Robbiex's three posts on this subject are very different, to say the least!

However, he completely misses the point again in saying that paedophiles watching children do no harm. If this was thought to be the case, why do Vice Squads - in almost every country in the world - track them down; mainly those who use the internet.

Does Robbiex really think that these people do no harm just because the children are unaware? If so, he should stop posting on this most serious of subjects.

Make-up is 'traditionally used to attract a mate' says Robbiex. This is another one of his highly questionable views.

I wear make-up every day(like most women)and I am not looking for a mate(like most women). I have one.

Quite honestly, my make-up is simply to cover up the cracks!

Abba wrote:

However, he completely misses the point again in saying that paedophiles watching children do no harm. If this was thought to be the case, why do Vice Squads - in almost every country in the world - track them down; mainly those who use the internet.

Because by creating disproportionate hysteria about paedophilia (and terrorism) governments create convenient excuses to pass laws allowing them to snoop on every citizen, and track all our activities maybe?

Give me a break. I said that "Traditionally" make-up was used to attract a mate. I didn't say it was the only reason to wear make-up. You say that you wear make-up to cover the cracks, but that wouldn't account for the wearing of lippy and eyeliner.

Make-up on children makes them look older and a little bit startling. I don't think this should be encouraged.

Lippy and eyeliner robbiex; these items also cover a lot of a girl's 'cracks' - just like yours are covered by three day's stubble.

Kids like dressing up - wearing make up is part of that. That is not a worry.

I just think that the whole "showbiz" thing is not necessarily a good thing for all children. Some kids love performing but many do not. How do we know which kids are being pushed by their parents and which ones genuinely want to be in the public eye at that age.

In school teachers generally are expert at getting kids to overcome shyness and so on. When it is a commercial competition like this one - then it is exploitation.

The Paedo argument is not really any different to any other - where kids are concerned sadly there might be those who have bad intentions ( we know this happens in all walks of life ) Therefore I would not ban this competition because paedos might watch ( after all they probably have a house next to a school or run the local playgroup or are the local MP ) if Parents supervise their children then the chance of them falling into the wrong hands are thankfully small.

But I still find getting kids commercially involved in anything like this distasteful. Let kids be kids - and let them grow up later. That is fair - let them have a childhood without any pressure and with the chance to be themselves.

We have turned into a nanny state - and our kids have turned into fodder for multi national corporations ( Sony - McDonalds - etc ) - parents should shield them from the excesses of the commercial world. I know it is difficult - but their kids will grow up happier.

I think you sum it up nicely in that post robbiex.

It's not against the law to be a peadophile-only to act upon it and I agree with Anthony's claim that authorities use the peodophile angle in a fairly hysterical way.

It could be said that if a peadophile gets off on 'watching' a child that may be actually better if it mean she/she doesn't go on to some physical act (apart from what they do to themselves of course)

An Aussie right-wing think tank caused a huge stink here recently and it was the first time I agreed with them. They labelled the increasing use of young girls in advertising as "corporate peadphilia".

Manufacturers have been wanting to have it all and every way they can-flogging expensive toys to kids and then adult style goods asap.
Using pre-teens provocatively in department store ads and so on was really getting out of hand. One department store named sued..eventually dropping the law suit quietly.

I think society has moved on a long way from the Beautiful Baby days by the seaside onto flogging eyeliner, lippy and sexy skirts to kids as young as they can get away with.

This gets reflected in other ways as well. Newspaper snappers tell me they dread having to cover the 'nipper' contests on beaches..young boys and girls in surf carnivals. The looks that get from mums and dads when they film their kids is so uncomfortable they start to really feel guilty.

Part of being a child is also being taught and prepared for the adult world which is a competitive place. If we just let them play all the time and never allow them to feel pressure then they'll suffer badly once they are thrown into the wider society. Sometimes the world is harsh and life sucks. Better they find out now while they have loving adults to help them through it than that we just toss them into the deep end unprepaired.