Now, I find this ad particularly confronting. And the strength of my reaction has amazed me. I mean, how many photoshopped, sexualised images of teenage girls have I actually glossed over? Probably hundreds. But show me little boys tricked up like this and I react.
OK, so let's analyse this a bit. Did I stop and look at this page simply because it's pretty rare to actually see an image of a boy in a women's fashion magazine? Possibly. Could it be that the clothes the boys are wearing are very ... couture ... yet also very military, very Palestinian intifada and possibly a little industrial revolution. Edgy, to be sure.
Then there's the adult stance, the hair (a la Kate Hudson's kid) and ... maybe most confronting of all ... the menacing stares. Yes, it could be the stares that bother me. It's that Pommy "I'm dead hard, me" attitude that seems so entirely out of place on the under 10s.
But I wonder if I just thought this ad so incredible because I am the mother of a boy? Perhaps it's just some form of protective kneejerk.
I'd love to know what others make of this picture ... views, anyone?
4 comments:
That hatchet job of a haircut has me kinda transfixed. And the skinhead kid on the right is kinda scary. I think as an ad it rocks and totally nails the reality of raising kids today - the sexualisation of girls and the militarisation of boys from around the age of three. Horrifying and compelling all at the same time.
I would love to know the story around the filming of this.
It's certainly an effective ad - made ya look!!
Screwy.
Yes, I find it disturbing too, but not more than images of little girls tarted up.
I just think leave little kids alone.
(I happen to know for a fact that little girls magazines=legal porn for paedophiles)
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