This Morning Sparks Debate After Showcasing Children Pole Dancing
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.
This Morning has sparked an online debate after featuring a demonstration of children pole dancing [Photo: Rex Features]
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.
Fitness Instructor Zoe Hardy and two of the children’s mothers joined Rylan Clark and Ruth Langford for the debate [Photo: Rex Features]
‘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.'
Fun way to keep fit or sexualising children? [Photo: Rex Features]
But not everyone agreed with the criticism with many taking to social media to defend pole fitness as a class for children.
‘Clothes are not sexual. Poles are not sexual. Things should only be sexualised if the person involved intends it to be.’ One viewer tweeted.
‘Pole dancing is for men to watch. Gymnastics is for fit healthy people to perform #thismorning.' Another wrote.
'If someone sexualises a child then the problem is with them, not the kid, pole fitness or otherwise!’ This viewer agreed.
'It’s basically gymnastics on a pole? I don’t see anything wrong with it.’ One tweeter wrote.
Tilly’s mother, Lisa Grosse, explained that her daughter took up pole dancing after being bullied at school over her weight.
‘She likes to challenge herself, so why not?’ she said. ‘There’s a pole in the playground they play at, they climb up it, they spin round it and down. What’s the difference?”
The girls’ pole dancing instructor, Zoe Hardy, was also keen to defend the sport ‘I want to say it’s not sexualising children, and they should go and try it themselves and see the strength and stamina they need. It’s pole fitness not dancing.’ she said.
The girls doing their live demonstration [Photo: Rex Features]
But psychologist Emma Kenny, who appeared during the segment via Skype, was standing firm on her view that the sport is not appropriate for young children. 'It’s got connotations to something far more salubrious,” she explained. ‘And even the outfits seen in the studio today I don’t think are resonant of childhood,’ referring to their skimpy tops and shorts.’
Looks like this is one debate that is going to run and run.
Do you think This Morning was right to feature the girls pole dancing? Join the debate @YahooStyleUK.
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