I'm dying. It's gone viral and everyone is talking about it. If you haven't seen this video on YouTube yet, you are living under one ginormous rock. Take a look at these little 7-9 year old girls competing in an Urban Dance Competition. These girls can dance!
Well? What did ya think? Pretty awesome, huh? Um, no - yes, but no. Ick. Wrong. On so many levels. Wrong.
Calm down friends, this controversy has been blown WAY out of proportion. A rep for the competition told PopEater earlier in the week, "There has been a great deal of controversy regarding this performance, and it has been taken out of context. It is a little sensitive now, to say the least,"
So, what is the context?
Oh yes, an urban dance competition.
Well in that case, I think we owe these people an apology!
In the context of an urban dance competition, I definitely think that you should be proud of yourselves for encouraging your pre-pubescent children to shake their bottoms and non-existent breasts while dressed in whore outfits.
Especially if the song they are shakin' their groove thang to includes telling a dude that if he had wanted to keep "dippin it" he shoulda ponied up and put a ring on her finger.... 'cause right now she's busy all up in some other dudes junk.
Before I vomit, I have to say one thing. I think these girls are spectacular dancers for their age and they are clearly having a good time. My heart is breaking for each of these girls because they've been unwillingly thrown into a massive debate over what is and isn't appropriate for little girls their age.
Sadly, while the parents are defending the song choice as influenced by "pop culture" and the costumes as free moving and line defining for the sake of art, the rest of us are arguing about whether it is or isn't a pornographic performance sexualizing little girls.
Well, if it wasn't before, it sure as heck is now.
Viral. Over two million hits on this particular YouTube video. Who is watching this video?
Every pervy child predator across the country is now turning to YouTube and keyword searching "7 year old Single Ladies" to take a peak at what everyone is calling the sexualization and exploitation of young, young, girls. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure they aren't sitting quietly with their hands folded in their laps. ick.
I tend to abide by the unspoken rule of "you screw up your kid and I'll focus on screwing up mine", but I really want to call BULL SHIT on this.
I'm not a total prude, but I am sort of dorky in a fun and slightly quirky way. My parents never idolized celebrity so I like to think that I grew up to have a good filter for reality. Unfortunately, there are parents so enamored by pop culture that they are willing to sell out their daughters and their sons. And make NO mistake about it, our sons are watching everything we do. If we allow our babies to be immersed in pop culture before they are able to emotionally or intellectually filter the images and messages that they are seeing and, in this case, sending out... who will they become?
Don't we want our girls to value themselves and their intellect, to become women that seek out relationships with men that value them as more than a place to be "dippin it"?
This song is popular because many men and women relate to it. It's real. It's just a song. It's just a dance competition. It's just a slutty outfit.
Not. In. My. House.
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15 Responses to "7 Year Old Single Ladies ~ YouTube Video Taken Out of Context?"very well written and i completely agree...
You said this so well and I completely agree!
I agree, totally inappropriate. The dancing really got to me at the end (very "stripperish") and the costumes should not have revealed so much skin. And pervs all around the world will be looking at this video. Compare the teen stars of the 80s like Debbie Gibson or Molly Ringwald. Now we have Miley Cyrus and Lindsay Lohan. We are definitely going downhill.
Absolutely. NOT IN MY HOUSE is exactly what I said yesterday. My daughter is almost seven and while I'm not exactly strict on the music that's listened to in our home - music videos are NOT on our tv's and I would never ever let my daughter dance like that or dress like that.
Unfortunately, part of what is making this video so viral are articles like this one, that are extremely well-meaning but just end up producing more publicity for the very thing they are protesting against. You did provide a link to the very video you are protesting against.
Those girls ARE amazing dancers. I have a feeling if the humping moves were removed and the outfits were a little less "1st avenue" looking, the dance STILL would have been amazing.
Here's what I want to know though...did all of the current pop stars dance like this when they were 7? Is that just the way it is for talent of this caliber? Maybe we had not idea that Britney and Christina and Beyonce were all 7 years old once and dancing just like that?
