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The sexualization of girls is rightly on the minds of many these days as we are consistently confronted with sexy modeling shoots for young and younger girls and products like lingerie being marketed to toddlers. And although no parent would likely come running to the defense of all the rampant sexualizing that happens on Toddlers & Tiaras, one mother of a contestant is pointing the finger elsewhere: specifically The Huffington Post, TMZ.com, and The Daily Mail for sexualizing her daughter during their reporting.
Susanna Barrett, mother to Isabella Barrett, filed a $30 million lawsuit against the trio of media outlets attesting that in their coverage, these writers attributed a sexiness to the child that was not actually exhibited. NY Daily News reports:
Online articles published by the three outlets “brazenly attempt to sexualize” the girl by “claiming she was gyrating in a nightclub and singing about her sex appeal” the suit charges, when she was actually sitting down during the Jan. 9 taping at a Manhattan restaurant.
“On the contrary, it is the defendants who, through their articles, have thrust these false and vulgar characteristics on to Isabella.”
“As a result, Isabella is now perceived sexually, erotically and pornographically,” and the articles “have placed Isabella in serious physical danger, attracting the attention of others who would seek to sexualize a child.”
Little five-year-old Isabella was filmed “bouncing” about in a DJ booth before an eager crowd, singing along to the song “I’m Sexy and I Know It.” Having seen the video myself, the little girl clad in pink pageant attire is hardly “gyrating” but is completely seated during her meek sing a long. While it’s still a valid parenting question to ask why a young girl is being egged on by grownups to sing about sex appeal, TMZ appears to have gotten carried away in their summary.
Nevertheless, if you’re reporting on something as nebulous as the sexualization of children as I often do, there are always those on the other side of fence who will earnestly attest that there is nothing wrong with a 10-year-old being photographed from the ground up in a pose normally reserved for adult models. But if parents fail to recognize the subtle cultural attempts to sexualize our girls through crotchless thongs, Lolita ads, and even bikini waxes, I don’t think media outlets should be penalized for illuminating these trends to the public.
But given TMZ’s description of young Isabella, the question of who exactly is sexualizing whom clearly needs to be revisited.
(photo: abcnews.go.com)
98 days ago
[...] little girls, and she’s not going to take it anymore! In fact, she’s launched a $30 million lawsuit against the Huffington Post, TMZ, and The Daily Mailfor “brazenly” trying to sexualize her daughter, Isabella Barrett.Yeah, take that, [...]
Mom, your not a victim. You sexualized your daughter. you cannot control perception of other people; only your own actions which are despicable in my opinion.
100 days ago
[...] a world where the entertainment business often focuses on topics that you would rather avoid and keep your children away from, it’s refreshing to find heartwarming and inspiring stories about love, families and solidarity. [...]
So,she’s not to blame for putting her daughter on tv and have her dress up in front of the world then? Maybe she should sue herself…Think the show be cancelled as well as the pageants..
104 days ago
[...] we learned that a Toddlers & Tiaras mother was suing a few media outlets for sexualizing her daughter, many of us on staff had to squint to make sure that we were reading our screens correctly. While [...]
I don’t think the mother is as concerned with the sexualization of her daughter as she is about the money she can make off of over sexualizing her daughter.
Let’s see…you dress up you daughter in skimpy bathing suits and outfits, do her makeup like a 25 yr old’s, have her dance/prance around a stage and sing songs she shouldn’t even be listening to and it is the media’s fault? Get a grip mom…you did this to your daughter.
105 days ago
[...] who has filed a $30-million lawsuit against The Huffington Post, TMZ.com and The Daily Mail for sexualizing her 5-year-old daughter Isabella Barrett. As a parent and human being, I can see why Susanna is so upset. This is her [...]
That Susanna woman is such a shameless fameho. She’s been on at least 3 shows already. She will say or do anything for attention.
Apparently, she has a great rep in her hometown too.