The Wire

Turning little girls and boys into sex objects is definitely a taboo in our society, but a report this week by the Australia Institute claimed that’s exactly what is happening – and it’s being done by major retailers. Report author Emma West said children posing in clothing ads are encouraged to pout and adopt sexy body language; she also said small girls are being encouraged to wear bras.At least one retailer has hit back at the report, threatening defamation and accusing the author of the report of being perverted for seeing the ads as sexual. The Australia Institute’s Andrew McIntosh says they won’t be removing the report or altering it in any way.