Bad Moms Wanna Know: Should Our Girls Shake Their Groove Thangs... Like THIS?

The other week I went on the record as saying that I didn't think that it was such a big deal for little girls to shake their groove thang. I'd like to take that back now, please.

My argument was based on an innocuous Gap commercial, featuring some jazz-hands-waving tots in sweaters who bounced around gamefully and maybe, maybe, at one point did a bit of a modified butt-slide move that was more Pussycat Dolls than Josie and the Pussycats, but still. It was no big deal, I thought. Dancing is all about wiggling those hips and waving those hands and shaking that body body, I said. All dancing is about that. Even Swan Lake, which maybe has less hip wiggling and more lovelorn backward bends, but it basically amounts to the same thing: dancing is physical expression. It's hard to do that while keeping your hips stiff.

It is, however, possible to dance - and moreover, to encourage your children to dance - without thrusting your ass out backwards and shouting SMACK THAT.

Ladies and gentlefolk, I give you Miley Cyrus's nine year old sister Noah:

Really? And, WHAT?

Is it really necessary, in encouraging a little girl's performing impulses, to urge her on to a command performance of a little piece of sexist ass-smackery? Who here wants their daughters - OF ANY AGE - thrusting their asses out and demanding that someone SMACK THAT?

Show of hands?

No?

Fine then. Can we all be appalled together? Or am I over-reacting?

Thanks to Vera at I'm Not Obsessed for this Wednesday morning WTF.

Comments

[Michelle]

WOW.

That's disturbing.

[Trilby]

I don't think you're overreacting at ALL. Shaking your booty and getting down with your bad-self is one thing. Yelling "smack that" and shaking your ass is a whole other beast. Especially when it's a 9 year old GIRL that's doing it.

[Katherine]

You are NOT overreacting. It's at times like these I'm glad I have a boy.

[avasmommy]

There's a difference between expressing yourself through dance and acting perverted. That is not appropriate behavior for a 9 year old CHILD.

[Redneck Mommy]

Why Billy Ray? Whyyyyy?

You know I love you but you are making it awfully difficult to stand by you when I see things like this...

[Sandi]

I have realized for awhile that little one is totally the next Miley, Britney, whatever. She's next on the list and she hasn't even begun yet. I had hopes when Miley first started that she would turn out differently then it finally hit me. It's just not possible in the world of fame. It just does not and cannot happen. It's about the almighty dollar, nothing more, nothing less. Did you see Miley's little sister's halloween costume this year? UGH.

[threeundertwo]

So sad. It must be so weird growing up with celebrities, especially when your big sister pole-dances on television. Ick.

[SoMo]

I see this all the time with such an age gap. I think the parents need to stop keying the younger sister back stage. Very disturbing that this is on YouTube and she is performing for an audience. But hey gotta keep the gravy train chugging along.

[mamatulip]

I saw this earlier today. I couldn't bring myself to watch the whole clip. I stopped when she started smacking herself.