The kid in this video is Brock. His mom is Tori. Brock calls himself a ādivaā and likes to compete in pageants. Since contests for boys are in short supply, Brock sometimes competes against girls. And he wins.
He likes to sing, dance and, in the words of Tori, āsparkle.ā So pageants seem like a good fit for Brock, at least until he can fulfill his Broadway dreams.
Of course, most reasonable adults find the child pageant circuit indefensible. You donāt have to dig very deeply to notice the blatant sexualization of little girls, the sometimes thinly-veiled parental attention-hunger, or the single-minded focus on trophies and crowns at the expense of school or other forms of childhood socialization. Reality shows like Toddlers & Tiaras enjoy poking that lip-gloss-smeared hornet nest with a stick and audiences love grossing out over the never-not-shocking sight of seven year-old girls doing stripper moves to āMy Humps.ā
But back to Brock. Is the pageant world and TV exposure less exploitive when itās a gung-ho seven year-old boy sashaying about? Is a kid of any age ready for that kind of national attention? Can we applaud his boldness and still worry for his safety, emotional and otherwise, when people start sending him and his family horrible messages on the internet? Heās an innocent child, now āguiltyā of public flamboyance. Itāll happen.
How about we take this to the next level?
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For a seven year-old he does seem to know exactly what he wants. And you have to give Tori credit for letting him dress up like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz on Halloween and for not taking any shit from people who donāt think boys should be allowed to express themselves the way Brock does.
Soā¦ okay, yes, go Brock. Youāre a cool little guy. Hope Mom and Dad do a good job at protecting you from all the terrible boy-in-Dorothy-costume-hating people out there.
jesaves
I. LOVE. HIM
RomanHans
Ditto #1. Brock is an exceptional case, because clearly he’s in pageants because HE loves them, not his mom. And major props to his mom for repeatedly saying she and her husband will support Brock in whatever he does. Sigh. Love, love, love that family.
tallest
what the fux? I’m all for genderbending kids, but goddamn, pageants? Horrible, horrible things. He’s a cool kid and all but his parents are fucking him over just like the mothers of the girls.
So short answer, yes, I have a problem with this (but not the kid).
randy
Is there such a thing as a straight person named Brock? Didn’t think so…..
gregger
@randy: Yes there is a straight man named Brock, my cousin a DC RethugliKKKan strategist.
Alex
@gregger: Does he spend an inordinate amount of time in the Union Station Men’s Room.
randy
@gregger: Sorry, had him. Closet case. Next!
hee haw hoe
yeah he’ll be suckin dicks when he’s older
Red Meat
Everything points that he will be gay when he is older, but I fave a feeling this one is straight.
sam
Hmmm… while the kid is adorable, and I think is being true to himself, and probably genuinely enjoys this stuff… there’s the usual questions raised.
Howevvvvvver, unlike most parents on these things, I think the mother is helping him because HE wants to. If she wanted to get past her own insecurities and desires and use her children, she’s got a perfectly cute daughter to do it, with an easier avenue. I think this boy loves it, which is great š
The pageants themselves however… different story -_-
Bertie
That kid is precious and his parents are pretty amazing
Brick
He’s clearly gay. But that’s ok! Jazz hands!
Jeffree
Based on what I’ve seen on TV about these pageants, the competition is cut-throat so I’m surprised the girls’ parents don’t try to get Brock elim’d due to his gender!
Sounds like he *wants* to do the pageants & his parents aren’t forcing him, so yay Brock (& his parents for being supportive).
Tim
What a great mom!
Adonis-of-Fire
I love him and his mom for being so accepting and loving with him!
lizcivious
I hate to admit that I watch this awful series, but Brock is absolutely the only kid I’ve seen who has any talent whatsoever. They all act like little robots, mimicking their desperate mothers coaching them from the sidelines. Hopefully, Brock will get tired of the pageant circuit and concentrate on his dancing. May he thrive doing whatever he wants to do. Oh, and kudos to his parents for not raising a brat. Most of those pageant kids are bitches in training.
Dave
I don’t know if the pageant thing is good or bad, right or wrong, or in which cases it is one or more of the aforementioned. Perhaps more to the point, I don’t think it’s my place to even *decide* whether to have a problem with it. With every second that goes by, millions of people who aren’t me are making choices that would not be mine were I in the same situtation–and yet life goes on just fine, for the most part.
Without judging the pagenat thing, I can say that Brock and his mom made me smile. And I’m 100% with Dave White in hoping that Brock and his parents are prepared for and equipped to handle any lowlifes who slink into the picture. An exuberant spirit like his deserves to be nurtured, and I can’t help but feel protective of the little guy.
montana
You like him? He is just another Obnoxious Fag thanks in no small part to his Fat ASS Mother. I hope he loses Big