This Morning sparks debate after showcasing children pole-dancing...

[Ammi]

..I have to say that I didn't actually watch the programme but apparently the topic has sparked debate with an example of one viewer commenting ‘Anybody else concerned by what looks to be child pornography on ITV #thismorning?' and another comment of, 'They’re trying to disguise it as “pole fitness” to make it sound better. No, you’re encouraging your child to pole dance.'


..anyways, it is a great form of fitness/exercise, I've done some myself and felt great... but obviously because of the associations/and some thought processes being 'inappropriate' for children, I thought that it would be interesting to see forum thoughts/opinions...yay or nay to children pole dancing as a form of fitness/dance...?...



Earlier this week we reported on the backlash against a fitness instructor offering pole dancing classes to children. And while the wrong-not-wrong debate rumbles on, ITV’s This Morning has waded into the controversy by featuring a live demonstration of the ‘sport’ by children as young as eight.

Dressed in black shorts, pink tied-up crop tops and gold glittery bow ties, eight-year-old Tilly-May and Timea and 11-year-old Mia took to the pole to showcase the class that has sparked such a debate.

The segment on Tuesday’s show featured a discussion about whether or not pole ‘fitness’ is a suitable exercise for children, after psychologist Emma Kenny had earlier suggested it sexualised youngsters.

The girls were there, alongside two of their mothers, Lorraine Handbury and Lisa Grosse, and instructor Zoe Hardy, to defend the ‘sport’, which they claim is purely a fun way to keep fit. But as they demonstrated their complicated moves, viewers were taking to Twitter to vent their outrage.

‘Anybody else concerned by what looks to be child pornography on ITV #thismorning?' One viewer wrote, while another confessed to feeling ‘totally uneasy watching it.’

A concerned parent voiced her worries by tweeting: 'These eight year old [sic] are going to grow up and realise what it is and wonder why their parents let them do it.’

And another added: 'They’re trying to disguise it as “pole fitness” to make it sound better. No, you’re encouraging your child to pole dance.'


https://uk.style.yahoo.com/post/139479632054/this-morning-sparks-debate-after-showcasing


...from the pics in the article, I can't see any clothing that was inappropriate in any way to children's dance/exercise etc...

[user104658]

I don't see the problem with it as a form of fitness / gynastics, but then...

black shorts, pink tied-up crop tops and gold glittery bow ties

There's this... err... :umm2:. Not exactly classic gym-wear.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Its sick and twisted.

[user104658]

...from the pics in the article, I can't see any clothing that was inappropriate in any way to children's dance/exercise etc...[/B]

Gold bow ties? There's a definite association there, and the knotted tops too probably. I guess I just don't understand... why? As in, they don't enhance their gymnastic abilities, and one would suppose even get in the way a bit over say a leotard as would be worn in "normal" gymnastics, so why have them? Or... were these added specifically for the show to generate controversy? You have to wonder.

The actual "dancing" / using the pole in general, has absolutely nothing inherently sexual about it. It uses a lot of core muscles and looks like great exercise. In that sense, the "sexualised" aspect is entirely in the eye of the beholder / associations with stripping... if you take it out of that context, it's no different from any other apparatus-based gymnastics.

[Ammi]

Gold bow ties? There's a definite association there, and the knotted tops too probably. I guess I just don't understand... why? As in, they don't enhance their gymnastic abilities, and one would suppose even get in the way a bit over say a leotard as would be worn in "normal" gymnastics, so why have them? Or... were these added specifically for the show to generate controversy? You have to wonder.

The actual "dancing" / using the pole in general, has absolutely nothing inherently sexual about it. It uses a lot of core muscles and looks like great exercise. In that sense, the "sexualised" aspect is entirely in the eye of the beholder / associations with stripping... if you take it out of that context, it's no different from any other apparatus-based gymnastics.

..I think yeah, probably a bit of 'show-wear' because they were featuring on TV..obviously it is fitness but it's also dance fitness as well, so with that specifically (and type of dance fitness..)...if a performance is put on for guests/parents etc, the clothing could be slightly more 'glitzy' if you like, but still appropriate...whereas if it was gymnastics, then a leotard would be the thing...dance does attract children to fitness in things like after school clubs...(especially girls - ooops..)...and so a great form of exercise for some, who may not do much exercise in their lives, other than at school and it's been the dance aspect that has specifically attracted...


..and I agree about the actual dancing using core muscles and being a great form of exercise...anything and any form of dance can be sexualised if that's how it's portrayed, but this isn't portrayed in any way as that...

[bots]

Has pole dancing ever been associated with anything other than erotic dancing? If not then why are they showing kids doing it on TV

At a minimum, its playing to the fantasies of all the perverts out there

[user104658]

Has pole dancing ever been associated with anything other than erotic dancing?

For the last 5+ years, yes, it's become quite a common "fitness class" available at most decent sized gyms...

[Cherie]

Has pole dancing ever been associated with anything other than erotic dancing? If not then why are they showing kids doing it on TV

At a minimum, its playing to the fantasies of all the perverts out there

I expect the parents are trying to be edgy and different as the kids could do gymnastics with pretty much the same result fitness and dance wise. You can't really get away from the associations of pole dancing no matter how much any one protests, the outfits were fine in my view, though I have seen them described as hot pants and crop tops, they look more like shorts and a shirt to me

[Cherie]

For the last 5+ years, yes, it's become quite a common "fitness class" available at most decent sized gyms...

