France moves to ban child beauty pageants

[JulesMaximus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24145119

Parliament in France has moved to ban child beauty pageants on the grounds that they promote the "hyper-sexualisation" of minors.

The Senate adopted the bill by 196 votes to 146 on Tuesday evening. It must now be passed by the National Assembly, before becoming law.

Organisers of such pageants may face a jail term of up to two years and a fine of 30,000 euros (£25,000; $40,000).

The measure was prompted by a row over a photo shoot in Vogue magazine.
The photos published in December 2010 showed a girl of 10 with two others, all three in heavy make-up and wearing tight dresses, high heels and expensive jewellery.

Vogue defended the pictures, saying they merely portrayed a common fantasy among young girls - to dress like their mother.

Parliament heard a report entitled Against Hyper-Sexualisation: A New Fight For Equality, which called for the ban on beauty competitions for the under-16s. It also recommended other measures, not included in the bill, including a ban on child-size adult clothing such as padded bras and high-heeled shoes.

"Let us not make our girls believe from a very young age that their worth is only judged by their appearance," said the author of the report, former Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno.

I think this is a good idea. We need this law passed in the U.S. if for no other reason than to put an end to shows like Honey Boo Boo.

 

[hal2kilo]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24145119



I think this is a good idea. We need this law passed in the U.S. if for no other reason than to put an end to shows like Honey Boo Boo.[/QUout]


:thumbsup:

 

[nehalem256]

"Let us not make our girls believe from a very young age that their worth is only judged by their appearance," said the author of the report, former Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno.

Looks to me like this has nothing to do with "hyper-sexualization" and everything to do with promoting feminist values. Girls wanting to look pretty, we certainly can't have that.

Also, not sure what Honey Boo Boo has to do with "hyper-sexualization"

 

[Retro Rob]

Children should enjoy their childhood -- good for them if it becomes law!

It's really the parents forcing this on the child as well, I don't think a 10 year old is worried about a career.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Looks to me like this has nothing to do with "hyper-sexualization" and everything to do with promoting feminist values. Girls wanting to look pretty, we certainly can't have that.

Also, not sure what Honey Boo Boo has to do with "hyper-sexualization"

I don't have a problem with girls wanting to look pretty but I'd rather see children enjoying their childhood, not working to make a career out of modeling before they even enter high school.

 

[Retro Rob]

I don't have a problem with girls wanting to look pretty but I'd rather see children enjoying their childhood, not working to make a career out of modeling before they even enter high school.

I guess some of those people also ignore the fact that sexual predators and pedo's watch child pageants too...

Aside from turning young girls into narcissists, it's for their own personal protection.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I guess some of those people also ignore the fact that sexual predators and pedo's watch child pageants too...

Aside from turning young girls into narcissists, it's for their own personal protection.

:thumbsup: That too.

 

[woolfe9998]

I guess some of those people also ignore the fact that sexual predators and pedo's watch child pageants too...

Aside from turning young girls into narcissists, it's for their own personal protection.

I don't know if I agree with a legal ban, but I share your opinion of these pageants. They are all these things, and creepy as well.

 

[UglyCasanova]

I'm all for this. France has plenty of issues, but they do seem to be taking a proactive approach on women's rights. In this case, women's rights to be protected from their attention whore parents.

This and the controversial burka ban both seem to serve to protect women's dignity from forces outside their control, be it insane parents or insane spouses/religions/cultures. The approach seems heavy handed, and I'm sure they have a long way to go to be some sort of utopian society, but at least they are addressing the issues.

 

[Murloc]

I agree with this, in my country (and others too) there aren't beauty pageants for kids so this isn't an issue, but I'd certainly support a ban.

The issue is not about girls wanting to look pretty, it's about sexualization of children and about blocking insane parents from pushing this stuff on their kids. If girls want to act like the models and stuff, they can play with their friends, privately, and fantasize about that stuff. Making it an official business takes the spontaneity out of the game and is not good for their development imho. It's just not an healthy hobby.

 

[First]

Personally agree with this. The pageants are a little creepy, despite the parent's good intentions. Throw in the pedo aspect of it all and it definitely becomes a child safety issue, if not in reality definitely in the minds of many parents.

 

[Theb]

Personally agree with this. The pageants are a little creepy, despite the parent's good intentions. Throw in the pedo aspect of it all and it definitely becomes a child safety issue, if not in reality definitely in the minds of many parents.

