Famecrawler
Shiloh Jolie-Pitt: Tomboy at Heart?
Since Shiloh Jolie-Pitt was photographed wearing boys’ swim trunks, it’s set off a firestorm of blog entries and comments about whether allowing a 4 year old to be a tomboy is acceptable or not.
Maybe Shiloh Jolie-Pitt is a tomboy at heart… but the bigger question here is why is some creepy photographer hiding out in the bushes to capture Shiloh in swim trunks? And why do some people feel intent on bashing Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt for Shiloh’s choice in haircut and boys’ clothing?
I like that Angelina and Brad are allowing Shiloh to dress how she likes. What does it matter that she’s wearing boys’ swim trunks or likes to wear her hair short? Does that mean she is gender confused? It’s sad that our society has decided what’s clearly for boys and what’s for girls… is it wrong for little boys to play with dolls? Or girls to wear boys’ clothing? Of course not.
What gives with the gender roles? Why are people so quick to poo-poo the notion that little girls can dress like boys or play with boy’s toys? I remember playing with my brother’s Hot Wheels cars as a kid far more than I ever liked playing with Barbie. And I can proudly say my own daughter has followed the same model, scoffing at baby dolls and instead playing with more traditional “boy” items.
Maybe Shiloh’s tomboy style is just a phase – or maybe it’s not. Shiloh looks like she’s having a great time in the swim trunk picture. Does it matter if she’s wearing trunks or a full on princess outfit? No. Let the kid be a kid. She’s having fun. At the end of the day, isn’t that really the most important thing? And most of all, get the paparazzi out of there and give this family some privacy. I understand that celebrity photos are in hot demand, but there should be laws against snapping pics of kids.
Let us know what you think of Shiloh Jolie Pitt’s tomboy style. Do you think it’s acceptable to let a girl dress in boys’ clothing?
By the way, here’s what Angelina Jolie told Reuters about Shiloh’s hair and clothing choices: “I think she is fascinating, the choices she is making. And I would never be the kind of parent to force somebody to be something they are not. I think that is just bad parenting.”
Jolie added, “Children should be allowed to express themselves in whatever way they wish without anybody judging them because it is an important part of their growth. Society always has something to learn when it comes to the way we judge each other, label each other. We have far to go.”
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9 Comments
Eileen commented on Aug 09 10 at 9:01 amI think it is only an issue because Shiloh’s mom is such a freak and isn’t sure which gender she prefers so all eyes are on Shiloh to see which way she will go.
Megan commented on Aug 09 10 at 9:26 amI think she should let Shilow dress how she wants in reason. She should let her pick out some boys clothes but at the same time have some nice girl clothes in her closet. There is nothing wrong with short hair and boys clothes for a young girl, however there is a problem with Shilow thinking she is a boy.
Lucky commented on Aug 09 10 at 9:34 amNo, it’s an issue because people are uncomfortable with things they don’t understand. Seeing someone make a choice that differs from their own makes them question their own place in society. I saw a headline from Huffington Post about a 17 month old boy who was beaten to death for “acting like a girl.” I could not read the article, but it’s indicative of a country that’s got far too many hang-ups about sexuality and gender identity.
val commented on Aug 09 10 at 9:39 amThis is just weird to encourage a small child to dress like the opposite sex! If one of their sons wants to wear a dress, I suppose that’s ok too?? Of course it is!!!!! This is indulgence to a ridiculous degree. I guess as long as they are isolated from the rest of society so that she is not taunted by other children then it’s ok??? This is NOT NORMAL for a child of such a young age to be concerned with gender, nor is it normal for people to encourage this confusion in children, especially while knowing that she will end up on the cover of a magazine. She is NOT a boy.
Huh?! commented on Aug 09 10 at 10:11 amThis entire debate is ridiculous. Gender is a social construct. Clothing is a reflection of current fashion, not a concrete indication of anything, ESPECIALLY when a toddler is making the decisions, and it’s nobody’s damn business how a kid (anyone’s kid) wants to dress. Seriously, Babble, are you really interested in continuing to post items about this child, bait the (few) bigots here, and make your site look like a haven for judgemental, uneducated people who think that (and this is from a few preceding comments)anything other than a 1950s expression of gender and sexuality are freakishly abnormal? Do you really needs page hits so badly that you are willing to facilitate this kind of treatment of a little kid?
KGP commented on Aug 09 10 at 10:49 amI’m disappointed to see this post on Babble. The conversation of how Shiloh dresses has gone on entirely too long.
I really don’t understand why people continue to say that Brad and Angelina are choosing to dress their daughter like a boy. When you look a pictures from when Shiloh was a baby, there are tons of photos of her wearing little dresses. And Zahara is always dressed in very feminine clothing.
As parents to six kids, I’m sure that Angelina and Brad know that there are battles worth fighting, and there are things that are not worth arguing with your kids over. For them, allowing their daughter to get a short haircut and dress in boy’s clothing is not one of the battles they’ve chosen to fight.
The kid is apparently happy and healthy — the Life & Style cover that you’ve posted is really offensive. And notice how the headline is all about Angelina — it also drive me nuts that this is always about how the mother allows the child to dress, despite the fact that it appears that Angelina and Brad appear to split parenting duties pretty evenly.
lady commented on Aug 09 10 at 11:21 amI dont think its a real PROBLEM allowing this girl to wear boys swimwear BUT the problem is that she doesnt realize that as a girl you have girl private parts and have to cover up your personal private parts. We all know that its a sick world out there we need to let our children know that private parts need to be covered. BUT as for the boy haircut and boy clothes; ROCK ON GIRL!
Elle commented on Aug 09 10 at 12:01 pmWanna know what the problem with it is? 1 name
CHAZ BONO. It might seem like no big deal to normal people
but that little girl will live under a maginifying glass her entire life
and will not always be around people that have her best interest at heart. Let’s just put it this way, if it were a little boy being dressed in girls clothes being called “Jenny” you might think differently. It’s bad enough she was born in the screwed up situation she was
A. commented on Feb 20 12 at 4:04 pmShiloh Needs a SPANKING and forced to dress and act a girl!!
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