That's fine, gyms are generally adult environments and adults will be aware of the associations

[Niamh.]

I find it a bit weird I have to say

[Kazanne]

I saw it and as a mom of a 12 year old daughter I was surprised any mom would want her daughter to get 'fit' in that way,the mother claimed that's all it was a 'fitness excercise' well I can think of plenty of ways for our kids to keep fit other than fawning round a pole.the clothes were also pretty dodgy.

[Cherie]

I saw it and as a mom of a 12 year old daughter I was surprised any mom would want her daughter to get 'fit' in that way,the mother claimed that's all it was a 'fitness excercise' well I can think of plenty of ways for our kids to keep fit other than fawning round a pole.the clothes were also pretty dodgy.

One up man ship parenting....my Lacey is pole dancing on a Saturday morning... :smug: is yours still going to Brownies :joker:

[bots]

For the last 5+ years, yes, it's become quite a common "fitness class" available at most decent sized gyms...

Irrespective of that, its a perverts dream to see children doing those type of things, so supplying it on TV is wrong in my opinion.

[Kazanne]

One up man ship parenting....my Lacey is pole dancing on a Saturday morning... :smug: is yours still going to Brownies :joker:

I didn't know you had a daughter called lacey Cherie :hehe:

[Kazanne]

Irrespective of that, its a perverts dream to see children doing those type of things, so supplying it on TV is wrong in my opinion.

:worship:

[Cherie]

I didn't know you had a daughter called lacey Cherie :hehe:

:joker:

[Cherie]

At any rate I expect TM knew this would create lots of publicity,no doubt it will be debated on LW today

[Vicky.]

Meh, this is just an extension of the women who do it 'to keep fit' rather than admitting they just want to learn erotic dancing :laugh:

Completely wrong for kids.

[arista]

I saw it and as a mom of a 12 year old daughter I was surprised any mom would want her daughter to get 'fit' in that way,the mother claimed that's all it was a 'fitness excercise' well I can think of plenty of ways for our kids to keep fit other than fawning round a pole.the clothes were also pretty dodgy.



They should keep it Private

[DemolitionRed]

Pole dancing is a gymnastic dance and its been going on a lot longer than the pole dancing girls in sex clubs (Youtube Chinese poll danicing). Its absolutely massive for male pole dancers both here and around the world. We have a good friend who goes to championships in China and Russia and to watch him dance on the poll is like watching a gymnastic ballerina.

I don't know if its got into this years Olympics but if it doesn't get in this one it will get in the next one.

[joeysteele]

I saw it and as a mom of a 12 year old daughter I was surprised any mom would want her daughter to get 'fit' in that way,the mother claimed that's all it was a 'fitness excercise' well I can think of plenty of ways for our kids to keep fit other than fawning round a pole.the clothes were also pretty dodgy.

One of my cousins showed me the recording she had done of that segment on This Morning as she was mad at it.
I have no children obviously but for me it was uncomfortable to watch.

I accept they had been doing a show and that was why they had white tops on with 'gold' bow ties too.

I found it odd in a way,they call it pole fitness but I think it was more as to performing publicly than getting fit,I felt like you, other ways may be more appropriate for the ages these girls were, not this.

[Tom4784]

I'm not against it as a fitness exercise but I don't think it's something that children should be doing.

[Kizzy]

What's with gold bow ties, is it like a stringfellows thing?
It used to creep me out when my girl was at primary and pink 'playboy' clothes, bags and stationary were the thing, thought that was bad enough. I can see it's an attempt to desexualise pole dancing, but I'm not convinced, I cringed my way through it.

[Vicky.]

Pole dancing is a gymnastic dance and its been going on a lot longer than the pole dancing girls in sex clubs (Youtube Chinese poll danicing). Its absolutely massive for male pole dancers both here and around the world. We have a good friend who goes to championships in China and Russia and to watch him dance on the poll is like watching a gymnastic ballerina.

I don't know if its got into this years Olympics but if it doesn't get in this one it will get in the next one.

I don't think I have ever seen a bloke poledance..

Not that I have seen many people fullstop poledancing mind ( :whistle: )

[Northern Monkey]

Whoever described it as "child pornography" is a moron.However it is abit weird.It is one skill that you would'nt want your daughter to have at a young age incase they decided on it as a career in later life.They might get really into it and want a job as a pole dancer.

[Kazanne]

Pole dancing is a gymnastic dance and its been going on a lot longer than the pole dancing girls in sex clubs (Youtube Chinese poll danicing). Its absolutely massive for male pole dancers both here and around the world. We have a good friend who goes to championships in China and Russia and to watch him dance on the poll is like watching a gymnastic ballerina.

I don't know if its got into this years Olympics but if it doesn't get in this one it will get in the next one.

Pole dancing in Britain is associated with clubs and women sexually performing on a pole,I have never seen a male pole dance,so for me it is inappropriate for kids if that age to be getting 'fit' in that way,blimey they'll be doing burlesque classes for kids next.

[jennyjuniper]

Since there are so many other ways for children to exercise (preferably out in the fresh air) I would rather they chose another form of keeping fit. This is probably the association one feels when seeing pole dancing.