Dairy Queen - Stop Exploiting Children for Profits!

The Diary Queen Corporation has just started a new television ad which encourages adults to see young children as sexually seductive.  In this commercial, a young girl (about age 8) decides to intentionally flirt with, and seduce a young boy (about the same age) into buying her a sundae (in the same manner that a man would buy a drink for a romantic interest at a singles bar.)  Once the little girl has won the sundae (compliments of the smitten boy) via making "goo goo" eyes at him, she then turns to her mother and says, precociously, "It's just like shooting fish in a barrel."  In this commercial Dairy Queen cynically seeks to exploit  and sexualize young children, in order to sell ice cream.

Dairy Queen seems to have no awareness, or no concern, that our society increasingly sexualizes young children.  One only need consider children's increasing preference for seductive dress, the increasing incidence of pre-teenage anorexia, and body distortion problems, and events like the Joan Benet-Ramsey case to get a sense that our children's innocence is under attack.  Sexualizing children not only puts unhealthy pressure on them and compromises the quality and joy of their childhood, but it also arouses the pruriant interest of pedophiles.  Such messages suggest that "permission" is given, and that children welcome sexual encounters.

Every day, I work helping adults to heal from effects and trauma of childhood sexual abuse.  Such work is difficult, and those folks who do commit themselves towards personal healing are taking heroic measures to reclaim their lives.  Unfortunately, a large percentage of survivors and victims never do get around such healing, and so their scars from childhood sexual abuse continue to make their lives more difficult. 

Our children and our society really do not need television commercials (like those created for, and aired by, Dairy Queen) suggesting that children are ready to use their sexuality as leverage to get what they desire in life - things like hot fudge sundaes.

Please send a message to Dairy Queen that we demand wholesome advertising from them, and not exploitative advertising which promotes sexual abuses of children, as well as other mental health problems.  You can also  email Diary Queen from their web-site.

Thanks

The Diary Queen Corporation has just started a new television ad which encourages adults to see young children as sexually seductive.  In this commercial, a young girl (about age 8) decides to intentionally flirt with, and seduce a young boy (about the same age) into buying her a sundae (in the same manner that a man would buy a drink for a romantic interest at a singles bar.)  Once the little girl has won the sundae (compliments of the smitten boy) via making "goo goo" eyes at him, she then turns to her mother and says, precociously, "It's just like shooting fish in a barrel."  In this commercial Dairy Queen cynically seeks to exploit  and sexualize young children, in order to sell ice cream.

Dairy Queen seems to have no awareness, or no concern, that our society increasingly sexualizes young children.  One only need consider children's increasing preference for seductive dress, the increasing incidence of pre-teenage anorexia, and body distortion problems, and events like the Joan Benet-Ramsey case to get a sense that our children's innocence is under attack.  Sexualizing children not only puts unhealthy pressure on them and compromises the quality and joy of their childhood, but it also arouses the pruriant interest of pedophiles.  Such messages suggest that "permission" is given, and that children welcome sexual encounters.

Every day, I work helping adults to heal from effects and trauma of childhood sexual abuse.  Such work is difficult, and those folks who do commit themselves towards personal healing are taking heroic measures to reclaim their lives.  Unfortunately, a large percentage of survivors and victims never do get around such healing, and so their scars from childhood sexual abuse continue to make their lives more difficult. 

Our children and our society really do not need television commercials (like those created for, and aired by, Dairy Queen) suggesting that children are ready to use their sexuality as leverage to get what they desire in life - things like hot fudge sundaes.

Please send a message to Dairy Queen that we demand wholesome advertising from them, and not exploitative advertising which promotes sexual abuses of children, as well as other mental health problems.  You can also  email Diary Queen from their web-site.

Thanks

We the undersigned support the right of all children to have happy, innocent, playful, and wholesome childhoods.  We believe that it is every child's right to grow up whole, safe, protected, and free from exploitation and sexual abuse.

We further believe that the most recent Dairy Queen television ad promotes seeing young children as sexual objects.  This puts unhealthy pressure on children (especially young girls) to become prematurely sexualized, and leads to both unhealthy behaviors (including anorexia, and body distortion problems) and other distortions in emotional development. 

This most recent Dairy Queen ad (and messages like it) promote adult perceptions of children as "sexual beings," ready to trade on their sexuality to gain favors (such as hot fudge sundaes).  Such messages, in turn, facilitates pedophilic thinking, and pedophilic activities, which harm our children.

We ask that Dairy Queen withdraw its exploitative ad from the airwaves, and that it promote the sale of its products through wholesome images which celebrate life, happy childhoods, and wholesome, life-affirming values.  We strongly request that Dairy Queen refrain from associating its product with precocious sexuality, and stop using children's sexuality to sell it's products.

We support children's rights to be children, and to lead happy lives, without pressure to become prematurely sexual.

Those of us who support television commercials which do not lend themselves toward support of pedophilic obsessions (which may lead to abusive actions), please let Dairy Queen know of your concerns.

Dairy Queen can reached through their website.  Please send them email to let them know that we want their commercials to be pro-child, pro-innocence, and wholesome.

Thankyou,