Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Leave Shiloh Alone


I think this is the third time I have discussed the whole making Shiloh feel awful about herself thing the tabloids keep doing and it is probably the 20th time a tabloid has taken a shot at Shiloh. This week, Life & Style throw Shiloh on the cover and say that it is not Shiloh who is dressing like a boy but rather that Angelina is making Shiloh dress like a boy. Who cares? I have a feeling Shiloh dresses herself and loves what she is wearing. Leave the kid alone. What if it is Angelina who is doing it? What is talking about it on the cover of a tabloid going to do? Nothing. All it is going to do is later in life ask questions to her mom that no kid should have to ask. She is 4 years old. There are plenty of people to pick on or make uncomfortable who are of legal age or deserving to be picked on.

Are we going to have to read these kinds of stories about her for the rest of her life? Why? These stories must be big sellers or the tabloids would not keep writing them, but at some point it has to stop. She is 4. I would rather see Jen vs Angelina, Part 625 than another story about a 4 year old girl who has her fashion critiqued at every step.

43 comments:

Tenley said...

I can understand questioning Angelina and whether this is manipulated. I've got seven nieces and nephews under the age of 9 and I assure you that four year old girls do not go to that extreme. There are girls at 4 who favor reds and blues over pinks and purples (but no child in the real world wears blacks and doc martens by choice, just saying) and if they pay attention to their hair at all it's to want more of it, not less, and bright things in it. I'm sick of Angelina. I really do believe she's manipulated just about everything about her children and using them as props long before this.

canadachick said...

i agree leave her alone....when i look back at my pics as a child...god i wish i had dressed myself lol

PotPourri said...

Actually, Angelina is very jealous of Shiloh, and that is why she does it.

Tenley said...

(Angelina is going to have a child who when she is a toddler adopts a sexual identity to challenge the masses -- yeah none of that is manipulated, all of that is the work of the innocent child, riiiiiiigggght)

Patty said...

First, if Shiloh truely likes dressing like boys, why doesn't she were the same kind of clothes as her brothers, her closest role models. Her outfits always seem way over the top. Second, I am more bothered by the lack of color in any of their kids clothes. Black and shades of grey. Why not some green, red, purple, oragne, even brown. When the twins were born, there was a picture of her "holding" one of the babies and she was wearing a white outfit, which sutied her very well.

LL said...

Tenley: wow generalize much!?! just because you "know" 7 (wow--SEVEN!?!) kids you know that NO CHILD could possibly be anything other than what your limited mind can comprehend. You're offensive!

LL said...

Patty: Docs are 'way over the top'?? WHAT? she's wearing shorts, a shirt and Doc's. What is over the top about that? I'm so curious to hear the answer.

Jackie said...

Clothes as a child do not dictate sexuality. What she wears today isn't going to matter 20 years down the road, she will be whatever she will be.

Biggest case in point: Chastity "Chaz" Bono. Remember how adorable and girly she was on the Sonny and Cher Show? Now, she has completed a sex change and is now Chaz. Clothes certainly didn't affect the internal.

mooshki said...

I call bs. I think Angelina might encourage Shiloh's being eccentric, but I don't buy that she's forcing her to do anything. Just look at Zahara - she's a girly girl.

Anonymous said...

as a life-long tomboy and in my personal experience (with loads of photos of my past to back me up) i dressed like a boy ALL the time...even as a 3 and 4 year old. i had to have short hair, i had to wear my terry bradshaw tshirt 3 days a week. i wanted to be a boy, more specifically elliott from ET. LOL i was comfortable looking like a boy. i had all boy toys - my GI joes would mount vicious attacks on my sisters' barbie dreamhouse. when i grew up i wanted to be my dad.

respectfully @Tenley, i wanted combat boots as a toddler bc GI joe had them and they looked tough. i had no idea what Dr. Marten's were either - i just knew what i wanted to look like. i settled for cowboy boots ;-)

Sonia in MO said...

Well, my 4 year old wants short hair because she hates how her long hair always had tangles when I brushed it; she has an obsession with high heels that is a battle every morning because I won't let her wear them to pre-school; and when I let her choose her own clothes at the store, she always goes for black. Some kids are very opinionated about what they want to wear and some aren't.... I have friend whos daughter at age 4 refused to play with any "girl" toys or dolls or even dress like a girl; she only wanted Spiderman, Batman, and if a 4 year old could dress goth style, this kid would have. My niece, on the other hand, who is also 4, will choose princess costumes every day if she were allowed.

