Information

[Flasher]

Anyone see this story? What are your thoughts?

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/weird/ ... s-internet

One thing I try so very hard to do is never judge another parent. Every parent has a different parenting style and every child is different. Therefore I try very, very hard to not make a judgment unless it involves something dangerous or unsafe.

That being said I cannot believe that the parents of these girls thought this was OK. I could not believe the moves these girls were doing. I could not believe the costumes. I couldn't believe any of it. I'm in no way a prude, but this, to me, is disgusting.

Why is every aspect of society in such a hurry to sexualize our little girls? Even if they don't know it's sexual in nature, the viewers know.

[PezKat]

Wow. I totally agree; it's not there aren't enough other dance moves for them to be competitive, & 7 or 8 is just too young for some of that.

[letumom]

Good Morning America had a story about this today. The parents were asked very specific questions about their costumes, the routine, the "exploitation" angle, etc.

Per the parents - the routine was nothing different than what was presented by other groups during the competition, similarly to the costumes. In fact the father said he doesn't see anything different about the costumes than what is showing up at the local pool which is generally a much more public area. They kept saying that they did not expect the video of the routine to be uploaded and to go viral as it did. The routine/costumes/etc was meant to be private to the group, and that everything needs to be kept in "context" with the situation of the competition.

Just sharing what I heard this am.

[Flasher]

Oh, I agree that the costumes were nothing different than what girls where out and about now. No argument there.


Even if the video was never intended for public view, what about the audience? To have men watching little girls move like that . . . disturbing to me.

[scrappie_stacie]

Hmmmmm... I can't see the video. It says its unavailable due to a copyright claim.

[letumom]

Oh, I agree that the costumes were nothing different than what girls where out and about now. No argument there.


Even if the video was never intended for public view, what about the audience? To have men watching little girls move like that . . . disturbing to me.

Yeah that was one of the comments made by the parents. The group is trying to have it pulled from the internet for that very reason, but not having much success.

[meteechtap]

I actually "shared " this on my fb page! My response as a dance teacher was that the girls are exceptional dancers, very talented! However that song and those paticular costumes are not appropriate for seven! I do like the song and in a more covering costume it might have been more acceptable. There would have to have been a few changes in choerography too!

[JDs Mom]

Is it any wonder? We so undervalue women in our world--from China, where girl babies are routinely left for dead or here in the US, where we, as women, still in 2010 earn considerably less than men for the exact same job. I was sitting at lunch today, minding my own business, surfing the web (bless Culver's for free Wi-Fi) and a group of middle-age guys came in and sat near me. They were from out of state and were talking some kind of business. Then they started talking about a guy they knew who owed a big car dealership apparently where they were from, and long story short, this guy got busted for having sex with a 16 year old. They were pretty nonchalant with it until one of them said, no, it wasn't a girl, it was a boy that the adult had sex with. Oh,,,that made it a different story! Now he's a perv of major proportions in their eyes. You could hear the whole tone of the discussion turn on a dime. I came sooo close to saying, and what if it were YOUR 16 year old daughter that he had sex with, Fellas, still think that's not "AS BAD" now as a boy being the victim? I was so furious I had to leave before I started screaming at them like a madwoman. Apparently this video is even too bad for YouTube--I tried to find it and none of the posts of the video were working. Just looking at the photos, though, made me what to puke. Wonder what Beyonce thinks of the controversy?

[PezKat]

That video is no longer available but there's a link to another one w/some of the same girls the previous year.

As for the costumes, wearing bikini swim suits is another thing; doing those kind of dance movements *in* them is a completely different thing, IMO.

[Retiree3]

Hmmmmm... I can't see the video. It says its unavailable due to a copyright claim.

Same thing happen to me when I went to see it. It's probably better that I didn't see it.

[immom2anc]

My husband and I actually viewed this on YouTube last week, and it left a bad taste in my mouth then. But on top of that, I went searching for it again to show my sister since I was discussing how my daughters would never participate in a dance competition that allows such outfits, and couldn't find the video. 2 days later it was reposted with a different song stating copyright concerns. So not only did someone post this online once, but they went back & re-posted it. Of course the parents didn't mean for this to be out on the web, but in this day and age, you have to expect that someone will post anything online. Whether through facebook or youtube, most of our children are online in some form or another whether we know it or not. As a parent, I wouldn't allow my daughters to dress like that, let alone do some of those moves to that particular song. It was poor choices all around. Here's the CNN video link so you can at least see part of the vid if its not showing anywhere else.

