Growing up in the spotlight
No matter how talented, hardworking, or intelligent a woman in the spotlight is, what often matters first and foremost to an audience will be her appearance. This is the case regardless of age. Even American politician Hillary Clinton was attacked for her looks by President Donald Trump, who stated, “She just doesn’t have the presidential look.” This not only affects the professional lives and mental health of these women; it makes them more vulnerable to assault and objectification. This is even scarier when involving female child stars.
In a recent controversy surrounding 15-year-old Stranger Things star Milly Bobby Brown, the actress attended the 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) in a custom Louis Vuitton dress that many deemed far too mature and sexualized. It was even more disturbing when considering there was an adult team of stylists controlling and curating the look.
Several Twitter users expressed their concerns:
“Millie Bobby Brown’s stylist should be sacked. She is just 15-years-old but looked at least 30 at the Sag awards last night. So disturbing.”
“The pedophilia in Hollywood is so apparent. It’s like they’re not even trying to hide it.”
“I feel like we forget that this is history repeating itself, this happened with Emma Watson as she was growing. Emma Watson is no doubt gorgeous but the way she was sexualized as a young teen girl was disturbing.”
“I really wish people would just leave children alone. These kids are kids. Stop robbing kids of their childhood.”
Many of the comments attacked her team of stylists specifically, and viewed Brown as a victim. However, in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Brown stated, “I’m not going to listen to what they have to say, journalists or whoever who wants to write badly about my inappropriate outfit. I would really enjoy wearing more fitted clothes now. I feel like I’m becoming someone and being a woman so I just want to show that.”
This isn’t exactly shocking— teenagers her age usually begin experimenting more with style and self-expression, and would prefer to break away from looking like their mom dressed them. It’s normal for Brown to want to disassociate her identity from the younger, tomboyish character Eleven she’s known for in Stranger Things. Additionally, according to an interview she had on the red carpet, Brown had a part in designing the look with creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere.
We don’t know the full extent of her influence over the design, nor do we know the dynamic between Brown and the designers. However, regardless of whether Brown was a victim of “creepy stylists” in this situation, she is still a victim in a larger context. Brown and all teenage girls should be able to express themselves however they want without fear of objectification—but that would be in an idealistic world. The reality is, women and girls are objectified and taken advantage of regardless of what they wear or how they present themselves. Inhabiting and growing up in such a bright spotlight doesn’t help— child stars are vulnerable to predators because they are easy to see and to access. NSFW comments, videos, and even SubReddits are created about Brown practically everyday. It’s undeniable that stylists tend to feed into these disturbing conversations by designing more mature, revealing looks, whether or not it’s intentional.
In a recent Instagram post, Brown stated, “The last few years haven’t been easy, I’ll admit that. There are moments I get frustrated from the inaccuracy, inappropriate comments, sexualization, and unnecessary insults that ultimately have resulted in pain and insecurity for me. But not ever will I be defeated. I’ll continue doing what I love and spreading the message in order to make change.”
And change is exactly what we need—to protect teenage stars like Brown from internet abuse and NSFW content through more thorough regulation of social media platforms like Instagram and Reddit.
Featured Image— Milly as Eleven on Stranger Things Courtesy of Flickering Myth