I'd much rather see a child express their individuality than have it supressed because what other people think is right or wrong. Amazing that no one mentions the clothes Zahara or the twins or the boys wear - perhaps because they fit the "society" expectation of being NORMAL kids? Harming your child isn't letting them pick their own clothes, and forcing Shiloh to be a little Suri Cruise when she's clearly not would be the real tragedy. But that sure would make the tabloids happy, wouldn't it?

Karmen said...

She's a kid! Leave her be! You know what I picked out for my pre-k class pictures? A knitted Santa sweater with a sleigh and reindeer (it was the middle of October), a pink denim skirt with teal and purple piping and scuffed up white shoes with whales. While every other girl had bows in their combed and curled hair, my disheveled hair completed my atrocious look. Was I sad? No. I was blissfully happy. I WAS A KID!

Despite all my fashion follies as a child, now I run a clothing boutique and look fabulous while doing so. Seriously, leave the poor kid alone. I hope she starts her own fashion line and becomes the next Stella McCartney.

It's me said...

I think Shiloh is expressing Angelina's style. I am sure Shiloh likes a boyish style otherwise she would insist on some type of dress once in a while. I don't believe all her kids only love black,white, grey, and taupe. I bet Shiloh picks a lot of the pieces but as a cohesive collection of clothes, it is all Angeline. Most 4 year olds don't not lace their boots as a style choice or wear a loose tie and hat as accessories.

Levi said...

Yeah, what kid doesn't tell his/her parent about "Montenegro Style." Puh-lease. AJ drags her kids all around the world for publicity, but she allows her kids to pick out what they want to wear and how they want to look. I guess Maddox wanted a mohawk and dyed hair at 3. What a little fashion forward genius! I don't buy it. And no, I am not some homophobe. I'm gay.

BigMama said...

I am sure Angelina throws her two cents in to make her children's cloths a bit more cohesive, I do with my girls. My eldest loved hats, so I got her cute hats. Otherwise she would wear an old golf hat. It's no big deal. If I had a kid that wanted to dress like a boy, I would stear her in the direction of flattering cool cloths. Whats the big deal, most likely she will decide she wants green hair next week and a mohawk. She is a kid with parents that are willing and able to indulge her. As much as I don't like this woman, I have to agree with letting her kid be a kid but at least styling it so she at least looks cool.

BigMama said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
BigMama said...

@Levi LOL I was making my mohawk comment just as you were. guess we are on diff pages there, but it is kinda funny we both remembered the same thing.

Cecilia00 said...

I think Angelina influences this by letting her kids be who they are and not placing gender or creative limitations on them.

Zahara dresses completely different.

Besides...Shiloh looks happy in most of the pics I have seen, and I simply can not image a 4yo who wants to wear dresses but is being forced to dress a certain way by her Mom putting up with that enough to look happy in pics.

Levi said...

3 year olds don't choose mohawks on their own. And no toddler ever chooses to wear a tie and a porkpie hat. That is either crazy talk or someone who has never been around children.

MISCH said...

I say leave the kid alone...
But I also live in New York in a building full of kids...boys and girls, brothers and sisters...and Shiloh takes this look to a whole new level...

jen said...

Wow...and this is normally the SANE blog :O

sunnyside1213 said...

@jen, sometimes things just set people off here. This seems to be one of them.

Levi said...

What is so insane on this thread? Maybe I'm too used to message forums where they accuse AJ of being a voodoo priestess who watches them sleep at night. Lol.

RocketQueen said...

Cecelia00 and others here have nailed it. This is complete BS, as illustrated by the fact that Zahara chooses (and is allowed) to dress completely differently and by all the wonderful commenters here who remember wanting to dress as a tomboy when they're younger. I applaud Angie Jo for letting her kids dress however the hell they want. Headlines and articles like this are fucking offensive.

mazemerizing said...

