Baby Cyrus To Hock Kiddie Lingerie

As if television shows like "Toddlers and Tiaras" weren't bad enough, reckless mothers intent on sexualizing their young daughters have new levels of disgusting to ascend to: kiddie lingerie. Noah Cyrus, nine-year-old sister to Miley, is helping Hannah Montana: The Movie actress Emily Grace Reaves, eight, launch a line of provocative clothes aimed at the pre-pre-teen set. Feel free to join us in a groan of disgust.

Thought it's been called lingerie, "The Emily Grace Collection" isn't exactly thongs and bustiers, but it's certainly the little kid version of come-hither wear with fishnet stockings, short "French Maid" skirts, and fingerless gloves. The line's distributor, Oh La La, describes the pieces as "trendy, sweet yet edgy." Obviously in their attempt to stand out from the racks of mundane playground frocks (skirts that reach an 8-year-old's knees? Too prudish!), they failed to realize that their target demographic should be more concerned with family, friends, and school, not bringing all the boys to the yard with pink-clad cleavage.

While we know where Noah's parents stand on the "my daughter's virtue vs. bringing home the bacon" debate (her dad watched as 16-year-old Miley posed nearly nude for Vanity Fair magazine), I'm not sure why Emily Grace's parents are so chill with her immature sexuality. But they certainly aren't alone. Whether it's bite-sized pageant contestants being made to look like baby-faced Lolitas, chain retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch thinking it's okay to sell kiddie thongs emblazoned with "eye candy," or child stars hocking hooker-wear, the sexualization of underage girls is standard, yet despicable, practice.

Defenders of pageants and child stars often point out that their kids love to dress up and win the attention. And I can certainly see how that can be true: My sister and I loved playing with my mom's makeup and wearing her heels when we were young. The big difference is we were prancing around our living room, not in front of an audience. We didn't feel sexual while we did it, we knew it wasn't acceptable to go out in public donning the get-ups, and, at the end of the day, we weren't doing it to satisfy anyone's urges but our own -- and there certainly wasn't a winner or loser. I fear that the same is not true for the Noahs, Emily Graces, and pageant girls of the world. Of course there's nothing wrong with makeup or revealing clothes ... if you are mature enough to own your sexiness and your image. When young girls are trotted out in French Maid costumes they will always be leasing sexual behavior; someone else owns it.

Adult women spend our lives battling the patriarchal value system that correlates our worth with our cup size. It's high time little girls be left out of it, at least until they actually need to wear bras.

Photo: benyupp