From the jump Roberts thrusts us head first into the creepy world of child pageants this is where the film is most profound. Hideous troll people live vicariously through there child. Its one thing to see a beauty pageant with adults where evening gowns, Swimsuits and purporting to have a talent. Its another thing when these stage moms thrust there child on stage looking like an underage prostitute twerking to EDM. Roberts does cover both sides and the stage moms have little in the way of an argument to validate what they are doing. It becomes clear that the only thing gained out of subjecting your child to this world is to obtain bragging rights that your six year old can out slut another six year old.
After this segment Roberts loses steam we are shown adds and claimed they are all marketed towards children yet what is not said is that some of the ads while risque and provocotive are also printed in adult magazines. A skin mag is hardly the same thing as Seventeen or TigerBeat.
Where things take an odd turn is when one of Roberts interns takes issue with Abercrombie & Fitch for not selling clothes higher than a size ten. She doesnt mention the Lane Bryants or Torrids of the world that cater to plus size woman. She focuses on the CEO of A&F targeting a cooler crowd and wanting them to be the ones that wear the clothes rather than the larger sizes. This type of commerce is considered bullying in her eyes and leads her to set up a protest. Later she meets with A&F and when they say they want to do an anti bully campaign she joins them essentially shilling for them.
Roberts then goes to “The Valley” and meets with Steve Hirsch CEO of vivid to discuss pornography and being marketed to children. This is set against a group of “experts” who claim that porn is degrading woman and that it leads to viewers of porn to seek out prostitutes. Its an easy target with huge leaps of logic not to mention that porn is the most notable industry that pays the woman far more than the men.
The overall expose is interesting and the child pageant portion is cringeworthy, Are kids growing up quicker than the previous generation? Of course just like every generation before them has. I believe Roberts views about as much as I want to go Amish and churn butter.
AB3 starts off strong but quickly blows its wad.
Grade: 65