Re the comment above about Chastity Bono: I think it would be interesting to ask her if Cher dressed her in the girly clothes, or if young Chastity chose them. I'm guessing Cher forced the look on her. I know quite a few 4-year-olds, girls especially, who have a very definite opinions on the way they want to dress, and more power to the parent that lets them do so. They're four. Remember, Seester, when you wore that red gingham Granny dress every chance you got???

mooshki said...

My friend's 2 year old boy insists on growing his hair out long because he wants to be a girl, so I can totally see a 3 year old picking a mohawk. She might have suggested it, but I don't think she forced it on him.

LeeshaLou said...

I say leave her alone also but I see how plenty of young kids dress them selves and shilo does not.No strips with dots no miss matched colors. She looks put together

Maja With a J said...

"but no child in the real world wears blacks and doc martens by choice, just saying"

I must be living in the fucking Matrix then.

Krab said...

My daughter chooses black and Docs most days! My 12 year old son, however, went through a stage where he dressed like a 1950s Teddy Boy, then one where he wore a straw boater hat. That was after he decided to dress like a Victorian gentleman in a frock coat and silver-topped walking stick. If you let your kids pick out their own clothes and you're willing to pay for it, a lot of them will surprise you with their choices!

BigMama said...

@Krab LOL, I will enjoy the mental image if a kid in a Victorian Frock and walking stick all day! I had a nephew who wore Spiderman Pajamas under his cloths for a year. My sister had to pry them off him, the cloths over them were a concession not a choice. I still say she stears her kid in the direction of put together outfits that suit her personal style.

AnotherOneBitesTheDust said...

Actually, I truly feel what Angelina Jolie does with or how she dresses her children is truly NOBODY'S BUSINESS. And yes, I used all caps to clarify this point. If there is some sort of abuse or anything like that going on, then that should be dealt with by the authorities not the public freaking eye. And then I really don't see how a girl dressing like a boy constitutes child abuse. But then again...NOBODY'S BUSINESS. Yes, Angelina is a celebrity and that does give up privacy to some extent but for God's sake, live her kids alone. I agree with Enty whole-heartedly and get sick to my stomach when I see these headlines. Do the editors at Life and Style really feel it's worth a buck to put a child through this? What happens when Shiloh goes to school and enters society? She already will have hell and half to deal with due to her parents being who they are. And this crap and all the gossip mongering about how she dresses, at 4 years old for crying out loud, is only going to make it worse for this and those other kids. I'm emailing Life & Style and giving them a piece of my mind. This is garbage. Pure and simple.

Levi said...

@Allison: I would somewhat agree except for the fact that AJ intentionally trots out her kids to the paps for publicity and offers up such scrutiny. As for the authorities, how could they since the family doesn't stay in one country for more than a few months?

califblondy said...

So Shiloh isn't the fashionista Suri is...big deal. I still can't believe Katie said she asks the kid what she should wear.

If you believe some reports, anyone is to blame in the Jolie-Pitt household, wouldn't it be a nanny?

Personally, I think Angelina does play a small part. What kid walks thru an airport with one hand in their pocket? Too staged. A lot of four year olds have very definite ideas of what they want to wear. ITA with the comment about kids wanting short hair because it hurts to have long hair combed.

According to the book, Angelina doesn't have as stong of a connection to the bio kids 'cuz they were born fortunate.

Levi said...

@califblondy - The reason I think AJ is dressing Shiloh is BECAUSE Shiloh is a little fashionista. If Shiloh was truly dressing herself, she would 1) not be matching all of the time. Kids wear their faves regardless of whether they match or not and 2) Shiloh would be pictured in an outfit more than once. Most kids that age end up liking a particular article of clothing and wear it to death

As for the hair, I agree. Long hair can be a bitch and uncomfortable which is another reason I think AJ is dressing Shiloh. Why would a kid that wants short hair for comfort wear ties?

audrey said...

Until Shiloh is old enough to talk back and stand up for herself she shouldn't be the feature focus of a tabloid cover. No child under 14 should.

stephani said...

I agree with Allison. This is nobody's business. Period.

penelope said...

Haven't posted in a while-- but needed to add my own 2 cents.

I come from a large family and my father was a high school football coach. Throughout our childhood, my older sister and I wanted to be boys and to be treated just like our 2 older brothers.

