least should know the difference between playful exploration and dangerous exploitation.
It would strike me the syncopated movements of these girls, even if in short skirts and heels are meant as a demonstration of the movements of modern dance. That we see sex or sexuality in the performance does not imply either submission or exploitation of the girls themselves, any more than the reading of a pornographic poem would.
In truth I would wager dimes to doughnuts that whatever the original writer witnessed it was viewed through the prism of their own hang ups about current society.
If you feel sexualized women (as opposed to the sexualized men we are used to) in music are detrimental to women in general, you are likely to imagine that any young person replicating that fashion are likewise being demeaned.
Ask yourself this if these were boys dancing sexually, or more likely with simulated violent movements as is common in male dance moves would we be as offended?
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God, I sound like a curmudgeon.
At the risk of sounding like my grandfather, what are parents thinking today? Sure, when I was 13, I would have loved to spackle my face in makeup and dress like a whore. Luckily, my parents (who are actually fairly liberal) had brains and would have marched me straight to the bathroom to wash my face.
Girls have all their lives to be adults. They are kids for such a short time. I'm glad I was allowed to just be a kid in junior high, reading, riding my bike, hanging out with friends, and not trying to look like a dime-store hooker.
Articles like these make me glad I have a son. I'd hate to be the hardass who refused to let my daughter dress like Britney Spears. Today it's a midriff-baring shirt. Tomorrow it's flashing your panty-less crotch as you step out of mom's SUV. Oy vey.
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i agree
with the people who feel that today's young teens are "over-sexualized."
And I'm from the MTV generation for heavens sakes.
My parents, too, said no to any outfit that made me resemble a hooker. Of course, compared to the ensembles that today's young uns' wear, the adolescents of the 80's and 90's were wearing burkas. Look at the outfits the "popular" teens wore in movies and TV back then compared to now. Definitely more conservative.
Now I'm in my 30's and I can wear whatever I want. And guess what. I can still fit into the hip store's clothing with "Hottie Grrl" and "Piece of Tail" blazoned across the chest an dthe rear that are sold in "adult" stores. My younger cohorts wear them to the office regularly. But somehow, I can't bring myself to. I guess I just wouldn't feel like an adult.
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Sunshine
I'm surprised no one, in this discussion, has noted the recent arthouse take on childhood sexualization - 2006's "Little Miss Sunshine". The film centers around a family's trip to drive their pre-pubescent daughter to a child beauty pageant. Horrifically enough, even girls younger than middle schoolers are mimicking the libido firing moves of much older, and completely objectified, women as part of the competition. The family, not having been to one of these before, is incredulous. Endearingly enough it is the uncle and brother, more than the mother and father, who want to preserve the joy and innocence of childhood in the little girl and remove her from the pageant. I'll warn you I'm going to spoil the ending next. The girl goes into her dance number, which also unknown to the family, is a neon-light, creepy guy, hoop-earning kind of stripclub striptease, complete with crawling provocatively while "growling". The pay-off is that the crowd, after having watched countless other daughters tramp and vamp in perfect imitation of the vapid world of beauty pageants, is horrified. People are walking out, except the obvious pedophile in attendance, who is applauding. They have every right to be horrified, it was absolutely despicable. What they can't see, however, is that it is just an extension of everything they have been doing with their own children. The difference between their pageant and a lapdance is just a matter of degree. The brilliant part is that the family doesn't stop the daughter, they get up on stage with her to dance. The girl has shown the crowd the face in the mirror and the family has thumbed their noses at them.
As a last note, I noticed everyone makes comparisons to other types of dancing that were considered risque in their time. I have a feeling that many parents in attendence at the middle-school talent show were also disgusted. Nothing is worse these days, however, than being seen as old-fashioned, a prude or, worst of all, discouraging to the incipient talents, sensibilities and personalities of young people. It could be their political-correctness paralyzed them into a damned-if-you-do damned-if-you-don't situation. At least I hope so.