Friday's FemmeToxic News Roundup: Child models, photoshopping, and more

 Sexy Children?

The biggest news and controversy this week in the beauty world is surely that to do with 10 year old French Vogue model, Thylane Lena-Rose Blondeau. You might recognize her from the highly offensive Vogue Christmas gift issue:

While the issue was reported on earlier this year, other media are finally chiming in about Blondeau specifically and the whole child-models-acting-old problem. The way I see it, most are not really even criticizing the objectification of this child but more so are concerned about her hypersexualization. 

I thought this quote in CANOE from Shameless Mag is excellent:

"I think that they ran them to sell magazines," says Kate-Christine Miller, Community Liaison of Shameless, a Canadian feminist magazine for girls. "People feel validated by looking at these images as 'critique' or 'art' and this might be especially true given that the platform is French Vogue, and not some tacky and tasteless child beauty pageant "¦ However, the reason for looking is likely the same as many fashion images; to quench an obsession with youth and beauty ideals."

Or this one:

"It should not be news to anyone that the fashion industry depends on young, slim, hypersexualized female bodies," says Jane Tolmie, who teaches Gender and Cultural Studies at Queen's University. "The fashion industry is not sending a message to young girls. It is using young girls to send a message to adults everywhere, male and female, about what is desirable."

Thankfully Blondeau's mother responded to the internet firestorm by removing her facebook page and going after sites posting the Vogue photos. 

What do you think about child models? Is it artistic? What is the line for child models when it comes to sex and sex appeal?

An advertisement with Julia Roberts photoshopped face has been banned in the UK. I think it is about time someone took a stand against this kind of thing. The Herald Sun says: "How ironoic that it was an image of the superstar of Pretty Woman that finally drew the world's attention to the ugly epidemic of extreme Photoshopping in ads for every-woman."

This is what advertisment councils are supposed to be doing. And it is about time companies are prevented from advertising an "age defying" product with air brushed photos. 

Hopefully next they will go after all the hair dye commercials with celebrities who we KNOW did not use a $10 box to get that colour!

In other offensive news, Jezebel reported that this Mexican pagaent winner lost her crown after failing to lose 6 pounds. 

"Due to alleged concerns over a miuscule weight gain, de la Vega has been stripped of her runner-ip title - which means she's also stripped of her opportunity to compete in the Miss World pageant...Director of Nuestra Belleza Mundo Mexico, responded to the controversy, sayin, "It was a lack of dedication and discipline' that cause Cynthia's dismissal, and that she d'did not comply with the recommendations and goal agreed upon for her preparation."

Big Boo. But we know how I already feel about pagaents so I don't care too much, and yet I still know how much time and energy people do dedicate to it. But stil...

Check out this event from Parcs Vivants (in collaboration with BCAM) on August 23rd: Conférence sur les produits toxiques contenus dans les cosmétiques