Houellebecq

<< How do you feel about a 3 year old wanting to wear mummy's high heal shoes and wear mummy's make-up? Did she get that from advertising? I think not. >>

What you're describing here is a normal part of childhood. I'm sure most girls at some stage try on their mother's heels or makeup, in much the same way as they play at doctors and nurses or hairdressers or whatever adult roles take their fancy at the time. Such role-play is perfectly natural. It's how kids learn about the world and their place within it.

What I'm talking about is very different. It's not just occasional role-play. It's the damaging conditioning of the mind being imposed on young girls today. And it's not just from advertising. It's from an all-encompassing and inescapable bombardment they're constantly subjected to from a wide ranging plethora of sources. Shops, television, radio, girls' magazines, billboards, music video clips, online content and more - all imposing a narrow and unrealistic consumerist ideal of what's hot, cool or whatever, and all pushing the same mindless message that sex appeal is the ultimate must have item, no matter what age.

As stated by former magazine editor, Mia Freedman, "Yes, little girls will always want to play dress-ups. Most little girls' predominant role model is their mother. It's totally normal and appropriate for little girls to want to clomp around the house in Mummy's high heels or play with Mummy's make-up, even try on Mummy's bra. Who didn't do that? But that is a totally different thing to putting on make-up and high heels and bras that are MADE for kids. That are MARKETED to kids. Little girls playing with Mummy's make-up know that it's Mummy's. It's part of playing pretend. Having make-up of YOUR OWN at age 3 or 6 or 9 is different altogether. That says it's appropriate and normal for little girls to wear make-up. That says it doesn't belong in the realm of fantasy or dress-ups or playing pretend AT HOME but that it's acceptable and even expected in the real world."

http://mamamia.com.au/weblog/2009/10/bras-make-up-and-high-heels-for-3-year-olds-much-wrong-with-that.htm

For all this talk of advertising that sexualises small girls, I cannot recall seeing much of it.

I recall my wife buying a training bra for my daughter far before she needed it, and my daughter wearing it for a week or so (until the novelty wore off), more as symbol of maturity rather than sexuality.

While there are plenty of real issues to worry about for my daughter, I see this "threat" as more as perceived than real.