[MLee]

Carol said it all for me and probably a lot nicer than I would have said it.

[aceason]

Being that I have a daughter in dance I tried to keep an open mind when I heard about this but thought the dance style and the outfits were definitely not age appropriate. No argument that these girls are very dedicated and talented but why not let that talent speak for itself rather than putting them in provacative outfits with risque moves. Girls grow up so fast anyway, let them be innocent as long as possible.

[grirosa]

I just ask myself, how many pedophiles enjoyed this?!?!?!

[AlwaysHappy]

I saw the video on the news today and my mouth just fell open. First of all, the little girls are talented dancers and I'm sure they worked very hard to learn the routine, but with that being said, the routine is certainly not age appropriate. Don't even get me started on the costumes. They looked like street walkers clothes. I don't know what the adult who designed the costumes was thinking. Evidentally he/she wasn't thinking. They said on the news that the video is attracting internet pedifiles and that just makes me sick. What is really sad, those little girls probably had no idea that the dance routine/costumes would cause so much conflict. They are the innocent victims of society gone wrong and the adults are to blame. Now these poor children have their faces and bodies exploited for the whole world to see. I can only imagine how they will be treated by their classmates and probably even other parents. So sad that a bad decision on the part of adults may have tainted the lives of the little girls.

[killarney_rose]

Is it any wonder? We so undervalue women in our world--from China, where girl babies are routinely left for dead or here in the US, where we, as women, still in 2010 earn considerably less than men for the exact same job. I was sitting at lunch today, minding my own business, surfing the web (bless Culver's for free Wi-Fi) and a group of middle-age guys came in and sat near me. They were from out of state and were talking some kind of business. Then they started talking about a guy they knew who owed a big car dealership apparently where they were from, and long story short, this guy got busted for having sex with a 16 year old. They were pretty nonchalant with it until one of them said, no, it wasn't a girl, it was a boy that the adult had sex with. Oh,,,that made it a different story! Now he's a perv of major proportions in their eyes. You could hear the whole tone of the discussion turn on a dime. I came sooo close to saying, and what if it were YOUR 16 year old daughter that he had sex with, Fellas, still think that's not "AS BAD" now as a boy being the victim? I was so furious I had to leave before I started screaming at them like a madwoman. Apparently this video is even too bad for YouTube--I tried to find it and none of the posts of the video were working. Just looking at the photos, though, made me what to puke. Wonder what Beyonce thinks of the controversy?

Carol, I could not have said it better!!! Yet, if I heard a group of men talking that way, I would have said something to them. Maybe it is because after working in a male prison for seven years I have no respect for men any more. Place a really upstanding man in a prison and he will behave like the rest of those idiots.

[1grandma]

This was so disturbing! Why do we do things like this to our children? I know that not everyone is as straight-laced as I am, but this is going way to far. And then we wonder why the kids have so many problems. How are they suppose to learn what is right and wrong when the parents and other adults have no clue. If we allow someone to do something tht we feel is alright, but on the edge, then you can bet that when that person grows up, they will take it farther. You know the slipper slope? It is a downhill ride! What is next for them. Pole dancing lessons? Isn't that what those moves are for? I can go on and on, but .....................

[LyndaKay]

One of the mothers said they "weren't performing this for a world wide audience". Does that make it any better? It's OK to dress & dance provocatively for parents, family and friends, but yet they don't want the rest of the world to see it because.........why? It's meant to be private because...... why? Too risque? The rest of us would think poorly of the parents? What were the adults involved thinking? I don't care if "everyone else had similar dance routines". Too much too soon.

[anazelia]

I saw this yesterday on the news. First off, I agree that I try not to judge other parents. But this is just not right. Perhaps if they were wearing a different costume, had less make up on or something the dancing itself would have been more acceptable. OR if they had on the same costume with a more tame dance, etc. But the whole thing together was far to sexualized, IMO, for 8 year old.

[Jenn Kellams]

I know I will get slammed here I am sure, but I don't really find it that wrong. They are wearing nothing less than what kids wear to the beach. Bikini's cover less so the costume is completely tasteful to me. I think its cute. It is a COSTUME. As far as the dancing, its kind of like acting. You do it on stage and you live a normal life off the stage. I as well as my sister used to be a dancer (many moons ago). As far as pervs looking at the video and getting off on it (which is what a lot of people have commented to....on You Tube and stuff), you can't help what others do. If we all lived our lives afraid of what other people might do, see, think, or hear we would all be in trouble. Reality is, this is how people dance these days.