to find the cover photo of a young girl on Smalltalk-magazine's summer issue 34 just 'wrong'

[Ocktober]

www.smalltalk-magazine.com

A very young girl dressed up like a grown up, striking a model pose with nail varnish, lipstick, adult sunglasses and jewellery? Let children be children and all that. There's enough pressure on young girls to conform and be 'pretty' without family magazines endorsing the trend. I have emailed them my view.

It's not sold in yhe shops, it's junk mail

I don't think its sexual or even particularly inappropriate, I just think its naff.

I'm very confused as to what's wrong with the picture. There's no model pose, not sure how she can be giving a "moody glare" with those sunglasses on (if you look closely, she seems to be looking down into the bag). Just a girl dressing up.

It's a little girl playing dressing up, but I do think they could have chosen a smilier more natural post. I don't think it's something to get too wound up about though. I definitely don't think it's sexualisation and there is no way the company would have wanted that to be the message so if anyone is taking it that way, it's very unfortunate. Maybe the junior designer was given the cover to do for this issue!

agree with SoupDragon just a little girl dressing up .

I hate the pose and the facial expression on the girl. They so seem inappropriate.

Oh she's obviously wearing the wrong colours to be a pilot. God, and can you imagine a woman who wants to wear lipstick and sunglasses ever being taken seriously as a pilot??

I dunno. Can five year olds be given a break from worrying if their attire will suit their future high flying aspirational career?

It's a little girl playing dress up.

And GASP wearing pink.

Call the police immediately.

look at this and you might change your mind about whether the girl in the OP is looking horrible. IMO, she's just playing dress up.

The girls in my link are actually properly modelling. It's horrifying.

I clicked on the link expecting to be outraged....and wasn't.

Sorry OP, but YABU.

Fake book - good comparison, I was ready to be outraged by the OP's link, but found nothing offensive in it. Your one however is truly shocking, as is this - www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=399330426826926&set=pb.168291156597522.-2207520000.1375975224.&type=3&theater

I don't get the bikini one either. In England, it would be a little weird and premature to make mini bikinis, but those pictures are clearly from people who live on the beach in a hot country. A bikini is going to be normal everyday wear in Hawaii. It's just people dressing their kids up to look cute, only you have a skewed perception on it because you come from a different culture.

I'm in Yorkshire and have never received a copy.

Obviously I am not a discerning enough parent to be one of the 24,000 people on the distributions list.

I can't decide if I'm pleased or offended by this

Christ, between the bikinis, the pierced ears and the names of some of the kids, I think that Facebook link you posted whothefuckfarted may just cause mumsnet to spontaneously combust!

the thin and thick end of the wedge,

All grim, all sad and very disappointing we still exposes our daughters to this.

Yuck.

You don't have to be "confused" about anything, soupdragon. Unless you often get confused about people having different opinions from yours.

YANBU. OP - horrible pose and just hate the Smalltalk comeback on. this thread. If that's genuine I reckon MN Towers should tell them where to stick it.

Little girls (and boys too) have been playing dressing up like that for years and years. It is not some sort of hideous pageant photo.

It is interesting though that we see things differently. For example I don't see her pose as sultry at all, I just looked again, I think it's like she is looking down, preoccupied. Interesting though.

Oh FGS, children like to dress up, this morning I had to paint ds2's toenails as I was doing mine then wrap a towel round him like a dress. Yesterday he was dressed up in a hard hat as he was a builder. Ds1 can often be found in a bow tie or trenchcoat as he is DRESSED UP as one of the Doctor Who's. It's playing, its what children do.

No-one has sais they're offended. Finding something distasteful or odd doesn't automatically mean bosom-hoikingly offended.

It's the way it's shot. It's not light and natural. It looks like a cover from Dazed and Confused. Just because childen have been playing dress-up forever, doesn't mean that every depiction of it will be tasteful or that everyone should like it. That argument sounds like something my mother would come out with. "Oh we've been doing that for YEARS, ergo it is FINE"

Here is a picture of children playing dress-up that is nice and natural

and another

and another

None of these children look like pouty mini adults.

But the girl in the original photo doesn't look like a pouty adult either. She looks like a girl dressing up and looking down towards her bag.

You don't have to be "confused" about anything, soupdragon. Unless you often get confused about people having different opinions from yours

When it makes no sense, yes I do.