What an incredible Trifecta of Tarts hit the media outlets recently!
In first place is the 7 year old “Single Ladies” video of a hip hop dance contest for tender tots which shows them popping and grinding with their best Beyonce impersonation, and clad in Victoria Secret-like underwear.
Coming in second is the HOrrific Miley Cyrus video showing the 17 year old lap dancing and gyrating on a 40 year old man at a Calabasa’s club dressed in the signature coastal town's standardized outfit of short shots and UGGly boots. (Whoa! This sentence alone is so charged with inappropriate conduct it needs an extra reading lap to grasp the extent of this teenager's unsuitable behavior)
Coming in last place is the 24 year old freshly crowned Miss U.S.A., Rima Fakih, who can now add pole dancing to her assortment of talents which secured her first place finish in the recent pageant. On the other hand, Fakih could be considered an exception in this race because she is an adult and makes her own decisions.
(As far as I can tell, all three of these events came in on a blanket finish in my books)
But. Who is responsible for these outrageous public displays of underage indecency?
Once again Hollywood has a far reaching influence and is even affecting the adults in charge of their young, blinding them from the ability to clearly mark a path of modesty for their kids. The part the entertainment industry plays in inspiring and shaping what our celebrity-driven society considers success is evident by what the young striving Britney Spears or Beyonce wannabes will be put through to rise through the ranks.
But wait. This is far too easy an excuse and explanation for these dreadful sexually charged exhibits now covering the entire spectrum of ages; from tots, to teens to adults Hollywood sets the (low) standard our youth is falling in line to chase. Bearing in on the race are the adult guardians of the glittery track who could put a stop to it. Like trainers leading a horse to water, parents are responsible for pulling on their offspring’s reigns.
Why, then, does it seem they've let go too soon? Have they pimped out their kids influenced by greed and fame?
Such is the standard our celebrity-inspired culture understands is the measure of a person's success; fame, fortune, or even 15 minutes of infamy are a fair trade off to secure a place under the spotlight.
Don't get me wrong, I fully understand the need innate performers have to get on stage and give it their all. I am always in awe of the amount of talent out there — even the little “Single Ladies” dancers 'killed it' on stage — but at what cost?
There are some out there who think there is nothing wrong with these three scenarios, and that it's all in good fun. I would tend to agree if the choices to get on the world wide web shaking and shimmying undeveloped boobs and behinds were their own, but they are not.
It's the parents pushing their little innocent girls to become over sexualized much too soon — and then the same ones who turn around and are offended when some creep comes stalking them online or, God forbid, walking home from school alone.
In the case of the 7 year old dancers, there were several adults who could have stopped and said, Hey, don’t these fresh-out-of-diapers kids look ridiculous in those bras and panties? I mean, they don’t even fill them out properly. Or, they could have simply noted that the pelvic thrusts were looking a little too awkward on their emergent daughters.
Nope. Instead the girls' instructors and their parents were too busy egging them on to perfect the choreography which they think is the way to make it big — and, ironically they probably did make it in a big way.
Are the adults surrounding these children wearing blinkers?
I wouldn't be surprised to see the little dancers appear on a host of talk shows or some other late night television programs as the latest celebrated act they have to get in on before the competing network gets a hold of them.
Who will be first?
Cyrus’ behavior is not surprising anymore and not worth examining in detail. It would be great if she would just grow up already so we would not have to hear her father (Hill) Billy Cyrus keep justifying her moves as “just having fun.”
As for Miss U.S.A., our newest hand-picked role model for our budding adolescent ladies, I’m sure the pole slinking and sliding contestant was also just having fun. But the judges, and America, didn't know it wasn't the good, clean, all-American fun we associate with a beauty queen's legacy.
What has happened to behaving and dressing your age?
Actually, where’s Simon Cowel when you need him to tell these girls to dress their age like he told then 16 year old American Idol contestant Katie Stevens when her outfit seemed too old for her?
“Your outfit should match your age. You’re only 16 once…”
For once, I wholeheartedly agree with this judge's call.
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