Oversexualization of Women: When do we draw the line?

Foremost, the video below highlights the struggles of being a dad in the 21st century when purchasing pieces of clothes for his daughter. Vaughn goes over how clothes for girls, specifically his newborn daughter, are often impractical, tight, and lacking gender-neutral qualities. At one point, Vaughn states, “Why can't I just find a one-piece bathing suit for my daughter?” I firmly believe that females are targeted at a young age to be sexualized in form-fitting and impractical clothing. Vaughn even goes so far as to say he found a onesie that states, “Sorry boys, dad says no dating.” This brings the infinite question of why children’s clothes are not just one section. Why is there a boy and girl section for infant clothing? All infants tend to be in the same size clothes, but girl clothing has no pockets and is form-fitting. Vaughn even explained that he believes that girls' clothing is not meant to be durable or practical because, at a young age, girls’ bodies are to be displayed, and he goes on to mention how he doesn't want that for his daughter at any point. Vaughn goes on to say how his wife Kelly and him dress their infant daughter in boys' clothes because it is more practical, but they often will get asked if their daughter is a boy. When Vaughn and his wife tell people their child is a girl, people get upset that she is not in overwhelmingly pink and sparkly clothing. How about we glance at one of America’s most popular shows: Toddlers and Tiaras, a 9-season show on TLC that consists of pageant moms and their daughters running against other toddlers for trophies and potential prizes consisting of money. Foremost, let’s make this clear, any parent has the freedom to do what they think is just with their child, but let me ask this, when is it too far? When does society draw the line on oversexualizing young children? Toddlers and Tiaras caught heaps of backlash from their fans about the over-sexualization of children and vast amounts of makeup making children look like adult women. Moms will do anything in Toddlers and Tiaras to help their child win. That includes waxing, hair extensions, thick spray tans, all kinds of makeup, and fake nails. As seen in the second video, one mother went as far as to get her daughter’s eyebrows waxed; however, the wax was so hot that the wax ripped off her skin. She adds that it scared her daughter but still had her daughter get her eyebrows waxed again. Likewise, my question is, how much is too much for toddlers to go through in competitive and tedious pageants? Should pageants have an age limit to ensure children's safety and mental well-being?







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