We hated wearing dresses, but at that time (until I was in fifth grade) girls had to wear dresses or skirts to school. My sister and I ALWAYS wore shorts under our skirts and would not be caught dead wearing a skirt or dress at any other time. We used to cry and scream when we had to wear a dress to church or to our grandparent's house on holidays.

My sister, incredibly, used to wear a sailor's cap, "Gilligan-style," everywhere she went, including to bed. We were both particular about the clothes we would wear -- and would have worn the same clothes as our brothers all the time if we could (and sometimes we did get their hand-me-downs).

We both grew up liking guys -- but as adults would still rather wear pants and shorts than a dress or skirt. One of my younger sisters was a "girlie-girl", loved pink and took ballet lessons. My older sister and I would not be caught dead taking ballet or wearing pink!

THE PRESS SHOULD LEAVE SHILOH ALONE. IMHO, She obviously looks up to her brothers and wants to be like them and this extends to dressing like them. This behavior is normal for a young child and is no one's business.

bionic bunny! said...

angelina is batshit crazy.

BUT, like penelope, i was a big tomboy (and also wore the hat, lol!). my brother is 6-1/2 years older than me, and i adored him. we also weren't allowed pants at school, and i don't remember if it was a school thing or just my mom, but i couldn't wear shorts under my skirts/dresses. i didn't mind most of them, but i wanted to be like my brother. i had boy toys, i even got hold of an old pair of my brother's levi's and an old belt and wore the hell out of them 'til my mom found out. and it was always my dad who was home when i got home from school. i'm still a bit of a tomboy, but i'm definitely hetero.
i'm sure shiloh wants to dress like a boy, and THAT'S nobody's business.
but i guarantee angelina picks the clothes. hey, my daughter is 24, but i'm still picking up the tab. you can BET i have a say in what she wears!!

lanasyogamama said...

My 4 yo's bff wants to dress like a girl. He wears a hat everyday to pretend it's hair, and a jacket tied around his waist to pretend it's a skirt. Kids know what they want, and I agree with the poster that said she probably wants to dress like her Mommy.

Meg said...

Even if AJ was manipulating her, I have seen parents dress their kids in far worse....Life & Style needs to find a new topic. WTF cares what she dresses like? My friend's nephew wore a Superman costume well past it's prime on an almost daily basis. Who cares? Now if the dressing is weird enough that the kid is teased...then it is a diff story.

Char said...

Totally agree with you Enty. She's FOUR. Leave her alone. When I was four I LOVED the colour black and I would only wear black and paint and draw with black. A year later I loved pink. Kids go through phases, they try stuff out, they figure out who they are and what they like without realizing that that's what they're doing. They don't analyze it so neither should we. Maybe she will end up gay, trans or bi, but likely she won't. Either way, who cares? That is WAY WAY down the track and in no way can be predicted from how she dresses now.

EVEN if Angelina is the one that's doing it, who cares? She can't dictate what Shiloh's sexuality will turn out to be anyway, and I'm sure if Shiloh doesn't like the way she dresses it won't be long til she starts kicking up a fuss and wearing what she wants. This is not something for the world to be discussing or the press to be writing stories about.

merrick said...

I just gotta add my two cents. I have two little girls 5 and 7. The 7 year old only likes comfy clothes, soffees, sweats. No jeans, no skirts .. and the 5 years old will only wear skirts and frilly things. I let them pick out their clothes BUT, and this is a big BUT, I also try to compromise with them if the outfits they pick dont match. This is probably what goes on with Shiloh. She picks out clothes and her mom comes along and fixes her up to go outside so people wont make fun of her for wearing mismatched clothing. Could you imagine the headlines if Shiloh came out looking like a vagabond? Neglect would be yelled from the highest mountain. My kids also see how I dress and try to emulate it at time, another thing Shiloh could do. Leave the kid alone, she is a kid and should not the fodder for tabloid headlines. There are soooo many stories about grownups in Hollywood that would make much better reading.

mygeorgie said...

mazemerizing: The first thing I thought of when reading this post was Chastity! i think if Chaz was allowed to dress herself, she wouldn't have chosen all the pink & sparkles & would have probably come out a lot earlier, with much less personal torment.

If parents are truly doing their job RIGHT kids go out in public in wacky outfits: Cowboys, rangers, princesses, clowns, Dora & all. They have their whole life to be stiff & contrived :)

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