Katy Perry Has No Place Marketing Herself To Young Girls

This weekend, I took my four-year-old little girl to see Madagascar 3, much like millions of other parents out there. And as we patiently waited for our movie to start, we got to see previews for other child-centered movies like the new Ice Age addition or Disney Pixar’s upcoming Brave. Oh and there was another notable one smushed in there, Katy Perry‘s new concert experience movie.

As my daughter giggled at the girl with the blue hair who looked and acted like the kids from The Fresh Beat Band, I sat confused why Perry’s movie would be targeted at an obviously younger crowd. I suppose kids are the only ones who would be dumb enough to see a pop star’s concert footage in a movie theater. But really, Perry’s lyrics are in no way appropriate for young kids. Seriously, think back to the catchy song “Last Friday Night.” It rhapsodizes getting black-out drunk, shrugging off arrest warrants and having a menage-a-trois that you can’t remember. Sure it makes for a catchy tune but I’m not sure it’s a subject matter that I want my young child singing about.

I’m not saying that Katy Perry doesn’t have the right to sing about whatever the hell she wants. Of course she does. I don’t think that this random woman needs to be a role model for my daughter. That’s not her job. However, when she starts advertising to young children and her message is anything but kid-friendly, I think that’s a problem parents should talk about.

And if you need a visual to prove that Perry is trying to appeal to a younger demographic, the wonderful ladies of Jezebel caught a disturbing one at last night’s MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto. Perry hit the red carpet with a group of young girls all dressed up in Perry-look-alike costumes. This, of course, included a young girl with a cupcake bra. As Dodai Stewart brilliantly explains, “It’s not okay. It’s one thing for a grown woman to cover sexualized areas with edible treats, announcing (however playfully) that her body is quite literally for consumption. But to transfer that message onto the body of a child is revolting.”

Katy Perry is not a children’s artist. Teenagers? Fine. Teens are old enough to draw their own conclusions about this type of behavior. They’re old enough to understand sexual innuendo and whether it’s always appropriate it or not. But children? The kind who are still seeing cartoons and believing every word you tell them? Absolutely not. It’s not appropriate. And the fact that Perry is schilling to them just to help out ticket sales for her crappy concert movie is horrible.

(Photo: Jezebel)