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The sexualization of childhood may not have started with Madonna, but under her pop influence, and under that of her pop descendants, it became pretty irreversible.

I'm sorry, but this is just blame-shifting. The problem "reverses" the minute a majority of parents decides to grow up. They can turn of the TV, refuse to buy the CD's, not patronize the films, not buy the trashy clothes ... and until they do, they are much more responsible for their children's corruption than any "entertainer."

It's easy to badmouth Madonna - and no reason not to - but what about real life? What about when your daughter wants to wear the navel-baring shirts? Or your sons want to see the push-the-limit movies or the Britney Spears video? Or your neighbor is wearing shorts that say "JUICY" on the butt? Are you going to be as honest with someone who can hear you?

You're absolutely right. Parents should grow up and act like adults, and they should be in total control of what their minor children see, do, and experience (parents in the 50's were in control for the most part. We all know happened in the 60's).

Another thing -- they should tell their children's schools that they have certain expectations for their children in regard to academic and moral education and they expect the schools to reflect their that.

Those sweats and shorts are annoying--not just the juicy ones, but the ones with anything written on the tush. And you are right the parents need to grow up because it is 30 and 40 something mothers I see wearing that crap. You've got an environment where teenage girls are having to compete with their mothers because their mothers are having trouble accepting the fact that they aren't teens anymore.

I agree the matter is multi-faceted.