I'm sure some of the parents probably have good intentions, but I think for some the child is just a means to an end, money or self esteem. I have no idea what the percentages would be, but I imagine child pageants are an attractive option for the latter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9_4ALl3uuI#t=45s

 

[Thebobo]

Good for them

 

[nehalem256]

Personally agree with this. The pageants are a little creepy, despite the parent's good intentions. Throw in the pedo aspect of it all and it definitely becomes a child safety issue, if not in reality definitely in the minds of many parents.

:thumbsup: That too.

I guess some of those people also ignore the fact that sexual predators and pedo's watch child pageants too...

Aside from turning young girls into narcissists, it's for their own personal protection.

Perhaps we should require young girls to wear some kind of burka. Its for their own protection

Besides which I thought the solution was just to tell pedophiles not to pedo

 

[Londo_Jowo]

The Learning Channel won't be happy if this comes to being in the US.

 

[nanette1985]

I did those pageants when I was a little girl. They were fun. It was an opportunity to dress up and hang out with other girls who enjoyed the same thing. I did them because my friend did them. My parents had nothing to do with it.

 

[Spungo]

Besides which I thought the solution was just to tell pedophiles not to pedo

Little girls can stop pedos by vomiting and peeing their pants.

I don't support this ban because those creepy pedophile parents will find some other way to mentally destroy their children. You must join ballet! Dance until your shoes fill with blood! You must be the bestest! Practice at least 4 hours per day.

 

[nehalem256]

I don't support this ban because those creepy pedophile parents will find some other way to mentally destroy their children. You must join ballet! Dance until your shoes fill with blood! You must be the bestest! Practice at least 4 hours per day.

Or start "feeling unhappy" and divorce their husbands and then shack up with a drug dealing thug.

Funny that I don't think you would get much support for banning divorce even though it is dangerous for children:

Children living in households with unrelated adults are nearly 50 times as likely to die of inflicted injuries as children living with two biological parents, according to a study of Missouri data published in the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2005.

Children living in stepfamilies or with single parents are at higher risk of physical or sexual assault than children living with two biological or adoptive parents, according to several studies co-authored by David Finkelhor, director of the University of New Hampshire's Crimes Against Children Research Center.

Girls whose parents divorce face significantly higher risk of sexual assault, whether they live with their mother or father, according to research by Robin Wilson, a family law professor at Washington and Lee University.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2290194&highlight=

 

[Atreus21]

Looks to me like this has nothing to do with "hyper-sexualization" and everything to do with promoting feminist values. Girls wanting to look pretty, we certainly can't have that.

Also, not sure what Honey Boo Boo has to do with "hyper-sexualization"

Disagree with you here. I don't smell feminist foolishness.

I smell some check against maternal narcissism. "I couldn't be a model, but I can experience it vicariously through my child if I exploit her enough."

There are some forces to which a child should not be subjected. A viewing audience is among them.

 

[Doppel]

They are utterly ridiculous but I would prefer to see them marginalized through mockery than outright bans.

If this happens in the US TLC will have a "reality" show covering the underground child pageant circuit.

 

[nehalem256]

Disagree with you here. I don't smell feminist foolishness.

I smell some check against maternal narcissism. "I couldn't be a model, but I can experience it vicariously through my child if I exploit her enough."

There are some forces to which a child should not be subjected. A viewing audience is among them.

Last sentence would appear to disagree with you.

"Let us not make our girls believe from a very young age that their worth is only judged by their appearance," said the author of the report, former Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno.

But then maybe she just has ugly children :awe:

Also note the name of the report:

Parliament heard a report entitled Against Hyper-Sexualisation: A New Fight For Equality

Sounds like typical left-wing propoganda.

 

[exdeath]

I don't know if I agree with a legal ban, but I share your opinion of these pageants. They are all these things, and creepy as well.

This.

Parents turning their poor kids into plastic dolls. Shit is just ugly to me. Kids are cuter just being themselves in their natural form and not dolled up in 50 lbs of makeup like a porcelain hooker.

Its not even about the kids, its all about the selfish parents competing against each other and making their kid the thing they wished they could be but never were.

Its disgusting.

 

[shortylickens]

Isnt that the country which provided sanctuary to Roman Polanski?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Isnt that the country which provided sanctuary to Roman Polanski?

What does that have to do with anything?

 

[nehalem256]

What does that have to do with anything?

You don't see the irony of a country that protected a child rapist complaining about the "hyper-sexualization" of children?