John Lewis ad is sexualising girls

[Lovecleansheets]

Got this image on email advertising Halloween dressing up but I think it’s creepy and overtly sexual.

1. female child seems posed with hand on hip. Gaze seems serious, not amused or laughing.
2. there’s nothing funny or spooky. Her outfit and makeup seems more appropriate for an adult.

Checked with DH who just winced and agreed.

I will be contacting JL to express my distaste.

Any thoughts?

This thread is a perfect example of someone desperately trying to find something to be outraged about. Get a fucking grip.

This board needs to learn some feminist analysis instead of trying to dog pile discussions.
''Learning How to Stand Like a Girl'' is something we are taught at an early age, because standing upright is unfeminine.
https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2010/06/03/learning-how-to-stand-like-a-girl/

Exactly.

If you want to fight the sexualisation of young girls, there are simply oodles of way better targets for your energy.

Neither creepy or sexual. The pic is of a girl not be be messed with.

I agree.
Please report it.

That's not a sexy witch at all! In what universe is that sexy?

I think it's concerning how people are scrutinising this photo of a young girl dressed in a full length Halloween costume implying that she has "a knowing look" or is posing in a sexy way.

It's absolutely fine for girls to play around with make up when dressing up. It's fine for girls to put their hand on their hip. It doesn't anyways have to mean something. The only people turning this into soemthing is you.

Rubbish, this hasnt ever applied to me or any of my female friends.

Ive never heard such nonsense.

No I am not seeing it and I find the fact people on here are thinking of sexualising this child is gross

100%.

The comment saying she had "a knowing look"......
Absolutely not ok to say that.

Totally agree with this! Why would it even enter your head?!

This is madness.

It's a photo of a girl in fancy dress looking confident and fearless.

A 'knowing look' on a child?
This thread is insane

That. It's "I'm a witch, deal with it"

Thank you!

Some people have got too much time on their hands 🤦🏻‍♀️

I don’t think it’s a sexy witch costume at all.

So what if the “female child seems posed with hand on hip. Gaze seems serious, not amused or laughing.”- that is just saying girls need to smile all the time and be happy and nice to look on. Sugar and spice and all things nice.

And this “there’s nothing funny or spooky. Her outfit and makeup seems more appropriate for an adult.” Halloween isn’t a comedy and a witch outfit is spooky by definition. She is just wearing lipstick/lip gloss- it’s a costume not daily wear.

The cut of the dress is very modest and appropriate.

This is a sexy witch costume for adult women.
Not even remotely like the costume posted for girls.

I’m not blaming the girl or saying what’s in her head FFS. She has been told to pose a certain way and convey a certain image. That is the point. She hasn’t got a clue but she has consciously and unconsciously learnt to mimic women’s behaviour which is often sexualised and suits the male gaze. It’s what we learn like it or not.

You only have to google images of confident poses and see the difference in examples for men and women. Maybe a third to a half of the women are shown standing square like the vast majority of male poses, the rest of the women’s poses are modified with a hip sticking out, or a leg kicked up or a hair flick, or a waist enhanced etc. That’s not neutral body language. Women’s confidence to be tinged with sexual appeal.

When I say consciously learned I mean that she has been coached in how to pose and rewarded for following instructions. Most children want to please adults. That makes them vulnerable

We’re so desensitised that the outfit seems.. typical… but why does an outfit for a child need the impression of a laced bodice?

Because that is what girl children wore during the witch hunts? It’s a head nod to a bit of historical accuracy? Back then children were dressed like miniature adults.

Laced bodice is historical init?

You people are cray cray

I agree OP. If this is not subtly sexualised (deliberate or not) then why don’t we see boys doing these poses? Why is it just girls?

I can't get worked up over this, it's a witch costume, she's wearing dark lipstick and her hand is on her hi, it's not short even