Posted on 08/21/2006 2:58:06 PM PDT by Pokey78
IN THESE polarised and war-weary times, it’s good to know that Americans can agree on one thing: John Ramsey is a total creep.
Ramsey is the 63-year-old software entrepreneur whose daughter, JonBenet Ramsey, was beaten and strangled to death in her own home ten years ago. Although neither John nor his wife Pasty were ever charged, he was widely blamed for JonBenet’s killing — and continues to be, even after the death of Patsy from ovarian cancer and last week’s arrest of the teacher John Karr, a child-porn connoisseur who claims that he broke into the Ramseys’ home and murdered the six-year-old (the possibly delusional Karr was extradited from Thailand yesterday, allowing the New York Post to run a front-page photograph of Karr in business class, alongside the headline: “Snake on a Plane”).
Given Karr’s confession — and the lack of any hard evidence against the Ramseys — why does the girl’s father continue to be vilified? Because the businessman, whose late wife was a former Miss West Virginia, allowed his daughter to be trussed up like a call girl and paraded around kiddie-pageants — collecting such titles as Little Miss Merry Christmas, Little Miss Sunburst, and, my favourite, National Tiny Miss Beauty.
What father, tub-thumped the US public, could possibly allow his daughter to be sexualised in this way and displayed for the complicated pleasure of adults? Indeed, the latest development in the JonBenet case has given everyone a new excuse to get all moralistic about such violations of childhood.
Take The New York Times, which on Sunday dedicated its front page to a story about child modelling agencies that publish suggestive online photographs of pre-teens. Read the intro: “The model is shown rising out of a bubble bath, suds dripping from her body. Her tight panties and skimpy top are soaked and revealing . . . The model’s name is Sparkle. She is — at most — nine years old.”
I’m not going to argue that this isn’t deeply unsettling. But it seems only fair to point out that America has developed an astonishing set of double standards on the issue of child exploitation.
Consider America’s Got Talent, the Simon Cowell talent contest that became a huge hit in America over the summer months. Cowell’s show was one long creep-out of novelty kiddie acts, including an 11-year-old yodeller, a 12-year-old harmonica player and, inevitably, an 11-year-old soul diva whose star turn was the Janis Joplin track Piece of My Heart (sample lyric: Didn’t I make you feel like you were the only man, yeah?/ An’ didn’t I give you nearly everything that a woman possibly can?).
Little Miss Joplin ultimately won the wholesome $1 million prize money, and now has Michael Jackson’s adulthood to look forward to.
As for the harmonica player, no one could have cared less when it emerged that he had a “day job” at the topless variety show Buck Wild at the Sahara Hotel in Vegas.
So — let’s get this straight — JonBenet’s pageants were wrong, but a 12-year-old in a strip joint is fine?
And what about the recent boom in slick and sexy marketing to children by corporations? This is apparently fine also.
Indeed, The Los Angeles Times recently ran a five-part series on American tweens (pre-teens), written from a Hollywood marketer’s perspective. The tween demographic (as children are now known) is now responsible for up to $59 billion of discretionary spending every year — whether it’s iPods, kiddie spa treatments or Disneyland holidays. The desire to grab some of this cash appears to have entirely overtaken any desire to protect children from an onslaught of precision-targeted consumerism.
And because the best way to sell things to children is to use other children — who also, in an ideal world, appeal to parents — American popular culture is now saturated by such fare as America’s Got Talent, Radio Disney, Tweenstock (Disney’s music festival) and teen stars such as the Olsen twins, who will be billionaires before they reach drinking age.
In light of all this, America should give John Ramsey a break. Sure, he was a creep in 1996. But can anyone seriously get upset about the dubious taste of the National Tiny Miss Beauty pageant now?
Let’s face it: times have changed. The creep-o-meter needs to be recalibrated.
As a child, I loved to watch old Shirley Temple Movies. As an adult I am appalled at the way adults dressed her in some of the movies. Specifically the littles dresses that never quite covered up her panties.
It creeps me out totally. There were (and are) some very strange people in Hollyweird.
Well...
I guess she looked like an adorable little whore.
These pageants are sick and it's about the parents not the poor kids.
I have my opinion--you entitled to yours--I guess you think six year olds with mascara are "adorable".
That is so disturbing. What kind of parents would allow and even encourage this kind of sleezery? Nine years old?? They should be out playing with other nine year olds, not being paraded on the runway so pedophiles can get their sick jollies? If I was a vice cop, I'd go to these events and take a long hard look at the audience.
Yea, like Dakota Fanning's nude scenes and simulation rape in her next movie??? Tell me which RULE protects her.
But in those things, they actually look like kids. In the pageants, they're made up to look like little adults, and it's just creepy-looking.
To voice my opinion, I happen to like twenty-six year olds with mascara in serious black dresses.
Dressed the way JonBenet was, YES...I thought she was adorable...put I guess I don't have as dirty a mind as you do.
Pornography kills. It's killing us all, as a culture.
You hit the nail on the head.
We're complaining about the pageants in general, not just specifically JonBenet.
"Take The New York Times, which on Sunday dedicated its front page to a story about child modelling agencies that publish suggestive online photographs of pre-teens. Read the intro: “The model is shown rising out of a bubble bath, suds dripping from her body. Her tight panties and skimpy top are soaked and revealing . . . The model’s name is Sparkle. She is — at most — nine years old.”
New York Times has made a bundle accepting kiddie porn ads. Google New York Times/Calvin Klein/Kiddie porn.
A ton of SAG rules and state laws.
Guess what smart aleck I'm a mom. Not dirty minded, just wouldn't treat a little girl that way.
My stepdaughter was a product of pageants...she credits them for teaching her the poise, grace and confidence she exhibits today. My husband "allowed" it...ya wanna tell me he's a perverted creep?
Adorable? All that makeup on her face was adorable? What about the dyed blonde hair? (because I've seen her picture with brown hair)
Should a 6-year-old girl be tarted up to look like a Vegas showgirl? Please tell me what's adorable about that.
The day after the John Karr story broke, I was looking through the local paper (for a county seat, population 30,000). There was a local story about a 6-year-old who had won a "little miss something" national contest, and I swear to you her picture looked just like JonBenet's....blonde curly hair, mascara and eyeshadow, pouty lipstick...the whole thing. I was totally creeped out.
My daughters have done dance since they were 4. For the recitals, they were cute frilly outfits, and heavy makeup typical of those who perform on a stage. They end up looking a lot like JonBenet.
Does this make me and the 800 or so other dads in the audience creeps? How about the moms? How is this much different than pagents?
Oh, btw, I won't let my girls have pierced ears (too dangerous in their lacrosse games, etc) and i do not allow makeup.
(note, this is a forum question, not necessarily specifically to you, Hildy)
How old was your stepdaughter when she started in pageants?
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