When I was a little girl playing dress-up, it always made me so unhappy and pouty that I would just lie around on plush couches and make sad faces. Wait, no, I’m thinking of those controversial ads running in French Vogue right now of (very) pre-teens posing in stilettos and looking way too adult for their own good.

From Jezebel on down in the blogosphere, the blogs are all abuzz about the ads for Cadeaux, as some decry what they see as the oversexualization of young girls, or point out the exploitation of women in general in an attempt to sell clothing.

But who are these ads even aimed at? Probably not me. When I see a little girl dressed up in an outfit that I could never afford I just think, dang, I hope she doesn’t spill apple juice all over that couture. The ads probably aren’t directed at all those six-year-olds with money to burn reading French Vogue, either. So are they just out there to make people talk about them, or actually sell clothes to some mysterious consumer?

What do you think? Are these ads anti-feminist, exploitation, inappropriate, beautiful, a clever advertising ploy or just plain yucky?

French Vogue’s Sexy Kiddie Spread Is Misunderstoood [Jezebel]
French Vogue Dolls Up Little Girls, Turning “Ooh La La” Into “Oh, No.” [Strollerderby]

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