Innocent Vs. Inappropriate: Are Your Favourite Brands Endorsing Child Sexualization?

"I'm so shocked. 'Take a bite,' is it just me? Or is this just not OK? I would never have my girls in this T-shirt," writes 32-year-old Laura Wilson, in a video that has raged sparks over the internet. A mother of two, Laura found a garment in the girl’s section of Zara Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent, with sexually suggestive words like  "The Perfect Snack", "The Strawberry: A small burst of sweet joy" and "Take a bite. A burst of sweet delight, making it the perfect summer snack" printed on it. 

‘Snack’ is an internet slang often used for someone attractive, which according to Laura makes the garment inappropriate for small kids and I couldn’t agree less. Sexualizing small children by making them wear such clothes can promote social evils like child sexual abuse, however, some people are too naive to understand this. Surprisingly, this is not the first time that brands are knowingly/unknowingly promoting child sexualization. Read to know more. 

Balenciaga Sexualizing Kids

A lot of other brands have faced backlash for using objectifying imagery of children in their advertising which include Nickelodeon, Calvin Klein, Benetton, and even Disney. Balenciaga’s November 2022 Campaign, or rather scandal, tops the list. Wondering why?

The Spanish luxury brand faced tremendous backlash for its Spring/Summer 2023 campaign, “Balenciaga Gift Shop”. The photo shoot was disturbing to the point that celebs like Kim Kardashian and Honey Singh openly criticised it. The brand used pictures of 6 small children with teddies in their hands. Seems cute right? Wait till you read more. The teddies were dressed up in BDSM-esque bondage gear like handcuffs, leather harnesses, and fishnet tights. In the background, one could see objects like wine glasses, beer koozies, and ornaments that had nothing to do with kids. Strange and scary at the same time. Isn’t it?

Why Sexualizing Children Is Not Acceptable?

Sexualizing kids can lead to an impact that is more deep-rooted than you think. Apart from leading to unrealistic expectations and distorted body image, it can promote a culture of objectification and increased vulnerability to sexual exploitation. It is not only dangerous but unethical too and that is the reason why I believe that it’s for the good that parents are being more vocal about these issues and calling out the brands. With the cases of child sexual abuse on the rise, it is important that such endorsement should be strongly condemned. 

What’s your take on this?