Witchery Children's Ads Called Offensive By Kids' Charity Ambassador (PHOTOS, POLL)

Several children's groups have taken on a set of children's clothing ads in Australia, indicating that the young models look too mature for their age.

Noni Hazlehurst, an ambassador for Barnados charity told Australia's Herald Sun that the children modeling for the new Witchery line for two to nine-year-olds "look like recalcitrant teenagers. I think this is a really dangerous direction. I think it's offensive. The whole point of early childhood is to be joyous and free. Children as young as five are now going on diets, are worried about how they look, how they present -- this just should not be an issue for children."

Julie Gale of advocacy group Kids Free 2B Kids told ABC.net.au, "I just wonder where have Witchery been that they don't know there's a groundswell of parents and child development professionals, a cross-section of the community really, pushing back and speaking out and saying this is not the direction we want to go in."

Check out the Witchery ads below and tell us what you think.

(Via Racked)

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Uproar said on 9 Saturday 2010 pm31 12:59 pm: The way they are posing is really creepy, as are the clothes. They're like Clavin Klein Shrinky-Dinks.

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Comments

[picaman]

01:08 PM on 10/13/2010

Kids posed like morose adult models, so what, it's not like they live their lives like that. They are models, who are posed, in photos.

[Manda Ford]

01:44 PM on 10/11/2010

When I read the article I thought it was going to be like Abercrombie and Fitch or something, but these outfits are actually cute.
I guess the poses are a little strange, as in kids wouldn't stand like that, but the clothes are cute and stylish.
At least they are not standing around in almost nothing tank tops & short shorts and calling them clothing ads, (A & F).

[cdub1991]

04:50 PM on 10/09/2010

More ridiculous than offensive.

[thegoodspeed]

04:39 PM on 10/09/2010

i actually thought the ads were good. i always felt bad for kids having to wear pink all the time.

if my kids dressed like that- i'd be proud.

[Uproar]

12:59 PM on 10/09/2010

The way they are posing is really creepy, as are the clothes. They're like Clavin Klein Shrinky-Dinks.

[BlackYowe]

02:10 AM on 10/09/2010

I don't get it. The kids look ok.

[galaxar44]

10:06 PM on 10/08/2010

What's offensive is these kids' outfits are probably worth more than a worker's one-year salary in third world countries making these outfits!!! #7 makes me gag.

[ARTIST50]

09:01 PM on 10/08/2010

The clothes are fine, it's the posing that is too staged for children and is giving off a weird vibe.

[suemj]

09:49 PM on 10/08/2010

Exactly!

[thegoodspeed]

04:40 PM on 10/09/2010

right? it sounded like some uptight mom posted this article.

[charles10]

12:00 PM on 10/08/2010

Like someone else said, the ads are aimed at the ~ 30 yo parents, not the kids. Seeing a mini-me of them will get them to buy these [apparently expensive] clothes for their kids. Kids play grown up all the time. However there's a hint of creepiness to seeing kids' faces all bored and 'been there done that'-like.

[Sabrina DAmico]

08:05 PM on 10/07/2010

I remember back in the mid 90s as a little kid, the 'cool' thing to wear were Disney sweatsuits...Pocahontas ones and Snow White ones...crew-neck sweatshirts with matching bottoms full of tacky Disney graphic prints. And we'd wear pig tails held up by scrunchies...that was before kids were made to look like adults, I guess.

[aykhan629]

01:59 AM on 10/08/2010

see, i remember that too. but i also remember the rich kids always had on mini-adult clothes. i think it's still the same today. these are just the clothes for those kind of rich kids.

[cplKlyde]

05:13 PM on 10/07/2010

They are as offensive as the little kids version of the Wass Up commercials.

[LanceLee]

03:51 PM on 10/07/2010

With all the problems in the world, this is what some people want to focus on? Seriously?
I think people's reactions say more about themselves than the images. When I see them I think of kids playing dress up, trying to act like adults.
They have succeeded in putting this in my mind: Barnardos = frivolous.

[spudnic]

04:33 PM on 10/07/2010

Wrong. What they have succeeded in doing is slowly changing societal perceptions of "normal". This is nothing more than the hyper-sexualization and "hurry-grow-up" of children in order to sell more stuff and make more money. The fact that people either think this is ok or just don't even see that it's happening is the truly disturbing thing.

[LanceLee]

03:56 PM on 10/08/2010

OK, show me. Break it down for us. Show me the hyper-sexualization in the images presented in this article. You have the problem, prove your case. You are not going to change my mind by just saying it is a problem, lay out your argument.

[Jewels23]

12:40 PM on 10/07/2010

Its not offensive - it just looks like an add for prozac.

[Ilana Gurman]

11:05 AM on 10/07/2010

Not offensive, but downright sad. What ever happened to images of kids laughing at birthday parties, eating ice cream, using crayons, running through sprinklers, blowing bubbles...having fun, as children should?

[thegoodspeed]

04:43 PM on 10/09/2010

the ads are for clothing- not nostalgia. or party favors.

[Ilana Gurman]

06:49 AM on 10/10/2010

That's silly. Adding UNO wouldn't make it an ad for mattel. Ads are a portrait of a company, representing a message and vibe. This one sends off a morose chill, generally unassociated with kiddie stuff.

[copelli21]

10:41 AM on 10/07/2010

Ew.

Reminds me of child beauty pageants....something just ain't right.

I would say I am more disturbed, than offended.