It's a shame.
Let me say, I'm so glad I don't have girls. I can't imagine having to navigate those waters or wanting to foster their love for dance in a world where dancing is gyrating.
I took dance for a few years in my pre-teen days. And our outfits may have shown some skin, but the moves we were taught were nothing like what those girls were doing.
The saddest part is the justification the parents are doing. If you're going to let pop culture influence how you raise your children... I shudder to think.
Good point anonymous! And to be honest I did actually take pause before posting it - I opted to include it because I want the moms and dads, and relatives of young girls that read my blog to see exactly what I'm talking about.
I would never have believed the response of the parents had I not seen some of the news clips. I hear women every day tell me that they don't know how they got to where they are,surprised by the situations they are in... our mission at MomActive is to empower women - we must all realize that this type of attitude towards our girls AND OUR BOYS has to change. I want parents to step up and say ... oops... how did we get here? I want them to look very closely at the tough work ahead raising our little people to be able to enjoy the fun and innocent aspects of good music etc while at the same time SHOWING them, telling them and helping them to expect more and do more for themselves.
I want more than this for my daughter and for my sons. No way, no how is this OK, and you can bet your hiney that I've lectured my boys about the difference between what they see and what is reality. Acting sexy and mature doesn't build these girls' self esteem, it tears then down and strips away their sense of self, bit by bit as they begin to see themselves through the warped glasses of the very culture that is defining them.
So yes, I'm producing more publicity and HELL YEAH we should be talking about it. And I'll talk about it and tweet about and I'll PRAY that somewhere at least one parent will turn inward and start to wonder, what if? What if I'm not doing right by my daughter? WHAT IF?
It's out there. Let's talk about it. Please, let's not sweep it under the rug.
I think we should be talking about it too because if we don't, then changes are never made.
I have 2 dancers ages 5 & 11 and I think this is completely inappropriate even in the context of the urban dance competition. If you listen to the words of the song, it's not right for 7 yr olds to be strutting to those words.
My 11 year old thought it was not in good taste either (here words). She loved the dancing, but she thought they looked too sexy (her words).
I couldn't agree more.
The thing is, this could have been a great opportunity to show these kids that making appropriate choices is important. There are plenty of fun songs out there that could have been used to show off these girls' dance moves... much more appropriate songs.
Great post!
I watched the parents try to explain this on Good Morning America and all I could think was that no matter how Popculture-y it is, it is for adults, not children. Those girls could have done those fantastic moves to a different song, in a leotard which covered their middles (which most leotards do). My daughter is seven and I would have complained to the teacher/choreographer that chose this song and these outfits and demanded something else for the competition. Ugh.
I don't have a problem with the song. I don't have a problem with the dance other than some of the moves are rather risque for their ages. The costumes were definitely out of line. It definitely needed to be redone more appropriately. The concept was there, it just wasn't executed correctly. Even my 19 year old thought it was wrong.
I agree with you. It seems parents want their children to grow up so fast. Why not keep them sweet and innocent for as long as possible?
Fiona, you summed up what I think so eloquently. I've seen the video, as well as the parents justifying the outfits, the dance moves, and the song they chose. UGH. Made me sick to my stomach.
I'm glad that my youngest, who is now 21, can look at one of the celebrities in a magazine, or on t.v., and say "that looks tasteless", or, "wow, she's showing way too much".... It begins in the home.
BTW, please tell our "sisters" on TCG that I will check in soon. The last few months have been crazy. Miss you and them! I had about 10 mins. today to cruise the internet, and chose you. ;-) Give Princess K. and the boys a kiss for me. Love you! Sue
It was so wrong, on so many levels. The ironic thing is that Beyonce and her dancers wore more in her video than these girls do. They do the moves well, and clearly practiced- butthe have NO idea whatthe moves mean. At least that's what I like to think.
I get it needed to be pop. I get it needed to be urban. I also get that didn't mean they had to slut up 7 yr olds.
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